Top 10 Template Engines

Template engines are the backbone of server-side rendering. They simplify web development by allowing dynamic content generation using static templates. Template engines vary in ease of use, performance, security, and popularity among developers. In this article, we’ll explore some of the most powerful and widely-used template engines out there.

1. Ejs (Embedded JavaScript)

EJS, or Embedded JavaScript, was the first template engine I used during my backend development journey. It's a great starting point for beginners who want to get hands-on experience with server-side rendering.

EJS is simple to learn. If you have a basic understanding of HTML and JavaScript, you're ready to dive in. However, EJS doesn't scale well for larger applications—maintaining complex codebases with EJS can become a hassle.

• NPM • GitHub

Installation

npm install ejs

Example

// server.js
const express = require('express');
const app = express();

app.set('view engine', 'ejs');

app.get('/', (req, res) => {
  res.render('index', { name: 'BTS' });
});

app.listen(3000, () => console.log('Server running on port 3000'));

<!-- views/index.ejs -->
<h1>Hello, <%= name %>!</h1>

2. Jinja/Jinja2

Jinja2 is my go-to choice when building web applications in Python. It's fast, secure, and easy to learn—everything a Python developer could ask for in a template engine.

I discovered Jinja2 while learning Django through Hitesh Choudhary’s tutorials. It's also the default template engine in Flask, which makes it a popular and reliable option in the Python ecosystem.

• PyPi • Docs • GitHub

Installation

pip install jinja2

Example

# app.py
from jinja2 import Template

template = Template("Hello, {{ name }}!")
print(template.render(name="BTS"))

3. Blade (Laravel)

A big shout-out to Hitesh Choudhary again for introducing me to Laravel and Blade in his video. Blade is Laravel’s powerful and elegant template engine. It uses a clean and expressive syntax, with directives like @if, @for, and @foreach.

Blade inspired me during the creation of Zare (more on that below). Unlike EJS, Blade code is clean and easy to maintain.

• Docs

Installation

Blade comes bundled with Laravel, so no separate installation is needed. Simply start a Laravel project.

laravel new myApp

Example

<!-- resources/views/welcome.blade.php -->
<h1>Hello, {{ $name }}</h1>

@if($isLoggedIn)
  <p>Welcome back!</p>
@endif

4. Pug (Formerly Jade)

Pug is a template engine for Node.js with a Python/YAML-style indentation. I first encountered it when using express-generator, which uses Pug as the default ( I was not aware of it ).

The name was changed from Jade to Pug due to trademark issues. While older versions may still reference Jade, Pug is the actively maintained and recommended version.

• Docs • GitHub • NPM

Installation

npm i pug

Example

// server.js
const express = require('express');
const app = express();

app.set('view engine', 'pug');

app.get('/', (req, res) => {
  res.render('index', { name: 'BTS' });
});

app.listen(3000);

// views/index.pug
h1 Hello #{name}

5. Handlebars

Handlebars is known as the “logicless” template engine for JavaScript. It's part of the JavaScript template trio (EJS, Pug, Handlebars) and is ideal for writing maintainable templates with helpers and partials.

Handlebars offers fast development with reusable components—perfect for teams or large codebases.

• Docs • GitHub • NPM

Installation

npm i hbs

Example

// server.js
const express = require('express');
const app = express();

app.set('view engine', 'hbs');

app.get('/', (req, res) => {
  res.render('home', { title: 'Welcome', name: 'BTS' });
});

app.listen(3000);

<!-- views/home.hbs -->
<h1>{{title}}</h1>
<p>Hello, {{name}}</p>

6. Zare (Component-Based Template Engine)

Zare is an open-source, component-based template engine built for the JavaScript runtime. It was born from the frustration of dealing with bulky, ugly code in traditional template engines.

Zare focuses on writing clean, component-style templates. Its syntax feels intuitive, and the experience of writing Zare code is almost like serving something delightful to your users.

Zare is still evolving, but it has a promising future, especially for developers seeking modular and modern syntax in server-side rendering.

• Docs • GitHub • NPM

Installation

npm install zare

Example

// server.js
const express = require('express');
const app = express();

app.set('view engine', 'zare');

app.get('/', (req, res) => {
  res.render('index', { name: 'BTS' });
});

app.listen(3000);

serve (
    <div>
        <h3>@(user.name)</h3>
        <p>@(user.email)</p>
    </div>
)

7. Thymeleaf (Java)

Thymeleaf is a modern server-side Java template engine designed for web and standalone environments. It integrates seamlessly with Spring Boot and supports both HTML and XML templates. One of its key strengths is its ability to work as a natural templating engine—meaning your templates are valid HTML files that can be viewed in browsers even without being rendered.

• Docs • GitHub

Installation

Add the dependency in your pom.xml (for Maven):

<dependency>
    <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
    <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-thymeleaf</artifactId>
</dependency>

Example

<!-- templates/greeting.html -->
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
  <body>
    <h1>Hello, <span th:text="${name}">User</span></h1>
  </body>
</html>

// In your Controller
@GetMapping("/greet")
public String greet(Model model) {
    model.addAttribute("name", "BTS");
    return "greeting";
}

8. Nunjucks

Nunjucks is a full-featured template engine for JavaScript inspired by Jinja2. Developed by Mozilla, it’s ideal for developers who prefer more structured templates in a JavaScript environment.

• Docs • GitHub • NPM

Installation

npm install nunjucks

Example

const nunjucks = require('nunjucks');

nunjucks.configure({ autoescape: true });

const output = nunjucks.renderString('Welcome to {{ name }}!', { name: 'BTS' });
console.log(output); // Welcome to BTS!

9. Mustache

Mustache is the minimalist in the template engine family. Known as a “logic-less” engine, Mustache emphasizes simplicity and separation of concerns. It's available for almost every programming language, including JavaScript, Go, Python, Ruby, and more.

• Docs • GitHub • NPM

Installation (JavaScript)

npm install mustache

Example

const Mustache = require('mustache');

const template = 'Hello, {{name}}!';
const output = Mustache.render(template, { name: 'BTS' });
console.log(output); // Hello, BTS!

10. Eta

Eta is a fast, lightweight, and highly configurable JavaScript template engine. It’s considered a modern alternative to EJS with a similar syntax but significantly better performance and extensibility.

• Docs • GitHub • NPM

Installation

npm install eta

Example

const eta = require('eta');

const template = 'Hi, <%= it.name %>!';
const result = eta.render(template, { name: 'BTS' });

console.log(result); // Hi, BTS!

Conclusion

Template engines play a vital role in server-side rendering and dynamic web application development. Whether you're building a small personal project or a large-scale application, choosing the right template engine can significantly impact your development speed, code maintainability, and overall experience.

In this post, we explored ten of the most widely used and emerging template engines across different languages and ecosystems—from beginner-friendly options like EJS and Mustache, to powerful tools like Jinja2, Blade, and Thymeleaf, all the way to modern component-based engines like Zare and lightning-fast alternatives like Eta.

Here’s how to choose the right one:

• For JavaScript developers: EJS, Pug, Handlebars, Eta, or Zare are great picks.

• For Python developers: Jinja2 is the gold standard.

• For PHP developers: Blade is unbeatable when using Laravel.

• For Java developers: Thymeleaf blends seamlessly with Spring.

• For minimal templating needs: Mustache and Handlebars are ideal.

Each engine has its strengths—some prioritize readability, others focus on logic separation or performance. The best way to find your perfect match is to try a few and see which aligns with your style and project needs.

So go ahead—experiment, build, and render the future of the web, one template at a time!