Hugo Static Site Generator: Which Edition to Install
Hugo · for Windows, macOS and Linux
Developer: The Hugo Authors (opens in a new tab)
- Windows
- macOS
- Linux
The download link points to the program’s official source; the file is not hosted on this site. Link address: gohugo.io
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Hugo is a free, open-source static site generator for macOS, Linux, Windows and BSD. It comes in standard, deploy, extended and extended/deploy editions; the project recommends the standard edition unless you need the extra features.
A static site has no database and no server-side code to attack, which makes it fast and cheap to host. Hugo builds such sites from Markdown files and templates, and is popular for blogs, documentation and small business sites.
Who it helps
- Site owners who want a fast site that can be hosted on almost any server or static hosting service.
- Developers building documentation or marketing sites from Markdown.
- Bloggers comfortable working with text files and the command line.
Choosing an edition
- Standard: the core features. The docs advise using it unless you need more.
- Deploy: adds direct deployment to Google Cloud Storage, AWS S3 or Azure Storage.
- Extended: adds LibSass for compiling Sass to CSS. LibSass is deprecated, and the docs recommend Dart Sass, which works with any edition.
- Extended/deploy: both sets of extras.
Installing on Windows
- The Download button opens the official installation docs on gohugo.io.
- Use a package manager (these commands install the extended edition):
winget install -e --id Hugo.Hugo.Extendedchoco install hugo-extendedscoop install hugo-extended
- Or download a prebuilt archive from the latest release, extract it and add the folder to your PATH.
The docs also cover macOS, Linux and BSD.
Helpful extras
Git is needed for Hugo Modules, themes installed as submodules and many deployment workflows. Go is only required for building from source and for Hugo Modules. Dart Sass is needed for the latest Sass features. Edit your content in an editor such as Visual Studio Code.
Pros
- Produces fast static sites with no database
- Prebuilt binaries and package manager installs
- Free and open source
Cons
- Command-line workflow
- Several editions can confuse newcomers
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need Hugo extended?
Usually not. The docs say to use the standard edition unless you need extra features. Extended only adds LibSass, which is deprecated; Dart Sass works with any edition.
Do I need Go to use Hugo?
Only for building Hugo from source and for using Hugo Modules. Prebuilt binaries run without Go.
HugoOpen source
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