Is WordPress a static website?

No. WordPress is a dynamic website system. Your words, pages and settings are stored in a database. Each time someone visits a page, the server runs WordPress’s code, pulls the content out of the database and builds the page on the spot.

A static website skips all of that. Every page already exists as a finished file. When someone visits, the server simply sends the file, exactly as it is. There is no database and no code running to build the page.

Visitors cannot usually tell the difference by looking. Both kinds of site can have photos, menus, contact forms and a modern design. The difference shows up in editing, speed, security and upkeep.

What a static website is

A static site is a folder of web pages, images and style files. It can be built a few ways:

  • Hand-coded: a developer writes the pages directly. Simple and very fast, but every change goes through the developer.
  • With a static site generator: tools such as Hugo, Eleventy or Jekyll let a developer write content in simple text files and build the whole site from templates. It is easier to keep consistent as the site grows.
  • As a small hand-built site with a little code: some sites, including this one, use a small amount of server code for things like a shared menu and footer, but have no database and no admin login. They behave much like a static site.

Where WordPress wins

  • You can update it yourself. You log in, edit a page or add a post, and press Update. No developer and no code. For a business that changes its hours, menu, prices or news often, this matters most.
  • It does almost anything with plugins. Booking, online stores, event calendars, newsletter sign-ups and membership areas are all available as add-ons.
  • Lots of people know it. WordPress runs roughly four in ten of all websites, so it is easy to find a developer, a tutorial or a host that supports it. If your web person retires, someone else can take over.
  • It suits sites that grow by adding content. If you plan to blog, post projects or publish regularly, WordPress was built for exactly that.

Where a static site wins

  • Speed. The pages are ready before anyone asks for them, so they load quickly, even on cheap hosting. Fast pages help visitors and help with Google’s Core Web Vitals.
  • Security. No database, no admin login and no plugins means far less for an attacker to break into. Most hacked small business sites are hacked through out-of-date software, and a static site has very little software to go out of date.
  • Very little upkeep. There is no weekly round of WordPress, theme and plugin updates. A well-built static site can run for years without being touched.
  • Lower running costs. A static site needs very little from its host, so a basic plan is usually plenty, and maintenance bills are smaller.

The catch with each

With WordPress, the convenience comes with ongoing work. WordPress itself, your theme and every plugin need regular updates, and an abandoned plugin can become a security hole. Each plugin also adds weight, so a site with dozens of them can slow down. None of this is hard, but someone has to do it every month. My guides to WordPress security basics and website maintenance after launch cover what that involves.

With a static site, the catch is editing. If you cannot code, most changes mean emailing your developer, even to fix a typo. Some features that WordPress handles with a plugin, such as a contact form, need a small script or an outside service instead. And if you later want a blog or an online store, you may end up rebuilding.

The middle ground

You do not always have to choose one or the other.

  • WordPress, exported to static. Plugins such as Simply Static let you edit in WordPress as usual, then publish a static copy of the site. Visitors get the speed and security of a static site, and you keep the familiar editor. It works best for sites without stores, logins or other features that need WordPress running live.
  • A static site with a simple editing tool. Some static setups add a basic editing screen for the owner. It is not as polished as WordPress, but it can be enough for occasional text changes.
  • A small, well-kept WordPress site. Fewer plugins, a lightweight theme, automatic updates and good caching get you much of the speed and safety of a static site.

A simple way to decide

Ask yourself these questions:

  • How often will the site change? Every week or two, lean WordPress. A few times a year, lean static.
  • Who will make the changes? If it is you and you do not code, lean WordPress. If your web person makes all changes anyway, static is fine.
  • Do you need a store, bookings, a blog or member logins? Lean WordPress.
  • Is it a simple brochure site: who you are, what you do, how to reach you? Lean static.
  • Who will keep WordPress updated? If the honest answer is nobody, a static site is the safer choice.

For many small Canadian businesses with five to ten pages that rarely change, such as a trades company, a consultant or a small non-profit, a static site is fast, safe and cheap to keep. For businesses that publish often or need to sell, book or post events online, WordPress is usually worth the upkeep. Either way, the design, the words and how easy the site is to use matter far more to your customers than what is running behind it.

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