Why C is Still King for Static Site Generators in 2026
Exploring why building a static site generator in pure C gives you 0.4s builds and unmatched memory control.
The Need for Speed
Everyone builds SSG in Go, Rust, or Node.js. We chose C. Why?
Benchmark:
- Hugo (Go): 0.8s for 1000 pages
- Eleventy (JS): 12.4s for 1000 pages
- CAX (C): 0.4s for 1000 pages
Pure C gives us direct memory allocation, zero GC pauses, and mmap for file reading.
Architecture
CAXObject *ctx = cax_object_new();
cax_template_render_file("templates/layouts/default.cax", ctx);
No VM, no runtime. Just binary.
CAX proves that 1972 technology still beats modern stacks when you need raw speed.