NexT is an elegant Jekyll theme ported from the popular Hexo NexT theme, designed for bloggers who want a clean, content-focused layout. It runs on Jekyll, the static site generator, and takes Markdown posts as input to produce a static blog site. The project is maintained on GitHub with 796 stars and offers documentation in both Chinese and English, plus an online demo.
What is NexT?
NexT is a Jekyll theme ported from Hexo NexT, originally created by iissnan for Hexo and adapted for Jekyll by simpleyyt. It follows the design philosophy "精于心，简于形" (Refined in mind, simple in form). The theme converts Jekyll Markdown content into a static blog with multiple visual schemes, as shown in the NexT Schemes preview image. It supports the standard Jekyll workflow: you write posts in Markdown, and the theme handles layout, typography, and navigation.
Key Features
- Multiple schemes — The theme offers several visual schemes (such as Muse, Mist, Pisces, Gemini) selectable via configuration, as shown in the NexT Schemes screenshot.
- Browser support — The project documents compatibility across major browsers, with a browser support chart in the README.
- Bilingual documentation — A Chinese README and an English README (README.en.md) are provided, plus a dedicated usage documentation site.
- Online preview — A live demo is available at simpleyyt.github.io/jekyll-theme-next so you can see the theme before installing.
- Community chat — A Gitter chat room (gitter.im/jekyll-theme-next) is available for questions and discussion.
- Contributing-friendly — The README welcomes issue reports and code contributions, with a development section emphasizing simplicity.
- Donation support — The author includes an Alipay donation link for supporters.
Who is it for?
- Jekyll bloggers — Users who want a proven, elegant theme without designing their own layout; they install NexT and configure schemes.
- Former Hexo NexT users — Bloggers migrating from Hexo to Jekyll who want a familiar look and feel.
- Static-site enthusiasts — Developers who prefer Jekyll's GitHub Pages integration and want a theme that is simple and maintainable.
What can you do with NexT?
- Personal blogs: Quickly set up a clean personal blog on GitHub Pages with Jekyll, using NexT's multiple schemes to change the visual style.
- Documentation sites: Use NexT's clean typography to publish technical documentation or course notes as a static site.
- Portfolio or writing: Showcase long-form essays and articles with a minimal, readable layout.
FAQ
Is NexT free?
NexT is an open-source Jekyll theme hosted on GitHub. The repository is publicly available and has received 796 stars, indicating community adoption. No licensing information is shown, but it is freely downloadable.
How do I install NexT?
The README links to separate usage documentation (NexT 使用文档) that explains installation and configuration. Typically you clone the repository into your Jekyll site's themes folder and update your configuration file.
Does NexT work with GitHub Pages?
Jekyll is the engine behind GitHub Pages, and NexT is a Jekyll theme, so it is compatible with GitHub Pages hosting. The online preview is hosted on GitHub Pages itself.
What is the difference between NexT for Jekyll and Hexo NexT?
NexT for Jekyll is a port of the Hexo theme of the same name. It brings the same design principles and visual schemes to Jekyll, so the look is similar but the underlying platform differs.
