Similarities
Both:
- Build static HTML
- Are fast
- Deploy easily
- Work well with Markdown
Differences
Eleventy:
- Template-first
- No component system
- Manual JS behaviour
- Manual asset workflow
Astro:
- Component-based
- Easy asset imports
- Built-in script handling
- Clean structure
For this gallery
Eleventy would require:
- Data file
- Template loops
- Manual title handling
- A separate lightbox script
Astro required:
- Dragging images into a folder
- One gallery component
- Automatic title generation
- Lightbox script in the same file
Astro offered a quicker and clearer workflow for this project.