Choosing between static and dynamic? Read our complete Static vs Dynamic Websites decision guide for small businesses.
If you’ve heard the term “static website” and wondered what it actually means—and whether it’s right for your business—this is your plain-English explanation.
No computer science degree required.
TL;DR:
- Static website = pre-built HTML/CSS/JS files served as-is (like a PDF brochure)
- Fast, secure, cheap to host (often free on Cloudflare Pages, Netlify, GitHub Pages)
- Best for: Marketing sites, blogs, portfolios, documentation
- Not ideal for: User accounts, personalized content, daily content updates by non-technical teams
- Popular tools: Hugo, Jekyll, Gatsby, Eleventy, Next.js static export
What Is a Static Website?
A static website is a collection of pre-built HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files that sit on a server or CDN (Content Delivery Network).
When someone visits your site, the server sends those files exactly as they are. No processing, no database lookups, no page generation.
Everyone sees the same content (unless JavaScript does light client-side personalization like dark mode).
Think of It Like a Digital Brochure
Imagine printing 1,000 identical brochures. When someone asks for one, you hand them a copy. Fast, reliable, but the content is fixed until you print a new batch.
That’s a static website. The “printing” happens once (when you build/deploy), then every visitor gets the same result.
Contrast: Dynamic Websites
Dynamic websites (WordPress, custom web apps, SaaS platforms) generate pages on the fly using server-side code and databases.
When you visit Amazon:
- Server checks if you’re logged in
- Queries database for your personalized recommendations
- Builds the HTML page dynamically
- Sends it to your browser
Different visitors see different content. That’s dynamic.
Need help deciding which type fits your business? Read our complete comparison guide.
How Static Websites Work
The Build Process
- Write content in Markdown, HTML, or a template language
- Run a static site generator (Hugo, Jekyll, Gatsby, Eleventy)
- Generator builds all pages into static HTML/CSS/JS files
- Deploy those files to a CDN or web server
- Visitors receive pre-built files instantly
What Happens When You Visit
User requests → CDN serves file → Browser displays
(no processing)
Compare to dynamic:
User requests → Server runs code → Queries database →
Builds HTML → Sends to browser
Static skips 3 steps. That’s why it’s faster.
The Main Advantages
Speed
Static websites load extremely fast because:
- No database queries
- No server-side processing
- Files served from global CDN
- Easy to achieve perfect Core Web Vitals scores
It’s much easier to get 100/100 on Google’s PageSpeed Insights with static sites—though you still need to optimize images and code.
Security
Static sites have tiny attack surfaces:
- No database to SQL inject
- No admin panel to brute-force
- No plugins to exploit
- No server-side code to hack
Security risks mostly limited to:
- Misconfigured hosting permissions
- Third-party JavaScript you embed (analytics, chat widgets)
For small businesses without dedicated security staff, static is significantly safer than WordPress or custom dynamic apps.
Reliability
No database means nothing can corrupt or crash.
No server-side processing means traffic spikes won’t break your site. A CDN can handle millions of requests without degradation.
If your database goes down, your WordPress site is offline. If your static site CDN goes down… well, that’s why you choose reputable CDN providers (Cloudflare, Netlify, AWS CloudFront).
Cost
Hosting costs are negligible or zero:
- GitHub Pages: Free
- Cloudflare Pages: Free
- Netlify: Free for small sites, $19/month for advanced features
- AWS S3 + CloudFront: Typically <$5/month for small business sites
One developer documented their costs: $7/month for a static site on AWS.
Compare to dynamic hosting: $20-$200/month for managed WordPress, plus maintenance costs.
Want detailed cost breakdowns? See our small business website cost guide.
When Static Websites Make Sense
Static is usually the right choice when:
Your Website Is Informational
If visitors are reading, not logging in or interacting with complex functionality:
- Company website (about, services, team, contact)
- Marketing site or landing pages
- Portfolio or case studies
- Documentation or knowledge base
Content Updates Are Occasional
If you update quarterly or monthly, not daily:
- Add a new team member every few months
- Update pricing twice a year
- Publish blog posts weekly (automated with static generators)
Developer-led updates are fine when changes are infrequent.
You Want Minimal Operational Overhead
For small teams without dedicated DevOps:
- No database to maintain
- No security patches to babysit
- No plugin updates breaking things
- Deploy and forget
You Can Offload Dynamic Features to SaaS
Need forms, bookings, payments? Embed external services:
- Forms: Tally, Typeform, Formspree
- Bookings: Calendly, Cal.com
- Payments: Stripe Checkout, Gumroad
- Comments: Disqus, Giscus
- Search: Algolia, Lunr.js
This gives you dynamic functionality without maintaining a backend.
When Static Websites Are NOT Enough
Avoid static if you need:
User Accounts and Personalization
If different users see different content based on login:
- SaaS dashboards
- Membership sites
- Customer portals
- Personalized recommendations
You need dynamic (or headless architecture with authentication layer).
E-Commerce Beyond Simple Checkout
Selling 1-2 products? Static + Stripe works.
Complex e-commerce with:
- Product catalogs (dozens+ items)
- Inventory management
- Complex checkout flows
- Customer order history
Use Shopify, WooCommerce, or custom e-commerce platform.
Daily Content Publishing by Non-Technical Teams
If marketers/writers need to publish daily without developer involvement, you need a CMS.
Options:
- Dynamic WordPress (traditional approach)
- Static + headless CMS (Contentful, Sanity) - best of both worlds
Popular Static Site Generators
If you’re building a static site, you’ll use one of these:
Hugo
What we use for this site.
- Extremely fast build times (hundreds of pages in seconds)
- Written in Go, single binary install
- Great for blogs, documentation, marketing sites
- Get started with Hugo
Jekyll
- Built by GitHub, Ruby-based
- Huge theme ecosystem
- Powers GitHub Pages by default
- Jekyll quickstart
Gatsby
- React-based, modern JavaScript
- GraphQL for data queries
- Can pull from headless CMS
- Larger, more complex than Hugo/Jekyll
- Gatsby tutorial
Eleventy
- JavaScript-based, flexible templating
- Lightweight, fast
- Easy to learn if you know JavaScript
- Eleventy docs
Next.js (Static Export)
- React framework, can export static
- Popular for complex apps with static marketing pages
- Next.js static exports
Getting Started
For Non-Technical Founders
If you’re not technical and want a static site:
- Hire a developer/agency (typically $1,000-$5,000 for professional build)
- They’ll build with Hugo, Jekyll, or similar
- You get a fast, secure site with minimal ongoing costs
- Pay developer occasionally for updates, or learn basic Markdown editing
For Technical Founders
- Pick a generator (Hugo if you want speed, Gatsby if you prefer React)
- Choose a template/theme or build from scratch
- Deploy to Cloudflare Pages, Netlify, or GitHub Pages
- Point your domain at it
- You’re live in hours, not weeks
Hugo quickstart: Create a site using a theme in 5 minutes
The Bigger Picture
Static websites are part of a broader trend: infrastructure that’s fast, secure, and low-maintenance by default.
For years, “having a website” meant WordPress or custom dynamic builds. Now, for most small businesses, static is the smarter default.
Dynamic when you truly need it (user accounts, personalization, e-commerce). Static for everything else.
Want to decide which approach fits your business? Read our complete static vs dynamic comparison.
Curious about costs? See our small business website cost breakdown.
Key Takeaways
What static means:
- Pre-built HTML/CSS/JS files served as-is
- No database, no server-side processing
- Same content for all visitors (unless JavaScript personalizes)
Main benefits:
- Extremely fast loading
- High security (minimal attack surface)
- Very low or zero hosting costs
- Reliable (traffic spikes don’t break it)
Best for:
- Marketing sites, blogs, portfolios
- Informational content
- Occasional updates
- Small teams wanting minimal overhead
Not ideal for:
- User accounts and personalization
- Complex e-commerce
- Daily publishing by non-technical teams (unless you add headless CMS)
Popular tools:
- Hugo (our choice—fast, simple)
- Jekyll (GitHub’s choice)
- Gatsby (React-based, modern)
- Eleventy (JavaScript, flexible)
Remember: Static doesn’t mean “worse” or “limited.” For most small business websites, it’s the best architecture—faster, cheaper, more secure, and less operational burden than dynamic alternatives.
