Need advice about which tool to choose?Ask the StackShare community!
Gatsby vs Gridsome: What are the differences?
Introduction:
Gatsby and Gridsome are two popular static site generators that help developers build fast, efficient, and optimized websites. While they share some similarities, there are key differences that set them apart from each other.
Development Environment: Gatsby uses React, a JavaScript library, as its front-end framework, providing a powerful and flexible development environment. Gridsome, on the other hand, leverages Vue.js, another JavaScript framework, which is known for its simplicity and ease of use. This difference in front-end frameworks provides developers with different options based on their preferences and existing knowledge.
Data Fetching: Gatsby employs GraphQL, a query language for APIs, to fetch and manipulate data. It allows developers to easily pull data from various sources and filter it as needed. Gridsome also utilizes GraphQL, making it easy to source data from various APIs or content management systems. However, Gridsome offers additional features like automatic schema generation, making it more convenient to work with data.
Routing and Pagination: Gatsby uses a file-based routing system, where multiple pages are created based on the file structure. It allows for easy navigation and deep linking. Gridsome, on the other hand, leverages a page-query system, allowing developers to specify which pages to generate based on a GraphQL query. It provides more flexibility when defining routes and pagination for specific content types.
Plugin Ecosystem: Gatsby has a vast plugin ecosystem, with a wide range of plugins available for functionality and customization. These plugins offer additional features and integrations, extending the capabilities of a Gatsby site. Gridsome, although relatively new compared to Gatsby, also has a growing plugin ecosystem, enabling developers to add various functionalities to their sites. However, Gatsby's plugin ecosystem is more mature and extensive.
Performance: Gatsby is known for its excellent performance optimization capabilities, with features like code splitting, asset optimization, and preloading. It allows websites to load and navigate quickly, providing a smooth user experience. Gridsome also focuses on performance optimization, but it may not offer the same level of optimization as Gatsby out of the box. Additional optimization techniques may be required to achieve similar performance levels.
Community and Support: Gatsby has a large and active community, which means developers can find ample support and resources online. The documentation and tutorials available for Gatsby are abundant, making it easier for developers to get started and solve issues. Gridsome, being a relatively newer framework, has a smaller community in comparison. While it may be growing, finding specific answers or resources for Gridsome might be more challenging compared to Gatsby.
In Summary, Gatsby and Gridsome differ in their development environments, data fetching approaches, routing mechanisms, plugin ecosystems, performance optimization capabilities, and community support.
As a Frontend Developer I wanted something simple to generate static websites with technology I am familiar with. GatsbyJS was in the stack I am familiar with, does not need any other languages / package managers and allows quick content deployment in pure HTML
or Markdown
(what you prefer for a project). It also does not require you to understand a theming engine if you need a custom design.
Pros of Gatsby
- Generated websites are super fast28
- Fast16
- GraphQL15
- Progressive Web Apps generation10
- Easy to connect with lots of CMS via official plugins9
- Reusable components (React)9
- Allows to use markdown files as articles7
- Static-sites5
- All the benefits of a static website + React+GraphQL5
- Images5
- List of starters as base for new project4
- Easy to connect with Drupal via official plugin3
- Open source3
- Gitlab pages integration1
- Incremental Build1
Pros of Gridsome
- Vuejs16
- GraphQL10
- Starter kit as a base for new project6
- Reusable components (Vue)5
- Open source4
- Allows to use markdown files as articles3
- Static-sites3
- Generated websites are super fast2
- Blogging website2
- Webpack0
Sign up to add or upvote prosMake informed product decisions
Cons of Gatsby
- No ssr6
- Very slow builds3
- Documentation isn't complete.3
- For-profit2
- Slow builds2
- Flash of unstyled content issues2
- Problematic between develop and build commands1
- Difficult debugging1
- Too many dependencies1
- Plugin driven development1
- Difficult maintenance1
Cons of Gridsome
- Open source1
- Still young1