Using Jekyll for blogs and other static web projects is a superior alternative to content management systems, construction kits, etc. for a variety of reasons. The main advantage of this solution is the simplicity that can be seen in both the work with the website generator and the created projects. Thanks to the possibility of foregoing a database, you save time and effort on the set up and configuration. In addition, the necessary database access is no longer needed, which has a positive effect on the website’s loading time. The minimalist code, which is reduced to important functions and features, is present in all Jekyll themes, and contributes to good performance and easy project development and maintenance. Compared to classic CMS, Jekyll generates a deliverable markup after each amend and not only when a user accesses a page.
Jekyll also scores well when it comes to stability and security. Since the web server only has to deliver text files, Jekyll’s potential for error is considerably lower than for websites that have several different components interacting with each other. And because no regular updates are necessary, the stable code framework also ensures high availability of the website in the long term. The security results from the fact that it doesn’t make much sense to attack Jekyll, since it doesn’t have CMS, databases, and scripts with dynamic elements (PHP, JavaScript, etc.).
While the highly-restricted code base is no obstacle for experienced developers, newcomers will find it difficult to use the website generator. In the standard version, Jekyll does not have a graphical user interface, so installation andsetup must be carried out via the command line. Jekyll is also clearly inferior to many CMS and website development tools when it comes to the theme selection, since it lacks choice; other tools have hundreds or even thousands of design and layout templates. The same is true for the support, which isn’t very developed due to its small community and low distribution.
The following table summarizes Jekyll’s most important advantages and disadvantages: