Next.js vs Hugo
Security & risk comparison · Updated October 2026
How does Next.js compare to Hugo on security, AI-readiness, and total cost of ownership? We scored both across 7 dimensions using NVD/NIST CVE data, GitHub metrics, and our census of the Tranco top 100,000.
Next.js scores 81/100 overall versus Hugo's 75/100. Next.js has 25 total CVEs compared to Hugo's 5, though its larger ecosystem contributes to a higher CVE count. (Source: WebPulse framework scoring, NIST NVD and CISA KEV, updated October 2026)
Who actually runs Next.js and Hugo
Share of sites with an identified platform, from WebPulse's scan of the Tranco top 100,000 and our Common Crawl census.
| Where | Next.js | Hugo |
|---|---|---|
| Top 1,000 | 34.4% (74) | 1.9% (4) |
| Top 10,000 | 31.1% (797) | 1.1% (29) |
| Top 100,000 | 23.1% (6,413) | 0.6% (164) |
| Wider web | 2.6% | 0.2% |
Highest-ranked sites on Next.js
- yahoo.com#59
- vimeo.com#88
- f5.com#90
- nginx.com#95
- snapchat.com#127
Highest-ranked sites on Hugo
- ntp.org#71
- doi.org#215
- brave.com#423
- verisign.com#672
- letsencrypt.org#1,144
Detected from each homepage's HTML, headers and cookies in September 2026. Methodology
| Metric | Next.js | Hugo |
|---|---|---|
| Total CVEs | 25 | 5 |
| Critical CVEs | 2 | 0 |
| Exploited (KEV) | 0 | 0 |
| CVEs last year | 8 | 1 |
| Avg CVSS | 4.5 | 3.0 |
| Security score | 82/100 | 92/100 |
Next.js scores 81/100. Verdict: Recommended.
Hugo scores 75/100. Verdict: Recommended.
Data sourced from NVD/NIST CVE database, GitHub API, and WebPulse framework scanner. Scores calculated using a 7-dimension model covering security, performance, ecosystem health, AI-readiness, developer experience, market trajectory, and cost of ownership. Updated October 2026.