Comparison

Gatsby vs Zola

No clear leader: Zola (54.0) and Gatsby (53.0) are within the 5-point margin; treat as a tie. The attribute-by-attribute breakdown below, with a source and date on every value, is the honest way to compare them.

Machine formatsMarkdownJSONGraphQLMarkdown is open. JSON and GraphQL need a free key.
Gatsby53
Zola54
Score
vioscaleAI score
Gatsby53 / 100medium · 53%
Zola54 / 100medium · 54%
Pricing
Free tier
Gatsby✓
Zola✓
Model
Gatsbyfree
Zolafree
Price level
Gatsbyfree
Zolafree
Transparent
Gatsby✗
Zola✓
Integrations
Count
Gatsby1
Zola1
Security
Disclosure policy
Gatsby✓
Zola–
Gdpr
Gatsby✓
Zola–
Scorecard
Gatsby7.4
Zola5.1
Soc2
Gatsby✓
Zola–
Reliability
Status page
Gatsby✓
Zola–
Adoption
Dependent repos
Gatsby–
Zola0
Github stars
Gatsby55,937
Zola17,513
Package downloads weekly
Gatsby270,321
Zola–
Activity
Commits last 30d
Gatsby3
Zola48
Release
Cadence days
Gatsby–
Zola22
History
License
Spdx
GatsbyMIT
Language
Primary
ZolaRust
Content
Faq
Gatsby7 items

Capabilities

Feature-by-feature on the axes that matter for static site generators. “-” means undocumented, not absent.

Capabilities
Runtime
GatsbyNode
ZolaRust
Build model
Gatsby-
ZolaFully static
Incremental builds
Gatsby-
Zola-
Islands partial hydration
Gatsby-
Zola-
I18n
Gatsby-
Zola✓
Image optimization
Gatsby-
Zola✓
Docs specialised
Gatsby-
Zola-
Plugin ecosystem size
GatsbyLarge
Zola-
Zero js by default
Gatsby-
Zola-
Mdx component embeds
Gatsby-
Zola✓
Single binary no deps
Gatsby-
Zola✓

What each one is

The product in its own terms, so the numbers below have context.

Gatsby

React-based framework designed for creating fast, scalable web applications. Emphasizes performance, security, and developer experience with support for multiple data sources including headless CMS platforms.

Independently observed

Zola

Zola is a static site generator that compiles into a single self-contained executable with no external runtime dependencies. It provides native features for template component embedding, image optimization, multi-language sites, and automatic generation of page navigation aids.

Independently observed

Pricing

List pricing as published by each vendor, with the date we read it. Always verify at the source before you buy.

Gatsby

FreeFree tier
as of verify ↗

Zola

FreeFree tier
as of verify ↗

Platform & deployment

Where each product runs and how it can be hosted. A dash means undocumented, not unsupported.

Platforms
Web
Gatsby✓
Zola✗
CLI
Gatsby✓
Zola✓
Deployment
Cloud / SaaS
Gatsby✓
Zola✓
Self-hosted
Gatsby✓
Zola✓

Integrations

What each product connects to. Counts come from the vendor's own integration directory where one exists.

Gatsby

5 total
  • Netlify
  • Google APIs
  • WordPress
  • Drupal
  • Shopify
Independently observed

Zola

1 total
  • Cloudflare Pages
Independently observed
Still deciding?

Gatsby or Zola: which one depends on you

A composite score cannot know your constraints. Describe them and both get re-weighted against what you actually need, with the evidence behind every position.

Free to run, no account needed to start. How the evaluation works

Comparison generated from independently-sourced facts. Every value links to its source and retrieval date. See the method.