---
title: Boilerplate vs. Other
sidebar:
  order: 5
description: How Boilerplate compares to other project generators and scaffolding tools.
---

There are many project generators and scaffolding tools available. Here's how Boilerplate compares.

## Quick Comparison

| Tool | Language | Interactive Prompts | Non-Interactive | Template Engine | Dependencies | Single Binary |
|------|----------|-------------------|-----------------|-----------------|--------------|---------------|
| **Boilerplate** | Go | Yes | Yes | Go templates + Sprig | **Yes** | **Yes** |
| cookiecutter | Python | Yes | Yes | Jinja2 | No | No |
| yeoman | JavaScript | Yes | Limited | EJS | No | No |
| plop | JavaScript | Yes | Limited | Handlebars | No | No |
| giter8 | Scala | Yes | Yes | ST4 | No | No |
| Copier | Python | Yes | Yes | Jinja2 | No | No |
| Hugo | Go | No | Yes | Go templates | N/A | Yes |

Boilerplate is the only tool that combines **a single binary with zero runtime dependencies**, **full non-interactive mode** with var files and environment variables, and **template dependencies**.

## Detailed Comparisons

### cookiecutter

[cookiecutter](https://github.com/cookiecutter/cookiecutter) is a Python-based tool that uses Jinja2 templates with a `cookiecutter.json` config file. It has strong community support with a large library of community templates.

**Advantages over Boilerplate:** Larger template ecosystem, Jinja2 familiarity for Python developers.

**Boilerplate advantages:**
- **No Python/pip dependency** — Boilerplate is a single binary you download and run. No virtual environments, no dependency conflicts.
- **Template dependencies** — Compose complex project structures from smaller, reusable templates. Cookiecutter has no built-in composition system.
- **Richer variable types** — Lists, maps, and enums with real-time validations (required, regex, email, semver, etc.). Cookiecutter variables are limited to what JSON can express.
- **Hooks with variable interpolation** — Boilerplate hooks can reference template variables in commands, args, and environment variables. Cookiecutter hooks are plain scripts.
- **Environment variable support** — `BOILERPLATE_VAR_<NAME>` lets CI/CD pipelines inject values without modifying templates.
- **Code snippet embedding** — The `snippet` helper keeps documentation in sync with source code.
- **Runbooks integration** — Turn any Boilerplate template into an interactive web UI with zero additional code.

### yeoman

[yeoman](https://yeoman.io/) is a JavaScript-based scaffolding tool with a good UI and large community. Generators are npm packages written in JavaScript.

**Advantages over Boilerplate:** Larger ecosystem of generators, richer interactive UI with sub-generators.

**Boilerplate advantages:**
- **No Node.js dependency** — Single binary vs. requiring Node.js, npm, and managing generator packages.
- **Dramatically simpler template authoring** — A Boilerplate template is just a YAML config file and some template files. A Yeoman generator is a full JavaScript class with lifecycle methods, prompt definitions, and file-writing logic.
- **Template dependencies** — Compose templates declaratively in YAML. Yeoman's composition API (`composeWith`) requires writing JavaScript.
- **First-class non-interactive mode** — `--non-interactive` with `--var`, `--var-file`, and environment variables. Yeoman has no built-in non-interactive mode.

### plop

[plop](https://plopjs.com/) is a JavaScript micro-generator framework focused on small code generation tasks within existing projects.

**Advantages over Boilerplate:** Good for small in-project generation tasks, Handlebars familiarity.

**Boilerplate advantages:**
- **No Node.js dependency** — Single binary with no runtime requirements.
- **Template dependencies** — Build complex multi-directory project structures from reusable templates. Plop is designed for single-file or small-scale generation.
- **Richer variable types with validations** — Seven built-in types with real-time validation feedback. Plop relies on Inquirer.js prompts with custom validation functions.
- **Var files and environment variables** — `--var-file` loads variables from YAML files, and `BOILERPLATE_VAR_<NAME>` injects values from the environment. Plop supports passing arguments on the command line but has no equivalent to var files.
- **Remote template support** — Fetch templates from Git repos, S3, GCS, or HTTP via go-getter URLs.

### giter8

[giter8](https://github.com/foundweekends/giter8) is a Scala-based template tool primarily used in the JVM ecosystem.

**Advantages over Boilerplate:** Tight integration with sbt and the Scala ecosystem.

**Boilerplate advantages:**
- **Instant startup** — Single binary starts immediately. giter8 requires loading the JVM and Scala libraries.
- **Template dependencies** — Compose templates declaratively. giter8 has no composition mechanism.
- **Richer variable types** — Seven types with validations. giter8 variables are strings with basic transformations.
- **Hooks** — Run arbitrary commands before/after generation with variable interpolation.
- **Var files** — Load variables from YAML files for repeatable, automated generation.
- **Language-agnostic** — giter8 is heavily tied to the JVM/Scala ecosystem. Boilerplate generates any type of project.

### Copier

[Copier](https://copier.readthedocs.io/) is a Python-based tool similar to cookiecutter but with built-in template update/migration support.

**Advantages over Boilerplate:** Built-in template update/migration support (re-apply a template after it's been updated), Jinja2 templates.

**Boilerplate advantages:**
- **No Python dependency** — Single binary with no runtime requirements.
- **Template dependencies** — Compose complex templates from smaller, reusable templates with variable inheritance, conditional skipping, and loop-based rendering. Copier has no dependency system.
- **Code snippet embedding** — The `snippet` helper extracts code from source files into generated docs.
- **Hooks with variable interpolation** — Full Go template syntax in hook commands, args, and env vars.
- **Runbooks integration** — Turn templates into interactive web UIs with auto-generated forms.

### Hugo / Jekyll

[Hugo](https://gohugo.io/) and [Jekyll](https://jekyllrb.com/) are static site generators that use Go templates and Liquid templates respectively.

**Not directly comparable** — these are website generators, not general-purpose code scaffolding tools. However, if you're looking for Go template-based code generation beyond websites, Boilerplate is the more flexible choice since it can generate any type of file and supports interactive prompts, dependencies, and non-interactive CI/CD workflows.

## When to Use Boilerplate

Boilerplate is a good fit when you need:

- **A single binary** with no runtime dependencies (Python, Node.js, JVM, etc.)
- **Template composition** via dependencies so you can build complex templates from smaller, reusable templates
- **Non-interactive mode** for CI/CD pipelines with `--var`, `--var-file`, and environment variables
- **Rich variable types** including lists, maps, and enums with built-in validations
- **Code snippet embedding** to keep documentation in sync with source code
- **Cross-platform support** with the same binary on macOS, Linux, and Windows
- **Integration with Runbooks** to turn templates into interactive web UIs
