I'm looking to build a simple vacation rental website with static information and attractive photos. I want to keep costs minimal and avoid platforms like Wix or Squarespace that charge around $20. I'm considering using tools like Astro or just plain HTML/CSS, but I'd prefer not to start from scratch and would love some nice templates. Any suggestions for creating a static website without it looking overly techy?
4 Answers
Since you're considering static options, I recommend checking out 11ty. You can find plenty of starter projects on their site to kickstart your build, and it works great on platforms like Netlify too!
If you're really focused on keeping costs down, check out various static site generators like Nuxt, 11ty, or even a custom script. Pairing them with Cloudflare Pages or Workers can give you a great hosting deal for free!
Cloudflare's free tier is solid. Plus, I’ve been using Hugo with templates from Themefisher and it looks great!
Yes! I’ve had good experiences with 11ty; just host it on Netlify or Cloudflare for no cost!
You might want to look into Astro or Eleventy. I personally lean towards Astro since it makes building things feel simple and fun. It's flexible, whether you're using React or just plain JavaScript, and I think you'll enjoy the developer experience!
Astro definitely has its perks! It really reminded me that building can be straightforward and enjoyable.
I've switched to Astro from Next.js, and it was a game-changer. Loved it!
I enjoy using Jekyll with GitHub Pages. It’s free, easy to manage with Markdown, and a good option if you're okay with your repo being public. A bit more effort than a simple HTML template, but totally worth it for the flexibility!
Bridgetown is also a cool alternative to Jekyll if you're looking for something new.
For ease, Jekyll with GitHub would be my top pick too!
Good call on 11ty! I use it on Netlify and it's been a breeze.