Why I Love Working with Astro Framework
As a developer building my portfolio at jfriesen.dev, I’ve tried many frameworks, but Astro has stolen my heart. Here’s why I think Astro is a game-changer for developers like me.
Ease of Use for Developers
Astro’s simplicity is what drew me in. It lets me write modern JavaScript (or TypeScript if I want) while keeping things lightweight with its static-first approach. I can create pages using Markdown or MDX—like this blog post—without wrestling with complex build configs. The file-based routing (src/pages/) makes it intuitive to add new content, whether it’s a blog post or my About page.
Starting a development server is a breeze. I just run:
npm run dev
This command launches a local server at http://localhost:4321, where I can preview my site in real-time. With Astro’s hot module reloading, I see changes instantly as I edit my Markdown or tweak components, making the development process smooth and enjoyable.
Building my site for production is equally straightforward. I use:
npm run build
This generates a dist/ folder filled with optimized static files—HTML, CSS, and JavaScript—all ready for deployment. Astro handles the heavy lifting, minifying assets and ensuring my site is as lean as possible, which is a huge time-saver compared to manual optimization.
And with Firebase Tools installed andhosting configured, deployment is a synch:
firebase deploy
Lightning-Fast Pages with Lighthouse
One of the perks of using Astro is the incredible performance it delivers, as proven by Lighthouse scores. After optimizing my GIFs and leveraging Astro’s built-in asset optimization, my portfolio at jfriesen.dev consistently scores above 90% across all categories—Performance, Accessibility, Best Practices, and SEO. The static generation ensures pages load almost instantly, even on mobile devices, thanks to the pre-rendered HTML and minimal JavaScript. Running a Lighthouse audit in Chrome DevTools confirms this, showing a snappy user experience that keeps visitors engaged. This speed is a testament to Astro’s design, making it a joy to build and share with the world!
Why Astro Wins for Me
Astro’s ease of use—whether I’m developing locally, building for production, or deploying to Firebase—has made building my portfolio a joy. Its lightweight nature keeps my site fast (as those Lighthouse scores show!), and the flexibility to use Markdown, MDX, or components (like Svelte in my case) lets me work the way I want. If you’re a developer looking for a framework that’s simple yet powerful, give Astro a try—I think you’ll love it as much as I do.
