Grain
Grain: A flexible open-source choice for Groovy or Java static sites. Ranked #30 of 35 in Static Site Generators by our editors (6.3/10); pricing: Free plan; best for groovy or Java static sites.
At a glance
- Editor score6.3 / 10
- PricingFree plan
- Best forGroovy or Java static sites
- Free planYes
- Paid fromFree
- Content sourcesMarkdown
- Facts checked22 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Supports Markdown, reStructuredText, and AsciiDoc
- Includes live reload, layouts, includes, and template nesting
- Provides URL mapping, minification, syntax highlighting, and Sass support
Where it doesn't
- Requires a JDK and Gradle-based themes
- Deployment uses configured shell commands
- Lacks incremental builds, multilingual support, and broader CMS features
Our verdict on Grain
Grain is an open-source static website generator and framework written in Groovy. It generates static websites from content and theme files for personal blogs, company websites, and documentation sites. Its supported platforms are Windows, Linux, and macOS, while its supported languages are Groovy and Java. Grain is suited to solo developers and small or mid-market teams that want self-hosted static sites with customizable themes.
The strongest part of Grain is its markup and templating flexibility. Content can be processed as Markdown, reStructuredText, or AsciiDoc, while templates support embedded Groovy code, layouts, includes, and nesting. A local preview server with live reload supports iterative authoring. URL and resource mapping, source compression, minification, Python Pygments syntax highlighting, and Sass or SCSS support extend the publishing workflow beyond basic page generation. These capabilities make Grain a practical fit for projects that need custom theme behavior and varied documentation or content formats.
The main trade-off is the project setup and its narrower ecosystem. Projects require a JDK to run and use Gradle-based themes, which adds development tooling requirements before content work begins. Deployment is handled through configured shell commands, and Grain is self-hosted rather than presented as a managed publishing service. It also does not provide incremental builds, multilingual support, or broader content-management features. Choose Grain when Groovy or Java integration, flexible markup processing, and theme control matter most; consider an alternative when a wider integration ecosystem, multilingual publishing, incremental builds, or more extensive CMS capabilities are central requirements.
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Grain pricing
Grain fact sheet
| Free plan | Yes |
|---|---|
| Paid from | Free |
| Content sources | Markdown |
| CMS integration | Not verified |
| Incremental builds | Not verified |
| Multilingual support | Not verified |
| Local preview server | Yes |
| Supported languages | Groovy, Java |
| Deployment | Self-hosted |
| Platforms | Windows, Linux, macOS |
| Support | Email, Community, Docs |
| Built for | Solo, Small business, Mid-market (editorial estimate) |
| Pricing | Free plan |
| Website | github.com |
| Facts checked | 22 Sep 2026 |
Alternatives to Grain
- GatsbyA broad React framework for static, dynamic, multilingual, and CMS-connected sites.9.4
- HugoA free, flexible choice for fast, content-rich websites across major desktop platforms.9.2
- PubliiA free desktop CMS for bloggers who want visual editing and static hosting flexibility.9.0
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The editor score above is our own research. What this page doesn't have yet is a reader's view — what you used Grain for, what worked and what didn't. No stars are seeded and no review is paid for; an editor reads every one before it appears.
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Featured on iTechGuides
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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