Personal Website5 platforms compared

Best CMS for a Personal Website in 2026

Find the best platform for your personal website. From minimal single-page sites to full personal brands with blogs and portfolios.

Your corner of the internet should be fast, free to host, and completely yours.

TL;DR — Our Top Pick

Astro is our top recommendation for personal website sites.

Perfect for content-focused personal sites. Ships zero JavaScript by default, has beautiful starter themes, and deploys free on Vercel or Netlify.

What a Personal Website CMS Needs

Individuals building a personal brand, resume site, or digital garden.

Simple setup with minimal maintenance

Free or very low hosting cost

Custom domain support

Optional blog section

Easy to update content

Top 5 Platforms Ranked

Astro

Content-focused framework that ships zero JavaScript by default

TOP PICK

Perfect for content-focused personal sites. Ships zero JavaScript by default, has beautiful starter themes, and deploys free on Vercel or Netlify.

Open SourceJavaScript/TypeScript (framework-agnostic)Free (open-source)

Strengths

Ships zero JS to the client by default (Islands Architecture)
Use React, Vue, Svelte, or any framework in the same project
Content collections with type-safe Markdown/MDX

Trade-offs

Not ideal for highly interactive apps (designed for content sites)
Smaller ecosystem than Next.js — fewer integrations available

Next.js

React framework for production with SSR, SSG, and API routes

If you want a blog, portfolio, and interactive features in one site. Largest ecosystem of templates and components.

Open SourceJavaScript/TypeScript (React)Free (open-source)

Strengths

Hybrid rendering — SSG, SSR, ISR, and client-side in one app
Most popular React framework with massive community
Built-in image optimization, API routes, and middleware

Trade-offs

React learning curve for non-JavaScript developers
App Router introduced complexity with Server Components

Hugo

Fastest static site generator, written in Go

Ultra-simple Markdown-based sites that build in milliseconds. Hundreds of free themes. Perfect for minimalists who just want to write.

Open SourceGo (Go templates)Free (open-source)

Strengths

Blazing fast builds — renders 10,000 pages in seconds
Single binary with zero dependencies
Built-in image processing, taxonomies, and i18n

Trade-offs

Go template syntax has a steep learning curve
No JavaScript framework — limits client-side interactivity

11ty (Eleventy)

Zero-config JavaScript SSG that ships zero client JS by default

Flexible, zero-opinion static site generator. Works with any template language. Low learning curve for web developers.

Open SourceJavaScript (multiple template languages)Free (open-source)

Strengths

Ships zero JavaScript to the browser by default — pure HTML
Supports 10+ template languages (Nunjucks, Liquid, Markdown, etc.)
Framework-independent — use any or no JS framework

Trade-offs

No built-in client-side JS framework for interactive components
Smaller ecosystem of plugins and starters than Next.js or Gatsby

SvelteKit

Full-stack Svelte framework with SSR and SSG

Clean, fast, and fun to build with. Smaller bundles than React. Great if you want to learn Svelte while building your personal site.

Open SourceJavaScript/TypeScript (Svelte)Free (open-source)

Strengths

Svelte compiles to vanilla JS — smallest possible bundle sizes
Intuitive syntax — easier to learn than React or Vue
Excellent developer experience with fast HMR

Trade-offs

Smaller ecosystem — fewer libraries and UI component kits
Harder to hire Svelte developers compared to React

How to Decide

If you just want to write, Hugo or 11ty with Markdown files is the simplest path

If you want interactive elements (animations, dark mode toggles), choose Astro or Next.js

All of these deploy free on Vercel, Netlify, or Cloudflare Pages — you only pay for the domain

Start simple. You can always add a blog, portfolio, or newsletter later

Ready to migrate from WordPress?

WordPress → Astro WordPress → Next.js WordPress → Hugo

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost?

Domain: $10-15/year. Hosting: Free on Vercel, Netlify, or Cloudflare Pages. Total: about $1/month. Compare that to WordPress hosting at $15-50/month.

Do I need to know how to code?

Basic HTML/CSS knowledge is enough for Hugo or 11ty. Astro and Next.js require JavaScript/React knowledge. If you don't code at all, consider a website builder like Webflow.

Can I add a blog later?

Yes. All these platforms support adding a blog section with MDX or Markdown files. It's a common upgrade path for personal sites.

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