Websites using Gridsome

Okay, let s break down Gridsome, covering its purpose, revenue (or lack thereof), alternatives, pricing (mostly free!), and customer care.

What is Gridsome?

Gridsome was a static site generator (SSG) built with Vue.js. It allowed developers to create fast, secure, and SEO-friendly websites by pre-rendering content into static HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files during the build process. These files could then be served directly from a CDN, resulting in excellent performance.

• Key Features (Historical):
  • Vue.js Based: Built on the popular Vue.js framework, making it relatively easy for Vue developers to learn and use.
  • GraphQL Data Layer: Used GraphQL to efficiently fetch and manage data from various sources (CMSs, APIs, Markdown files, databases).
  • Plugin Ecosystem: Supported a rich ecosystem of plugins for extending functionality, such as handling image optimization, SEO, and more.
  • Automatic Code Splitting: Optimized website performance by splitting code into smaller chunks that were loaded on demand.
  • Hot-reloading: Provided a fast development experience with hot-reloading, allowing developers to see changes in real-time.
  • SEO-Friendly: Generated static HTML, which is easily crawled and indexed by search engines.
  • Progressive Web App (PWA) Ready: Enabled the creation of PWAs with features like offline support and push notifications.

Important Note: Gridsome is No Longer Actively Maintained

It s crucial to understand that Gridsome is no longer actively maintained by its original creators. The project s development has largely stalled. While existing sites built with Gridsome still function, you should strongly consider using an alternative for new projects. The lack of updates means it won t get bug fixes, security patches, or compatibility updates with newer technologies. Using an unmaintained tool carries significant risks.

Revenue and Pricing

• Revenue: Gridsome (the core framework) was an open-source project and did not generate direct revenue. The creators may have explored potential revenue streams through premium plugins, themes, or support services, but these were not fully realized before development ceased.

• Pricing: Gridsome itself was free to use under an open-source license (MIT). You could use it without paying any license fees. However, hosting, domain registration, and potentially the use of premium plugins or services associated with your Gridsome site would incur costs.

Alternatives to Gridsome

Given that Gridsome is unmaintained, you must use an alternative for new projects. Here are some excellent options:

• Nuxt.js: A full-featured Vue.js framework that supports server-side rendering (SSR), static site generation (SSG), and single-page applications (SPAs). It s a very popular and well-maintained choice. Often considered the most direct and best replacement for Gridsome, especially if you re already familiar with Vue.

• Next.js: A React-based framework with similar capabilities to Nuxt.js (SSR, SSG, SPA). A very popular and mature choice in the React ecosystem.

• Astro: A modern static site builder designed for speed and performance. Astro uses partial hydration to minimize JavaScript on the client-side.

• SvelteKit: The official framework for the Svelte compiler. Similar to Next.js and Nuxt.js, offering SSR, SSG, and SPA capabilities. Known for its performance.

• Gatsby: A React-based static site generator. While still popular, it s becoming less so, as the bundler and plugin model are sometimes seen as overly complex. However, it remains a viable option if you have existing Gatsby experience or need a large plugin ecosystem.

• Hugo: A very fast static site generator written in Go. Excellent for simple websites and blogs.

• Eleventy (11ty): A simpler static site generator that supports multiple templating languages (Markdown, Nunjucks, Liquid, etc.).

Choosing an Alternative

The best alternative depends on your specific needs and preferences:

• Existing Vue.js experience: Nuxt.js is the most natural transition.
• React.js experience: Next.js or Gatsby are good choices.
• Performance is paramount: Astro or SvelteKit are excellent options.
• Simplicity is key: Eleventy is a great choice.
• Speed of build is important: Hugo can t be beat.

Customer Care (Gridsome - Historically)

• Community Support: Because Gridsome was open-source, support primarily came from the community through:
  • GitHub Issues: Bug reports, feature requests, and general questions were typically handled through the Gridsome GitHub repository. However, these are likely not monitored closely anymore.
  • Discord/Slack: There may have been community-run Discord or Slack channels for Gridsome users, but their activity levels are unknown.
  • Documentation: The official Gridsome documentation was available on their website, but it s likely not being updated.
• No Official Support: There was no formal, paid support offered by the Gridsome creators.

Important Takeaways

• Don t use Gridsome for new projects. It s unmaintained, which is a security and stability risk.
• Consider Nuxt.js, Next.js, Astro, or SvelteKit as replacements, depending on your needs.
• Look to the community for support if you are maintaining an old Gridsome site, but be aware that the community might be shrinking.

In summary, Gridsome was a promising Vue.js static site generator, but its lack of active maintenance makes it unsuitable for new projects. Choose one of the actively developed alternatives listed above to ensure the longevity and security of your website.