Why use SvelteKit instead of Astro for a Svelte app?

Both SvelteKit and Astro let you create a Svelte app. Initially, Astro only built static (SSG) sites, but it now also support server side rendering (SSR). So what are the relative merits of SvelteKit vs. Astro for your next Svelte app? If it is your first Svelte app, you might find the Astro routing API a little easier to get your head round. Astro uses a file based routing system, just like NextJS, Remix or Deno Fresh. There is a single file for each page. The top part of your page file contains the server logic, and below you place your markup. Meanwhile, SvelteKit has a folder for each page. Inside that page, the template is in the +page.svelte file, while server code can be split between +page.js and +page.server.js files. Beyond routing, both Astro and SvelteKit let you make individual pages static or SSR. Other Astro features are partial hydration and support for mixing in other frameworks like Preact, React or Vue.

How do you set up SvelteKit for TypeScript

SvelteKit has out-of-the-box TypeScript support. To configure your new SvelteKit project to run TypeScript, run `pnpm create svelte@latest`. Then the CLI tools prompts you for some project settings. When you get the Add type checking with TypeScript? option, just pick Yes, using TypeScript.

Should I learn SvelteKit or Astro for making my first Svelte site?

Astro is probably quicker to get going on vs. SvelteKit because the routing API is more straightforward. This makes it a great choice if you are coming from a NextJS, Remix or Deno Fresh background. However, while Astro is ideal for static sites, SvelteKit allows more flexibility for server side generated sites. So really the answer to SvelteKit vs. Astro depends on what kind of site you will be building more of. Astro is better suited to content sites like brochure websites and blogs. SvelteKit might be a better choice if you need to render dynamic content, for example if logged in visitors or subscribers see different content to visitors.

How to Create a Svelte App: SvelteKit Cheatsheet # How to Create a Svelte App: SvelteKit Cheatsheet #

How to Create a Svelte App: SvelteKit Cheatsheet #

Updated 2 years ago

5 minute read

Gunning Fog Index: 6.2

Content by Rodney

🚀 Spinning up a New Svelte App #

We see how to create a Svelte app from scratch in this post. This will be handy equally if you are new to Svelte and want to hit the ground running, or have more experience but want a cheat sheet. If you are a Svelte pro, but can never remember the spin-up commands, you can treat the post like a cheat sheet with the commands for a skeleton SvelteKit project. We focus on creating a Svelte app with SvelteKit here. However, if you prefer Astro for quickly spinning up a Svelte app, there’s a link lower down for how to do this, but with Astro. I really hope you find it useful, and please do reach out or drop a comment below if there is something missing. You can find contact details further down the page.

🧱 How to Create a Svelte App #

To get going, you will need to have NodeJS installed on your system. At the time of writing, you should have NodeJS version 16.9 or higher to run the latest version of SvelteKit. NodeJS comes with the npm packet manager, but we use pnpm: performance npm here. The benefit is that it keeps a local cache of packages on your machine. This saves you downloading a package if you already used the same version in another project.

How to Create a Svelte App #

To set the ball rolling, run the Create Svelte app command.
```
    pnpm create svelte@latest my-new-svelte-app && cd $_ && code .

  
```
Here, our project gets created in a new my-new-svelte-app directory. “&& cd$_” will put us in the new directory when everything is ready. “&& code .” will open up VS Code in the new directory (change this to “&& codium .” or “&& subl .” if you use Codium or Sublime Text).

Please enable JavaScript to watch the video 📼

How to Create a Svelte App
Next, the CLI gives you some options for configuring your project. You can select Skeleton project if you want just the basics and then to build the rest up yourself. Alternatively, the SvelteKit demo app option gives you some training wheels (stabilizers). Next you can go all in on TypeScript or if you are not a fan opt for no type checking or JavaScript with JSDoc. If you are comfortable with TypeScript, then choose that option. Otherwise, even if you are not a huge TypeScript fan, I would go for the JSDoc option. This adds some TypeScript benefits like Intellisense and auto-completion without having to be strict about your types. Finally, you can pick ESLint for code linting, Prettier for formatting and Playwright for end-to-end testing. You can opt in to whichever of these you want to use.

Making all pages static

SvelteKit lets you build static (SSG) or server-server side rendered apps. A third option is mixing the two. If you want to go for the first, static, option, create a src/routes/+layout.ts or src/routes/+layout.js file with this content:
src/routes/+layout.ts
typescript
```
    // OPTIONAL: fully SSG (static site) only
 
export const prerender = true;

  
```
Spin up the dev server:
```
    pnpm dev

  
```
The CLI will give you a link, so you can open the new app in your browser, the default is localhost:5173/. If you already have something running on TCP port 5713 SvelteKit will find another free port.

That’s all there is to it! If you are new to SvelteKit, check out the free Getting Started with SvelteKit Guide for 10 tips to help you hit the ground running. Also, see the Starting out Svelte and SvelteKit tutorial which even goes right up to publishing your SvelteKit site on Netlify, Cloudflare or Vercel.

🗳 Poll #

How easy did you find creating your SvelteKit app?

🙌🏽 How to Create a Svelte App: Wrapping Up #

In this post, we saw how to create a Svelte App. In particular, we saw:

how to use pnpm to create a SvelteKit project;
what the various create Svelte CLI options mean; and
how to make your new SvelteKit app fully static (SSG).

Hope you have found this post on creating a SvelteKit app useful! I am keen to hear what you are doing with Svelte and ideas for future projects. Also, let me know about any possible improvements to the content above.

🏁 How to Create a Svelte App: Summary #

Why use SvelteKit instead of Astro for a Svelte app? #: Both SvelteKit and Astro let you create a Svelte app. Initially, Astro only built static (SSG) sites, but it now also support server side rendering (SSR). So what are the relative merits of SvelteKit vs. Astro for your next Svelte app? If it is your first Svelte app, you might find the Astro routing API a little easier to get your head round. Astro uses a file based routing system, just like NextJS, Remix or Deno Fresh. There is a single file for each page. The top part of your page file contains the server logic, and below you place your markup. Meanwhile, SvelteKit has a folder for each page. Inside that page, the template is in the +page.svelte file, while server code can be split between +page.js and +page.server.js files. Beyond routing, both Astro and SvelteKit let you make individual pages static or SSR. Other Astro features are partial hydration and support for mixing in other frameworks like Preact, React or Vue.
How do you set up SvelteKit for TypeScript #: SvelteKit has out-of-the-box TypeScript support. To configure your new SvelteKit project to run TypeScript, run `pnpm create svelte@latest`. Then the CLI tools prompts you for some project settings. When you get the Add type checking with TypeScript? option, just pick Yes, using TypeScript.
Should I learn SvelteKit or Astro for making my first Svelte site? #: Astro is probably quicker to get going on vs. SvelteKit because the routing API is more straightforward. This makes it a great choice if you are coming from a NextJS, Remix or Deno Fresh background. However, while Astro is ideal for static sites, SvelteKit allows more flexibility for server side generated sites. So really the answer to SvelteKit vs. Astro depends on what kind of site you will be building more of. Astro is better suited to content sites like brochure websites and blogs. SvelteKit might be a better choice if you need to render dynamic content, for example if logged in visitors or subscribers see different content to visitors.

🙏🏽 How to Create a Svelte App: Feedback #

If you have found this post useful, see links below for further related content on this site. I do hope you learned one new thing from the video. Let me know if there are any ways I can improve on it. I hope you will use the code or starter in your own projects. Be sure to share your work on Twitter, giving me a mention, so I can see what you did. Finally, be sure to let me know ideas for other short videos you would like to see. Read on to find ways to get in touch, further below. If you have found this post useful, even though you can only afford even a tiny contribution, please consider supporting me through Buy me a Coffee.

Finally, feel free to share the post on your social media accounts for all your followers who will find it useful. As well as leaving a comment below, you can get in touch via @askRodney on Twitter and also askRodney on Telegram . Also, see further ways to get in touch with Rodney Lab. I post regularly on SvelteKit as well as Search Engine Optimization among other topics. Also, subscribe to the newsletter to keep up-to-date with our latest projects.