Static website or CMS: which one does your business need?
Both are good choices. The right one depends on how often your content changes and who updates it.
When you plan a new website, one of the first technical choices is how it will be built: as a static website, or with a content management system (CMS) such as WordPress. Neither is better in every case. Here is a plain comparison to help you decide.
What is a static website?
A static website is a set of ready-made files: HTML, CSS, images and a little JavaScript. The server sends them to visitors exactly as they are. There is no database and no code running on the server. This website, bactix.tech, is a static website.
What is a CMS?
A CMS is software installed on the server. It stores your content in a database and builds each page when a visitor asks for it. You edit texts and images in an administration panel, in your browser, without touching any code.
Advantages of a static website
- Speed: pages are ready in advance, so they load very quickly.
- Security: with no database and no server-side code, an attacker has far fewer ways in.
- Low maintenance: there are no plugins or CMS updates to install every month.
- Low cost: it runs on the simplest and cheapest hosting.
Limits of a static website
- Changing the content usually requires a developer, or at least some technical knowledge.
- Features such as user accounts, online payments or search need external services or extra development.
Advantages of a CMS
- Easy editing: you can publish news, change prices or add pages yourself.
- Many extensions: online shops, forms, bookings and multilingual sites are available as plugins.
- Large community: it is easy to find themes, documentation and developers.
Limits of a CMS
- The CMS, its plugins and its themes need regular security updates.
- More components mean more possible weaknesses.
- It needs heavier hosting (PHP and a database) and can become slow with many plugins.
How to choose
A static website is usually the better choice when:
- your content changes a few times a year;
- speed, security and low maintenance are your priorities;
- you want the lowest running costs.
A CMS is usually the better choice when:
- you publish new content yourself every week or every month;
- you need an online shop, member accounts or bookings;
- several people in your team edit the website.
There are also middle paths, such as a static website generated from a simple editing tool. They combine easy editing with the speed and security of static files.
Still not sure?
Tell us how you plan to use your website. We will recommend the simplest option that does the job, and explain why. See our web development service.