Gatsby vs Jekyll vs Middleman: What are the differences?

## Introduction

### Key Differences between Gatsby, Jekyll, and Middleman

1. **Architecture**: Gatsby is built using React and GraphQL, providing a modern development experience with server-side rendering and client-side hydration, while Jekyll and Middleman use Ruby with a more traditional static site generation approach.

2. **Plugin Ecosystem**: Gatsby has a vast plugin ecosystem that allows developers to extend the functionality easily, while Jekyll and Middleman have a smaller community and fewer plugins available for customization.

3. **Performance**: Gatsby is known for its fast build times and optimized performance due to its use of GraphQL and webpack for bundling assets, whereas Jekyll and Middleman can be slower for larger sites as they lack the same level of optimization.

4. **Learning Curve**: Gatsby requires developers to have knowledge of React and GraphQL, which might have a steeper learning curve for beginners compared to Jekyll and Middleman, which use simpler templating languages like Liquid or ERB.

5. **Data Handling**: Gatsby excels in handling dynamic data sources from APIs and CMSs, making it a great choice for content-heavy websites, whereas Jekyll and Middleman are best suited for simpler static websites without complex data requirements.

6. **Community Support**: Gatsby has a thriving community and active development with regular updates, while Jekyll and Middleman have been around longer and have established communities but may not have as frequent updates or new features.

In Summary, Gatsby, Jekyll, and Middleman differ in architecture, plugin ecosystem, performance, learning curve, data handling, and community support, catering to different needs and preferences of developers.