Jekyll vs Substack
Please select two different options.
Jekyll and Substack are both popular platforms for content management, but they cater to different needs. Jekyll is a static site generator that offers flexibility and control over website structure, while Substack is a newsletter platform focused on simplifying the process of creating and distributing content.
General information
Jekyll
Substack
Introduction :
Jekyll is a static site generator that was launched in 2008 and is open source. It has gained popularity for its simplicity, speed, and security. Jekyll is widely used by developers and bloggers who prefer a lightweight and flexible platform for creating websites. Its ease of use and compatibility with version control systems like Git make it a popular choice for those looking to build fast and secure websites.
Jekyll is a static site generator that was launched in 2008 and is open source. It has gained popularity for its simplicity, speed, and security. Jekyll is widely used by developers and bloggers who prefer a lightweight and flexible platform for creating websites. Its ease of use and compatibility with version control systems like Git make it a popular choice for those looking to build fast and secure websites.
Introduction :
Substack is a popular newsletter platform known for its simplicity and ease of use. Launched in 2017, it has gained traction among writers and creators looking to monetize their content through subscription-based newsletters. Substack offers a user-friendly interface, customizable templates, and tools for managing subscribers and payments. Its open-source nature allows for flexibility and customization, making it a preferred choice for many content creators.
Substack is a popular newsletter platform known for its simplicity and ease of use. Launched in 2017, it has gained traction among writers and creators looking to monetize their content through subscription-based newsletters. Substack offers a user-friendly interface, customizable templates, and tools for managing subscribers and payments. Its open-source nature allows for flexibility and customization, making it a preferred choice for many content creators.
Advantages :
- Easy to use and setup for beginners
- Large community for support and resources
- Customizable with themes and plugins
- Fast performance with static site generation
- Secure with built-in features and updates
Advantages :
- Easy to use for beginners
- Built-in email newsletter functionality
- Ability to monetize content through subscriptions
- Customizable design and branding options
- Strong community support and resources
Disadvantages :
- Limited built-in features compared to others
- Steeper learning curve for beginners
- Less user-friendly interface for non-developers
- Limited theme options and customization capabilities
- Smaller community support and resources
Disadvantages :
- Limited customization options
- Lack of built-in SEO features
- Dependency on email for audience reach
- No built-in monetization options
- Limited analytics and reporting capabilities
Website users : Over 1 million websites
Jekyll is a popular choice for static websites, with a significant user base due to its simplicity and flexibility.
Jekyll is a popular choice for static websites, with a significant user base due to its simplicity and flexibility.
Website users : Thousands
Substack is used by thousands of websites for newsletter and content distribution, making it a popular choice among independent writers and creators.
Substack is used by thousands of websites for newsletter and content distribution, making it a popular choice among independent writers and creators.
🟡 Difficulty : Average.
Getting started with Jekyll requires basic knowledge of HTML, CSS, and Markdown. Some technical skills are needed, but resources are available for assistance.
Getting started with Jekyll requires basic knowledge of HTML, CSS, and Markdown. Some technical skills are needed, but resources are available for assistance.
🟢 Difficulty : Easy.
Getting started on Substack is straightforward with user-friendly tools and minimal technical skills required, making it accessible for beginners.
Getting started on Substack is straightforward with user-friendly tools and minimal technical skills required, making it accessible for beginners.
Year launched : 2008
Jekyll was launched in 2008, making it one of the earlier content management systems available for users to create websites.
Jekyll was launched in 2008, making it one of the earlier content management systems available for users to create websites.
Year launched : 2017
Substack was launched in 2017, making it a relatively newer platform compared to others in the content management space.
Substack was launched in 2017, making it a relatively newer platform compared to others in the content management space.
Official website :
https://jekyllrb.com/
Official website :
https://substack.com/
Commercial details
Jekyll
Substack
🟢 Open source : Fully.
Jekyll is fully open source, written in Ruby. The entire platform is available for modification and customization by the community.
Jekyll is fully open source, written in Ruby. The entire platform is available for modification and customization by the community.
🟡 Open source : Partially.
Substack's platform is not fully open source, but they do provide some level of access to their codebase for customization.
Substack's platform is not fully open source, but they do provide some level of access to their codebase for customization.
🟢 Free option : Yes.
Jekyll offers a free option with basic features. Users can host their site for free on platforms like GitHub Pages.
Jekyll offers a free option with basic features. Users can host their site for free on platforms like GitHub Pages.
🟢 Free option : Yes.
Substack offers a free option with limited features, making it a good choice for those looking to start a newsletter without upfront costs.
Substack offers a free option with limited features, making it a good choice for those looking to start a newsletter without upfront costs.
🟢 Paid option : Yes.
Jekyll offers a paid option for added features and support, providing users with more customization and assistance for their websites.
Jekyll offers a paid option for added features and support, providing users with more customization and assistance for their websites.
🟢 Paid option : Yes.
Substack offers a paid option for additional features and customization, providing users with more control over their content and audience engagement.
Substack offers a paid option for additional features and customization, providing users with more control over their content and audience engagement.
Platform details
Jekyll
Substack
🟢 Hosted : Yes.
Jekyll can be hosted on various platforms, including free options like GitHub Pages or paid options through hosting providers.
Jekyll can be hosted on various platforms, including free options like GitHub Pages or paid options through hosting providers.
🟢 Hosted : Yes.
Substack offers a hosted option for users to easily create and manage their newsletters without the need for technical expertise.
Substack offers a hosted option for users to easily create and manage their newsletters without the need for technical expertise.
🟢 Self host : Yes.
Self-hosting is possible with Jekyll, allowing users to choose their own hosting provider for more control and customization.
Self-hosting is possible with Jekyll, allowing users to choose their own hosting provider for more control and customization.
⚪ Self host : Unknown.
Self-hosting options may be available through third-party vendors, but direct self-hosting by Substack is unclear.
Self-hosting options may be available through third-party vendors, but direct self-hosting by Substack is unclear.
🟡 Headless CMS : Supported via plugin.
Jekyll does not natively support headless functionality but can be extended with plugins to enable headless features via APIs.
Jekyll does not natively support headless functionality but can be extended with plugins to enable headless features via APIs.
🟡 Headless CMS : Supported via plugin.
Substack does not natively support headless systems but can be integrated with headless features via its API for content delivery.
Substack does not natively support headless systems but can be integrated with headless features via its API for content delivery.
🟢 Static content generation : Support natively.
Jekyll natively supports static content generation, making it efficient for creating and managing static websites without the need for additional plugins.
Jekyll natively supports static content generation, making it efficient for creating and managing static websites without the need for additional plugins.
🟡 Static content generation : Supported via plugin.
Substack does not natively support static content generation but can potentially achieve this functionality via a popular plugin.
Substack does not natively support static content generation but can potentially achieve this functionality via a popular plugin.
Key features
Jekyll
Substack
🟡 Content management : Supported via plugin.
Jekyll requires plugins for advanced content management features, making it less user-friendly compared to platforms with native content management capabilities.
Jekyll requires plugins for advanced content management features, making it less user-friendly compared to platforms with native content management capabilities.
🟡 Content management : Supported via plugin.
Substack is primarily focused on email newsletters, making it a good platform for managing content in that specific format with additional plugins available.
Substack is primarily focused on email newsletters, making it a good platform for managing content in that specific format with additional plugins available.
🟡 Blogging : Supported via plugin.
Jekyll can be enhanced by popular plugins for blogging features, but it may require additional setup compared to platforms with native blogging capabilities.
Jekyll can be enhanced by popular plugins for blogging features, but it may require additional setup compared to platforms with native blogging capabilities.
🟢 Blogging : Support natively.
Substack is a native platform for blogging, offering a streamlined experience for writers to create and distribute content easily.
Substack is a native platform for blogging, offering a streamlined experience for writers to create and distribute content easily.
🔴 E-commerce : Not supported.
Jekyll is not specifically designed for e-commerce functionality. It may require significant customization or integration with third-party plugins for e-commerce capabilities.
Jekyll is not specifically designed for e-commerce functionality. It may require significant customization or integration with third-party plugins for e-commerce capabilities.
🔴 E-commerce : Not supported.
Substack is primarily focused on email newsletters and lacks native e-commerce functionality. It may require integration with third-party platforms for e-commerce capabilities.
Substack is primarily focused on email newsletters and lacks native e-commerce functionality. It may require integration with third-party platforms for e-commerce capabilities.
🟡 Community forum : Supported via plugin.
Jekyll can be used for a community/forum with the help of plugins like Jekyll Talk, but it requires additional setup compared to platforms with native forum features.
Jekyll can be used for a community/forum with the help of plugins like Jekyll Talk, but it requires additional setup compared to platforms with native forum features.
🟡 Community forum : Supported via plugin.
Substack does not natively support community forums but can be enhanced by integrating with third-party plugins like Circle or Tribe.so.
Substack does not natively support community forums but can be enhanced by integrating with third-party plugins like Circle or Tribe.so.
🟡 Content subscription : Supported via plugin.
Content subscriptions/paywalls can be supported through third-party plugins/extensions, enhancing Jekyll's functionality in this area.
Content subscriptions/paywalls can be supported through third-party plugins/extensions, enhancing Jekyll's functionality in this area.
🟢 Content subscription : Support natively.
Substack natively supports content subscriptions and paywalls, making it easy for creators to monetize their content directly on the platform.
Substack natively supports content subscriptions and paywalls, making it easy for creators to monetize their content directly on the platform.
Other features
Jekyll
Substack
🟡 Multi-site : Supported via plugin.
Jekyll does not support multi-site natively but can be enhanced by popular plugins like jekyll-multilingual and jekyll-multiple-languages-plugin.
Jekyll does not support multi-site natively but can be enhanced by popular plugins like jekyll-multilingual and jekyll-multiple-languages-plugin.
🟡 Multi-site : Supported via plugin.
Substack does not support multi-site natively but can be enhanced by third-party plugins for multi-site functionality.
Substack does not support multi-site natively but can be enhanced by third-party plugins for multi-site functionality.
🟡 Multi-language : Supported via plugin.
Multi-language support in Jekyll can be achieved through plugins like jekyll-multiple-languages-plugin, offering flexibility for internationalization needs.
Multi-language support in Jekyll can be achieved through plugins like jekyll-multiple-languages-plugin, offering flexibility for internationalization needs.
🟡 Multi-language : Supported via plugin.
Substack does not support multi-language natively but can be enhanced by third-party plugins or extensions for multi-language functionality.
Substack does not support multi-language natively but can be enhanced by third-party plugins or extensions for multi-language functionality.
🟡 XML Sitemaps : Supported via plugin.
Jekyll does not natively support XML sitemaps but can be enhanced with popular plugins like jekyll-sitemap for this functionality.
Jekyll does not natively support XML sitemaps but can be enhanced with popular plugins like jekyll-sitemap for this functionality.
⚪ XML Sitemaps : Unknown.
Substack's support for XML sitemaps is not well-documented. It may be available through native features or third-party tools.
Substack's support for XML sitemaps is not well-documented. It may be available through native features or third-party tools.
When choosing between Jekyll and Substack, consider your specific requirements. If you need a customizable website with full control over design and functionality, Jekyll may be the better choice. On the other hand, if you prioritize ease of use and seamless content distribution for newsletters, Substack could be the ideal platform for you.