Gatsby
Gatsby1 is a React-based framework that originated as a static site generator: a tool to create static websites based on documents and other resources. Since late 2021, with the release of version 4, the framework also started supporting rendering dynamic content. Recently, the project was acquired by Netlify, a cloud platform for web applications.
Comparison
Each of the requirements is scored on a scale from 1 (very poor) to 5 (very good).
Target use
Score: 1. The Gatsby Framework, true to its origins as a static site generator, heavly focuses on content-heavy sites, such as blogs and e-commerence where high performance is needed and interactivity is limited.
Client-side interactivity
Score: 5. Once loaded, Gatsby provides client-side routing and rendering, providing an application-like experience.
Data transmission
Score: 2. Gatsby has advanced GraphQL features for accessing data, but these are only available at build-time. Features for querying and modifying data at run-time are much more limited.
Server-side rendering
Score: 2. A large part of Gatsby is based on rendering in advance. Server-side rendering was recently added to the framework, but it still very limited, and many dynamic pages still need to be rendered on the client.
TypeScript support
Score: 5. Gatsby provides built-in TypeScript support and makes it easy to create new projects using it.
Local deployment
Score: 1. It is easy to build the application with the Gatsby tool. However, serving pages with server code is difficult: one has to use the included tool, which is not intended for production (only testing), or rely on community plugins.
Ease of use
Score: 3. With knowledge from React, it should be quick to get started. The documentation is generally clear, but past most attention to static site generation, while leaving much less room for interactive features.
Community
Score: 3. Gatsby has a Discord server, as well as GitHub discussions page where questions can be asked. In addition, StackOverflow contains many questions, although it hasn’t been as active recently, and many questions remain unanswered.