PageGuard vs Eleventy (11ty)

Eleventy is a flexible JavaScript static site generator with 17K+ GitHub stars, support for 11 templating languages, and zero client-side JavaScript by default — but as a build tool it has no built-in WCAG accessibility audit, no Core Web Vitals scoring, and no post-deployment health monitoring. PageGuard audits the live deployed URL of any Eleventy site externally — free, no Node.js environment needed, results in 30 seconds.

ADA Title II Deadline: April 24, 2026

State and local government websites must meet WCAG 2.1 AA by April 24, 2026. Eleventy is popular among government agencies, nonprofits, and universities that value its simplicity, speed, and zero-JS output. However, Eleventy’s multi-language templating system produces front-end HTML whose accessibility is entirely determined by how developers author Nunjucks includes, Liquid templates, and WebC components — alt text in image shortcodes, ARIA labels in navigation macros, keyboard operability of any JavaScript widgets, and semantic heading structure all require runtime verification that Eleventy does not provide. PageGuard audits your live Eleventy site after each build and deployment, alerting you to accessibility regressions before the April 24 deadline.

PG
PageGuard
Best for: external health monitoring & ADA compliance auditing for any deployed Eleventy site
  • Free tier — scan any Eleventy production site instantly, no Node.js environment or repo access needed
  • WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility audit of the live rendered static HTML output
  • Core Web Vitals scoring (LCP, CLS, FCP) of the deployed Eleventy site
  • Technical SEO audit of meta tags, canonicals, and structured data
  • Automated monitoring with email alerts on score regression
  • Monitor 1–50 sites from $9/month
11ty
Eleventy (11ty)
Best for: building fast static sites with any templating language, zero client-side JS, and no framework lock-in
  • Supports 11 templating languages in a single project: Nunjucks, Liquid, Markdown, WebC, HTML, Handlebars, Mustache, EJS, Haml, Pug, and JavaScript
  • Zero client-side JavaScript by default; data cascade, collections, shortcodes, and global data files for powerful static content generation
  • No framework lock-in; works with any CSS framework, bundler, or component library you choose
  • No live WCAG/ADA audit of the deployed production static HTML
  • No Core Web Vitals scoring for the deployed site
  • No automated health monitoring or regression alerts for production sites

Feature Comparison

Feature PageGuard Eleventy (11ty)
What is it? External website health monitor — scans any URL for performance, accessibility, SEO, and best practices JavaScript static site generator (SSG) known for its simplicity and flexibility — zero client-side JavaScript by default, supports 11 templating languages (Nunjucks, Liquid, Markdown, WebC, etc.), works with any CSS framework or bundler; 17K+ GitHub stars; popular with developers who want full control over output
Free tier Yes — unlimited one-off scans, no signup required Free and open source (MIT license); deploy output to any CDN or static host (Netlify, Vercel, GitHub Pages, Cloudflare Pages) — many offer free tiers
Accessibility audit (WCAG / ADA) Yes — WCAG 2.1 AA scored 0–100 with specific issue list No — Eleventy generates static HTML but has no built-in WCAG or ADA accessibility auditing of the deployed output; accessibility depends entirely on how templates and shortcodes are authored
Technical SEO audit Yes — meta tags, headings, canonical, structured data No — Eleventy has no built-in SEO auditing; developers add meta/OG tags manually in templates or via community plugins, but there is no audit of the deployed page's SEO quality
Performance audit (Core Web Vitals) Yes — LCP, CLS, FCP scored 0–100 per scan No — Eleventy produces zero client-side JavaScript by default which helps performance, but image optimization, font loading, and third-party scripts still impact LCP, CLS, and FCP and are not measured by Eleventy itself
Static site generation No — PageGuard is a monitoring tool, not a static site generator Yes — Eleventy transforms templates written in 11 different languages into optimized static HTML; zero client-side JS by default, no framework lock-in, outputs lean HTML that is fast to serve
Multi-template language support No — PageGuard is a standalone monitoring service Yes — Eleventy supports HTML, Markdown, Liquid, Nunjucks, Handlebars, Mustache, EJS, Haml, Pug, JavaScript, and WebC templating languages in a single project
Automated website monitoring Yes — weekly or daily scans with email alerts on score drop No — Eleventy is a build tool; it has no post-deployment health monitoring, accessibility regression alerts, or performance tracking for the live production site
AI-generated plain-English report Yes — explains issues in non-technical language No — no AI health report for the deployed production site
ADA Title II compliance monitoring Yes — WCAG audit + alert on accessibility regression No — Eleventy does not audit or alert on WCAG compliance in the deployed static output; compliance depends on template code, shortcodes, and any third-party JavaScript or widgets added to the site
Works on any platform Yes — scans any URL on any front-end or platform No — Eleventy builds your own site only; it does not audit sites built on other platforms or by other generators
Independent external audit Yes — third-party scan, shareable URL for clients/stakeholders No — no built-in tool to generate a shareable external health report for a deployed Eleventy site
Instant on-demand scan Yes — results in 30 seconds, no code changes needed No — no on-demand health scan; external auditing of deployed Eleventy sites requires separate tools like Lighthouse or axe
Multi-site dashboard Yes — 1–50 sites depending on plan Eleventy builds individual sites; there is no health monitoring dashboard showing accessibility, SEO, and performance scores across multiple Eleventy sites
Pricing for health monitoring Free + from $9/mo for automated monitoring Health monitoring not available — Eleventy is a static site generator, not a website health monitoring tool

Use PageGuard alongside Eleventy if you…

  • Need WCAG / ADA compliance verification of your live Eleventy site after each build and deployment to Netlify, Vercel, or Cloudflare Pages
  • Want to measure Core Web Vitals of the deployed Eleventy site including image optimization, font loading, and any third-party JavaScript performance
  • Build Eleventy sites for government agencies, nonprofits, or universities subject to ADA Title II by April 24, 2026
  • Run a digital agency managing multiple Eleventy client sites and need a unified health monitoring dashboard
  • Want a shareable third-party health report to demonstrate ADA compliance to clients or stakeholders after each release

Eleventy alone is sufficient if you…

  • Only need a flexible, zero-JS static site generator that supports multiple templating languages without any framework lock-in
  • Use axe-core in your Eleventy build pipeline and run Lighthouse CI for development-time accessibility checks
  • Post-deployment WCAG monitoring and Core Web Vitals regression alerts are handled by separate tooling in your CI/CD workflow
  • Your Eleventy site is a personal blog or documentation site with no public accessibility compliance obligations

Audit Your Eleventy Site Free — No Node.js Required

Get the WCAG accessibility score and Core Web Vitals that Eleventy doesn’t provide for your deployed static site. Results in 30 seconds. No repository access, npm installation, or Eleventy plugin required.

Results in ~30 seconds. 4 scores: Performance, Accessibility, SEO, Best Practices.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can PageGuard audit an Eleventy website?

Yes — PageGuard scans the live deployed URL of any Eleventy (11ty) website hosted on Netlify, Vercel, Cloudflare Pages, GitHub Pages, or any CDN. Enter the public URL and receive a full health report in ~30 seconds covering Core Web Vitals, WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility, technical SEO, and best practices. No Node.js environment, repository access, or Eleventy plugin installation is required.

Does Eleventy check website accessibility compliance?

No — Eleventy generates static HTML but does not audit WCAG compliance of the deployed output. Despite zero client-side JS by default, accessibility still depends on how templates, Nunjucks/Liquid includes, and shortcodes are authored. Alt text on images, ARIA attributes in navigation, color contrast in CSS, keyboard operability of any interactive widgets, and semantic heading structure are the developer’s responsibility. PageGuard audits your live Eleventy site and provides a WCAG 2.1 AA score with specific issues to fix.

How does PageGuard complement Eleventy?

Eleventy handles the build layer: converting templates in 11 languages into optimized static HTML with zero client-side JS and no framework lock-in. PageGuard audits the production layer: (1) WCAG/ADA accessibility of the rendered static HTML Eleventy produces, (2) Core Web Vitals performance (LCP, CLS, FCP) including image optimization and third-party scripts on the deployed site, (3) technical SEO quality including meta tags added via templates, and (4) automated monitoring with email alerts when template changes introduce regressions — from $9/mo.

Is PageGuard a replacement for Eleventy?

No — they serve completely different purposes. Eleventy is a flexible JavaScript static site generator that outputs clean, lean HTML from multiple templating languages with zero client-side JS and no framework lock-in. PageGuard is an external quality monitoring tool for your deployed front-end. Developers and agencies building Eleventy sites should use both: Eleventy to build and generate static HTML, PageGuard to verify the production site meets accessibility compliance and performance standards after every deployment.

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