Head-to-head · Template Engine Software
Go text/template vs Smarty
Go text/template leads on 0 checks, Smarty on 0, and 4 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 4 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.
Our verdict
- Highest scoreGo text/template · 8.8/10
- Free planboth
- Most featuresSmarty · 2 of 4
Go text/template scores higher on our rubric for template engine software: 8.8 against 8.7 out of 10; our editors rank them #7 and #8.
Go text/template is the better fit for go developers needing a standard-library engine. Smarty is the better fit for PHP teams separating presentation from application logic.
- Go text/template fits best
Go developers needing a standard-library engine
- Smarty fits best
PHP teams separating presentation from application logic
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Side by side
| Feature | Go text/template 8.8/10 Visit ↗ | Smarty 8.7/10 Visit ↗ |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | ||
| Editor score | 8.8 | 8.7 |
| Ranking | #7 in Template Engine Software | #8 in Template Engine Software |
| Best for | Go developers needing a standard-library engine | PHP teams separating presentation from application logic |
| Pricing model | Free | Free |
| Starting price | Free plan | Free plan |
| Free plan | ✓ | ✓ |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Features Go text/template 1/4 · Smarty 2/4 | ||
| Template inheritance | ✓ | ✓ |
| Automatic escaping | — | — |
| Sandbox mode | Not checked yet | ✓ (best) |
| Async rendering | Not checked yet | Not checked yet |
| Specs | ||
| Rendering mode | Not checked yet | Server |
| Syntax model | Logic-based | Logic-based |
| License model | Open-source | Open-source |
| Our review | ||
| Pros |
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| Cons |
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| Our verdict | Go text/template is a standard-library package for Go developers who need to generate text from data structures. It applies templates to data and writes the resulting output to a writer. Its logic-based syntax includes actions, control… Read the review → |
Smarty is an open-source PHP template engine for teams that want presentation handled separately from application logic. PHP applications pass content and variables into templates, where tags format and render them. That arrangement can… Read the review → |
Strengths and trade-offs
Go text/template — where it wins
- Supports actions, control structures, pipelines, variables, and functions
- Parses named templates from strings, files, globs, and filesystem abstractions
- Can execute templates in parallel after construction
Where it doesn't
- Does not automatically escape output
- Template authors must be trusted
- Focused on text output rather than automatic HTML escaping
Smarty — where it wins
- Compiles templates to PHP scripts and recompiles when files change
- Template inheritance lets child templates fill parent blocks
- Built-in caching plus custom functions and variable modifiers
Where it doesn't
- HTML escaping is optional rather than enabled by default
- Self-hosted deployment requires a PHP application
- Support is community-based
- Go text/template8.8/10 · Free plan
A free, logic-based Go template package with named templates and no automatic escaping.
Try Go text/templateFull verdict → - Smarty8.7/10 · Free plan
Smarty separates PHP views from application logic and compiles templates for reuse.
Visit SmartyFull verdict →
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update