Websites using Jekyllrb

Okay, let s break down Jekyllrb, covering its core functionality, revenue model, alternatives, pricing, and customer care (or rather, community support).

What is Jekyllrb? (Overview)

• Static Site Generator: Jekyll is a static site generator. This means it takes plain text files (Markdown, Liquid templates, HTML, CSS, JavaScript) and transforms them into a fully functional, ready-to-serve static website. There s no database or server-side processing required after the site is built.
• Blog-Aware: It s particularly well-suited for blogs and simple websites. It has built-in support for posts, categories, tags, permalinks, and other blogging conventions.
• Uses Markdown & Liquid: Content is typically written in Markdown (a lightweight markup language) for easy formatting. Liquid is a templating language (created by Shopify) that allows you to dynamically inject content and logic into your HTML templates.
• Easy Deployment: Since it generates static HTML, you can host your Jekyll site on virtually any web server or hosting service. Popular choices include GitHub Pages, Netlify, Vercel, Amazon S3, etc.
• Ruby-Based: Jekyll is written in Ruby, but you don t need to be a Ruby expert to use it. The command-line interface (CLI) makes it relatively easy to build and deploy your site.
• Open Source: Jekyll is free and open-source software (MIT License). This means you can use, modify, and distribute it without any licensing fees.

Revenue Model

Jekyll itself has no revenue model. It s a completely free and open-source project.

• Funded by Community & Sponsorships: The development and maintenance of Jekyll are supported by:
  • Community Contributions: Volunteer developers contribute code, documentation, and support.
  • Sponsorships: Companies and individuals can financially support the project through GitHub Sponsors or other donation platforms. These sponsorships help fund development efforts.
  • Related Services: While Jekyll is free, some companies may offer commercial services around Jekyll, such as:
    • Jekyll-specific hosting and deployment platforms.
    • Jekyll theme development and customization.
    • Consulting services for building and maintaining Jekyll sites.

Alternatives to Jekyll

Many static site generators exist. The best choice depends on your specific needs and technical skills. Here are some popular alternatives:

• Hugo: Written in Go. Known for its speed and performance. Excellent for large sites.
• Gatsby: Built on React (JavaScript). Uses GraphQL for data fetching. Very powerful and flexible, especially for data-driven websites.
• Next.js: A React framework that can be used for static site generation, server-side rendering, and API routes.
• Nuxt.js: A Vue.js framework with similar capabilities as Next.js, offering both static site generation and server-side rendering.
• Eleventy (11ty): JavaScript-based. Simple and flexible. Supports multiple template languages (Markdown, Liquid, Nunjucks, Handlebars, etc.). Good for beginners.
• MkDocs: Designed for creating project documentation. Uses Markdown.
• Pelican: Python-based. Mature and well-established.
• Hexo: Node.js based static site generator, popular for blogs.

Pricing

Jekyll itself is free. There are no licensing costs. You ll only incur costs for:

• Hosting: You ll need to pay for web hosting if you re not using a free service like GitHub Pages.
• Domain Name: If you want a custom domain (e.g., yourwebsite.com), you ll need to purchase one.
• Themes: While many free Jekyll themes are available, you might choose to purchase a premium theme.
• Plugins/Customization: If you need custom functionality beyond what s included in standard Jekyll, you might hire a developer to create custom plugins or templates, which would involve development costs.

Customer Care (Community Support)

Because Jekyll is free and open-source, there is no official customer care or technical support team in the traditional sense. Instead, you rely on:

• Documentation: The official Jekyll documentation is a good starting point: https://jekyllrb.com/docs/
• Community Forums:
  • Jekyll Talk: The official community forum: https://talk.jekyllrb.com/
  • Stack Overflow: Use the jekyll tag on Stack Overflow to ask questions and find answers: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/tagged/jekyll
• GitHub Issues: Report bugs and suggest features on the Jekyll GitHub repository: https://github.com/jekyll/jekyll/issues
• Community Blogs & Tutorials: Many developers have written blog posts and tutorials about Jekyll. A quick web search will turn up a wealth of information.
• Commercial Support (Indirect): While there s no official customer care, you might be able to find companies or individuals who offer paid support or consulting services for Jekyll. These are not affiliated with the core Jekyll team.

In Summary

Jekyll is a powerful and free static site generator that s ideal for blogs and simple websites. Its open-source nature means you get a lot of flexibility but also rely on community support. If you re comfortable with Markdown, Liquid, and a bit of command-line work, Jekyll can be a great choice. If you need more advanced features or prefer a different technology stack, consider exploring the alternatives.