Eleventy vs Weebly

Eleventy is a static site generator known for its simplicity and flexibility, while Weebly is a user-friendly website builder with drag-and-drop functionality. Both platforms offer different approaches to creating websites, catering to different user needs and preferences.

General information

Eleventy
Weebly
Introduction :
Eleventy is a modern static site generator that is gaining popularity for its simplicity and flexibility. Launched in 2018, Eleventy is open source and allows users to build websites using various templating languages. It is known for its fast build times and ease of use, making it a popular choice for developers looking for a lightweight and customizable platform for their projects.
Introduction :
Weebly is a user-friendly website builder that was launched in 2006. It offers a drag-and-drop interface, making it easy for beginners to create professional-looking websites without any coding knowledge. Weebly is not open source but is popular for its affordable pricing plans and extensive template library. It is a popular choice for small businesses and individuals looking to quickly set up an online presence.
Advantages :
  • Simple setup and configuration process
  • Fast performance and build times
  • Flexible and customizable templating system
  • Built-in support for various template languages
  • Strong community support and active development
Advantages :
  • Easy drag-and-drop website builder
  • Mobile responsive templates
  • App center for additional functionality
  • SEO tools for better visibility
  • Reliable and secure hosting services
Disadvantages :
  • Limited built-in features compared to others
  • Steeper learning curve for beginners
  • Smaller community for support and resources
  • Less flexibility for customization and design
  • Limited third-party integrations and plugins
Disadvantages :
  • Limited design flexibility compared to others
  • Limited e-commerce capabilities
  • Steeper learning curve for beginners
  • Less customization options for advanced users
  • Limited SEO features compared to other platforms
Website users : Thousands
Eleventy is used by thousands of websites as a flexible and simple static site generator, popular among developers for its ease of use.
Website users : Over 50 million websites
Weebly is a popular choice for website creation, with a significant number of users leveraging its user-friendly platform.
๐ŸŸก Difficulty : Average.
Getting started with Eleventy requires basic knowledge of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Some learning curve involved for beginners.
๐ŸŸข Difficulty : Easy.
Weebly offers a user-friendly interface and drag-and-drop functionality, making it easy for beginners to create a website without needing advanced technical skills.
Year launched : 2013
Eleventy was launched in 2013, positioning it as a relatively newer option compared to more established content management systems.
Year launched : 2006
Weebly was launched in 2006, making it one of the earlier content management systems available for creating websites.
Official website : https://www.11ty.dev/
Official website : https://www.weebly.com/


Commercial details

Eleventy
Weebly
๐ŸŸก Open source : Partially.
Eleventy is partially open source, with the core functionality being open but some features requiring a paid license for full access.
๐ŸŸก Open source : Partially.
Weebly is not fully open source, but it does offer some customization options through its developer platform for added flexibility.
๐ŸŸข Free option : Yes.
Eleventy is a free and open-source static site generator, making it a cost-effective option for users looking to build websites without ongoing fees.
๐ŸŸข Free option : Yes.
Weebly offers a free option with limited features, suitable for basic websites. It is a hosted platform with options to upgrade for more features.
๐ŸŸข Paid option : Yes.
Eleventy offers a paid option for users looking for additional features, support, or hosted solutions, providing more flexibility and customization.
๐ŸŸข Paid option : Yes.
Weebly offers a paid option with additional features and functionality compared to its free version, providing users with more customization and support options.


Platform details

Eleventy
Weebly
โšช Hosted : Unknown.
Eleventy does not offer a clear hosted option, but users may find third-party vendors providing hosting services for the platform.
๐ŸŸข Hosted : Yes.
Weebly offers a hosted option with both free and paid plans, providing users with a convenient and easy-to-use website building experience.
๐ŸŸข Self host : Yes.
Eleventy can be self-hosted on various platforms, offering flexibility and control over hosting options for users.
โšช Self host : Unknown.
Weebly does not offer a self-hosting option, but there may be third-party vendors that provide hosting services for Weebly websites.
๐ŸŸก Headless CMS : Supported via plugin.
Eleventy does not natively support headless systems but can be used with plugins or APIs to enable headless features.
๐ŸŸก Headless CMS : Supported via plugin.
Weebly does not natively support headless systems but can be integrated with headless features through plugins or APIs.
๐ŸŸข Static content generation : Support natively.
Eleventy natively supports static content generation, making it efficient and easy to use for creating static websites.
๐ŸŸก Static content generation : Supported via plugin.
Weebly does not natively support static content generation but can potentially be achieved through the use of a popular plugin.


Key features

Eleventy
Weebly
๐ŸŸก Content management : Supported via plugin.
Eleventy offers some content management capabilities through plugins, but may require additional setup compared to platforms with native content management features.
๐ŸŸก Content management : Supported via plugin.
Weebly offers decent content management capabilities through plugins, but it may not be as robust as other platforms' native features.
๐ŸŸก Blogging : Supported via plugin.
Eleventy is a versatile static site generator suitable for blogging, but lacks some native features commonly found in dedicated blogging platforms.
๐ŸŸก Blogging : Supported via plugin.
Weebly offers basic blogging capabilities, but its functionality can be enhanced by popular third-party plugins for a more robust blogging experience.
๐Ÿ”ด E-commerce : Not supported.
Eleventy is not specifically designed for e-commerce, lacking native features for online stores. However, it can be enhanced with third-party plugins/extensions.
๐ŸŸก E-commerce : Supported via plugin.
Weebly offers e-commerce functionality through plugins like Ecwid and Square, providing a decent but not native e-commerce experience compared to other platforms.
๐ŸŸก Community forum : Supported via plugin.
Eleventy does not natively support community/forum features but can be enhanced by integrating third-party plugins/extensions for this functionality.
๐ŸŸก Community forum : Supported via plugin.
Weebly does not have native forum functionality but can be enhanced by third-party plugins for community building and forum features.
๐ŸŸก Content subscription : Supported via plugin.
Eleventy does not natively support content subscriptions/paywalls but can be enhanced by third-party plugins for this functionality.
๐ŸŸก Content subscription : Supported via plugin.
Weebly does not natively support content subscriptions/paywalls but can be enhanced by popular third-party plugins/extensions for this functionality.


Other features

Eleventy
Weebly
๐ŸŸก Multi-site : Supported via plugin.
Eleventy does not support multi-site natively but can be achieved through third-party plugins or configurations for managing multiple sites.
๐ŸŸก Multi-site : Supported via plugin.
Weebly does not natively support multi-site functionality but can be achieved through third-party plugins or extensions.
๐ŸŸก Multi-language : Supported via plugin.
Eleventy does not natively support multi-language but can be enhanced with popular plugins/extensions for multi-language functionality.
๐ŸŸก Multi-language : Supported via plugin.
Weebly does not support multi-language natively but can be enhanced with third-party plugins for multi-language functionality.
๐ŸŸก XML Sitemaps : Supported via plugin.
Eleventy does not natively support XML sitemaps but can be enhanced by third-party plugins like eleventy-plugin-sitemap for this functionality.
๐ŸŸข XML Sitemaps : Support natively.
Weebly natively supports XML sitemaps, making it easy for users to ensure their website is properly indexed by search engines.


When choosing between Eleventy and Weebly, consider your technical skills and design preferences. If you prefer more control over your site’s code and customization options, Eleventy may be the better choice. On the other hand, if you value ease of use and a visually appealing design interface, Weebly could be the ideal platform for your website building needs.