Static vs. Dynamic: what's the big deal for your website?

Ever wondered why some websites fly while others crawl? Often, it's about whether they're "dynamic" (think WordPress, Joomla, Drupal) or "static" - the kind Publii helps you build. This isn't just tech jargon; it makes a huge difference to your site's speed, security, privacy, and how much everyone (including you!) enjoys using it.

Publii Static CMS cleverly uses static site power to offer the best of everything: amazing speed, barely any maintenance, and full control, all without you needing to wrestle with complex servers, databases, or constant security updates. Curious how Publii compares to the usual dynamic crowd? We've got a simple breakdown for you below.

	Static CMS (Publii)	Dynamic CMS (e.g., WordPress, Joomla, Drupal)
Speed & Performance	Pages are pre-rendered and served instantly with zero backend latency. Designed to be fast by default.	Typically, visits trigger server-side processing, database calls, and plugin loading, impacting load times. Caching & performance improvements require extra plugins.
SEO & discoverability	SEO optimization: fast static HTML, clean URLs, meta tags, sitemaps, structured data, and Open Graph/Twitter Card support are built in by default. No extra plugins required.	SEO requires plugins and careful setup. Dynamic CMSs may lack optimized metadata, structured data, or fast load times unless SEO plugins are installed and maintained.
Security & Reliability	Static files eliminate runtime threats (no database, no server-side PHP). No live backend means zero runtime vulnerabilities and high resilience; errors confined to build time.	Exposed admin, vulnerable plugins, and database dependencies create a large attack surface. Plugin/core/PHP updates or DB issues can cause critical site failures.
Privacy & Data Control (GDPR)	Designed without tracking or third-party scripts by default. No server-side data processing or cookies, ensuring strong user privacy and GDPR compliance out-of-the-box.	Often relies on plugins and third-party services (e.g., Google Fonts, analytics) that collect user data. Requires careful configuration and consent management for GDPR.
Maintenance Overhead	Zero dependency upkeep. Publish, sync, and you’re done. No backend stack to monitor or patch.	Ongoing updates to WordPress core, themes, plugins, and database backups are mandatory and time-consuming.
Hosting Cost & Flexibility	Works seamlessly with free or low-cost static hosting (e.g., GitHub Pages, Netlify). No database or PHP costs.	Requires hosting for full-stack apps (PHP, MySQL), typically more expensive than static hosting.
Deployment Process	Built-in deployment via FTP, GitHub, S3, Netlify, Google Cloud, GitLab with UI-based configuration accessible for non-technical users.	Often requires server-side setup or managed hosting with deployment pipelines configured outside the core CMS admin panel, which can be more complex.
User Experience & Simplicity	Clean, distraction-free desktop UI for content management. Local, stress-free editing with one-click publishing. Ideal for non-technical users.	Powerful admin panel but can be overwhelming for beginners with a steeper learning curve. UI varies by themes and plugins.
Scalability	Built for scale - static files serve thousands of users at high speed without extra cost, especially when deployed through CDN-backed platforms like Netlify or Cloudflare Pages.	Scaling requires caching layers, database optimization, powerful servers, and often CDN integrations, increasing complexity and cost.
Application Architecture & Data Lifecycle	Source-based: local data (.json), templates (.hbs), and styles (.css) to generate static HTML files. Local processing, one-time file upload deploy. JAMstack philosophy.	Request-based: page views trigger server-side processing (e.g., PHP), database queries, and plugin execution. Requires regular sync and backup.
Portability & Vendor Lock-in	Zero lock-in: project is a folder of text/static files. Host anywhere. Easy to edit, customize, and deploy the site with any tools or services you prefer.	Strong lock-in due to theme/plugin ecosystem, PHP versions, and database dependencies. Migrating to other systems is often a costly and complex process.
Offline Work & Local Content Management	Full offline content creation, editing, and site preview within the desktop application. Work on your site anywhere, anytime, without internet dependency. Sync changes when ready.	Typically requires an active internet connection to access the web-based admin panel and make changes. Offline work is generally not supported by default and may require specific local development environments.