Eleventy

Eleventy is a static site generator. You give it a folder of templates written in languages like Markdown, HTML, or Nunjucks, and it processes them to build a complete, static website. The core idea is straightforward: separate your content from your layout, and let Eleventy combine them into fast, pre-built HTML files ready to be uploaded to any web host.

It works by being highly flexible and unopinionated. You can mix and match template languages in the same project, and its data cascade system gives you fine-grained control over how settings and content flow into your templates. It comes with a local development server so you can see changes instantly, and it has a plugin system for adding features like image optimization or RSS feeds. Unlike some generators, Eleventy doesn't force a specific JavaScript framework on you, which keeps the learning curve lower and the output leaner.

This tool is a great fit for developers who want full control over their site's structure without the overhead of a heavy CMS. It's ideal for building blogs, documentation, portfolios, and business websites where speed, security, and simplicity are priorities. If you're comfortable working in a text editor and the command line, Eleventy provides a powerful yet simple way to publish on the web.