Hexo vs Jekyll — which one wins for your brief, in 2026

Two mature blog SSGs with overlapping audiences. Hexo is the JS-based answer with strong Asian community adoption; Jekyll is the Ruby-based one with the GitHub Pages default and Western dominance. Both feel dated next to Eleventy or Astro for new projects. If you are choosing between these specifically, pick Hexo if your team is JS-fluent; pick Jekyll for GitHub Pages out-of-the-box.

Score across the criteria: Hexo 2 · Jekyll 1 · ties 2

• Which is easier to deploy on GitHub Pages?

  Jekyll

  Jekyll is the GitHub Pages default — no Actions workflow needed.

• Which has a JS-friendly toolchain?

  Hexo

  Hexo is Node-based — npm packages, JS plugins. Jekyll requires Ruby and Bundler.

• Which has stronger Asian community adoption?

  Hexo

  Hexo dominates in Chinese and Japanese developer blogs. The theme ecosystem reflects this.

• Which is the right pick for a new blog in 2026?

  Tie

  Honestly, neither. Pick Eleventy or Astro. If forced to choose between these two, pick by toolchain preference.

• Which has more recent feature work?

  Tie

  Both are mature with slow release cadences. Pick by ecosystem fit, not by feature pace.

• Personal developer blogs in Asia where Hexo themes are well-known
• Quick setup for a blog when an existing theme fits

Read the full Hexo entry: /static-site-generators/hexo/

• Existing Jekyll sites with no reason to migrate
• GitHub Pages projects where Jekyll is the default
• Personal blogs with low post counts

Read the full Jekyll entry: /static-site-generators/jekyll/

If your project is shipping in the next 6 months, the 30-min call is where the comparison becomes a real plan — your stack, your build phases, your SEO transport, your price range. Describe your project; I tell you whether Hexo or Jekyll (or something else) is genuinely your fit.