What is Hexo used for?

Hexo is a blog framework that generates static sites from Markdown files using Node.js. It is a good fit for creating a personal blog and building a documentation site.

Yes. Hexo is open source under the MIT licence. Its source code is on GitHub at hexojs/hexo and is written mainly in TypeScript.

Yes. Hexo is open source, so the software itself is free to use.

Can I self-host Hexo?

Yes. Hexo can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.

What is Hexo an alternative to?

Hexo is an open-source alternative to Hashnode and Blogger. Other open-source alternatives to Hashnode include Hugo, Jekyllrb and Letterpad.

Is Hexo actively maintained?

Yes. The most recent commit to Hexo was on 29 August 2026, and the latest release is v8.1.2, published on 6 May 2026. The project has 42k stars on GitHub.

Hexo: open-source alternative to Hashnode, Blogger

About Hexo

Hexo is a blog framework that runs on Node.js. It builds static websites from Markdown content with support for GitHub Flavored Markdown and Octopress plugins. The framework is designed for speed, generating hundreds of files in seconds.

Key features

Generates static sites from Markdown files
Supports GitHub Flavored Markdown and Octopress plugins
Deploys to platforms like GitHub Pages and Heroku with one command
Extensible via plugins that support template engines such as EJS, Pug, and Nunjucks
Integrates with NPM packages like Babel, PostCSS, and Less/Sass

Good fit for

Creating a personal blog
Building a documentation site

Built with: TypeScript tools; JavaScript tools; Node.js tools
Tags: blog; static-site; nodejs; markdown; framework

Hexo: questions and answers

What is Hexo used for?: Hexo is a blog framework that generates static sites from Markdown files using Node.js. It is a good fit for creating a personal blog and building a documentation site.
Is Hexo open source?: Yes. Hexo is open source under the MIT licence. Its source code is on GitHub at hexojs/hexo and is written mainly in TypeScript.
Is Hexo free?: Yes. Hexo is open source, so the software itself is free to use.
Can I self-host Hexo?: Yes. Hexo can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.
What is Hexo an alternative to?: Hexo is an open-source alternative to Hashnode and Blogger. Other open-source alternatives to Hashnode include Hugo, Jekyllrb and Letterpad.
Is Hexo actively maintained?: Yes. The most recent commit to Hexo was on 29 August 2026, and the latest release is v8.1.2, published on 6 May 2026. The project has 42k stars on GitHub.