Static vs. Dynamic Websites: Its Benefits, Features, And Uses

Dynamic vs. Static Websites: What's the Main Difference?

Static sites deliver a similar page to all users, whereas dynamic sites have content that shows differently based on a user's settings. There are 2 categories of websites: static and dynamic. Still, this can be bewildering because there can be static elements of a dynamic site, dynamic elements of a static site, or vice versa… as we proceed into the generation of Progressive Web Apps and advanced website personalization, the separation lines become obfuscated between what’s static and dynamic.

What are the parallels between static and dynamic websites?

Both categories of sites are largely built in similar languages. While dynamic websites need proficiency in a server-side language, both categories utilize HTML and CSS for their frontend.

Both static and dynamic websites can deal with massive volumes of content, comprising of affluent text, pictures, and video embedding. They can moreover both be utilized to develop responsive websites, which automatically modify the content layout based on whether they’re being sighted on a desktop or mobile. While this appears like a ‘dynamic’ characteristic, it can be performed on a static site as this is regulated by the HTML and CSS on the page.

While both categories of websites need development proficiency if they’re being built from scratch, there are strategies for creating static and dynamic content utilizing other tools to resist heavy programming. Dynamic websites can be built by utilizing existing tools such as website builders and content management systems (CMSs) such as WordPress. Static sites can moreover be built with a CMS, but can moreover be promptly developed utilizing a static site generator such as Hugo or Jekyll.

Which sites can be Static or Dynamic?

When talking about whether a site is static or dynamic, half of the discussion is determining what aspect of the site you’re talking over. The code of the page, delivery of the page, and the customer browsers can all be contemplated as either static or dynamic.

1) Code

The code of a webpage can be either static or dynamic. This is relatively simple -  static content is content that is heavily coded on a page. Dynamic pages are structured by referencing a CMS or some exterior database.

2) Delivery

The delivery of a webpage can furthermore be either static or dynamic. Static delivery is pre-rendered pages that are normally cached and delivered through a content delivery network or CDN. Dynamic pages are produced in substantial time at the time of the request by the server.

3) Client Browser

The browser can moreover influence whether a site is static or dynamic. Static sites stay the same for all who access them, irrespective of the browser. Dynamic pages can utilize client-side Javascript to create pages dynamic in real-time.

Fundamental Differences Between Dynamic (Server Rendered) and Static (Pre-Rendered) Sites

As a golden thumb rule,  dynamic sites utilize server-side languages to process requests at the time it’s made and develop a page and its contents in real-time. Static pages are also pre-rendered, cached, and provided to the user.

When we think back to before the advent of the internet revolution, all web pages displayed similar content to every user. Over time, websites combined with databases powered by languages like Python, PHP, ASP, Ruby, Java, and more. This helped sites to be dynamic, and display applicable content to the user based on a setting or input.

Before reading further, it’s crucial to comprehend that for our objectives in this blog, dynamic and static cite ow a page is being provided to the user. Sites can be dynamically developed, cached, and served statically. Static sites can have dynamic elements. What we’re citing throughout this blog is commonly how a site is rendered, either by the server at the time of the request (dynamic) or pre-rendered and provided via CDN (static).

What’s a Dynamic Website?

Dynamic sites utilize server-side languages to process requests at the time it’s created and develop a page and its contents in real-time. This implies that dynamic websites interact with the user accessing the site and represent content relying on the user’s actions or settings. One instance of a dynamic website is web apps. Take Twitter as an instance: when you log in, it shows content just for you.

While dynamic sites are incredibly strong they are moreover more complicated. Along with this, there are many advantages for dynamic sites.

Dynamic Site Advantages

1)      Powered by Databases

By adjoining a dynamic site to a database, you’re able to effortlessly request data in a systematic and structured manner to create and display content depending on how the user wishes to view it.

2)      Connect to a CMS

This proficiency to unite to a database suggests that you can furthermore connect to a CMS. Content stored in the CMS can be of a variety of things, from the text to the pictures that are displayed, page layouts, site settings, themes, and more. This enables excessive flexibility when developing sites, and enables numerous users to be able to alter content as required.

3)      Low Ongoing Maintenance Cost

Since you can connect a dynamic site to a CMS there are limited or no ongoing expenditures unless there is an alteration in the basic design or an extra element is added to the site.

4)      Easier to modernize content -

Utilizing a CMS web interface for organizing content will enable you to make changes handily. For instance, you can add a blog post on the go from on your mobile. With a static site, this is not as effective for the non-tech-savvy user.

5)      More flexible -

When developing your dynamic website, you have full supervision of the wheel to develop whatever interactive characteristics you love.

6)      Competent Look-

The dynamic website looks more competent than static websites. Static Websites frequently look amateurish. Just showcasing your products on the website and inviting the user to call and book order is an old man and outdated style now. So Dynamic website is craved more because of its competent look.

7)      Easily Manageable -

Dynamic sites utilize languages like PHP, MVC to interact with data stored in databases. These websites can be created with an admin panel which can assist the website owner to make modifications to the website in the blink of an eye without any understanding of coding.

What’s a Static Website?

Static websites are pre-rendered, commonly cached, and assisted by a CDN. The site is pre-generated by distinctive files that are similarly provided to all users. There are various advantages of developing static sites.

Static Site Advantages

If you are still worried about whether static sites are good or not, then stress! We are here to help you!  I’ve listed out all the cool motives why you should use static websites today! Buckle up, you are in for a fascinating ride!!

1)              1)     Flexibility

The central advantage of a static site is the flexibility it gives. Every page can be unique; designs can transform, layouts can alter, and the designer doesn’t have to make one design to fit the mold for numerous categories of content to display on a page.

2)              2)     Cost

Cost can be lower while creating a static site than to a  dynamic site. Since pages don’t have to be bound to a database to develop content and render the view, they can be less costly than a dynamic site to design. Still, hooking up a headless CMS to a static site generator and then a delivery network can make a static site a bit costly to develop.

3)               3)   Load Times

Since static sites are pre-rendered, the load times are usually very quick. Without detailed features such as scripting, a database, excessive content, various templating languages, etc. all these events usually make a site slow. Static sites typically load in an instantaneous bang.

4)               4)   Security

As there’s no intermediary, i.e., the database incorporated, the threat of code injection is least for a static website. No plugins and dynamic software are required to host the website.

5)              5)    Reliability

You must have periodically come across an error message telling that, "The connection could not be established.’ This especially occurs because of database errors. Serving only basic HTML files makes it simpler to host them anywhere with comfort like CDN. Therefore, whenever there’d be an invasion on the server, the static website is almost redirected to another closest node, unlike its dynamic substitute where the website might go down ( crash ) for few hours.

6)                6)  Speed

The dearth of a middleman/database makes the static site much more vigorous and susceptible to load. A static site is 10X times faster than a dynamic site that is built with a CMS. Another explanation for a static website to operate faster is that it can be served from the node closest to the browser.

7)              7)    Hosting and Price

Static websites have crucial HTML files which need less space making the hosting of these websites reasonable than that of dynamic websites. Companies with static websites conserve up on the expenses and channel those resources to automated builds to combine the latest modifications in the system.

8)               8)     Scalability

What to do when your website is finally up and operating? Handling huge traffic on a dynamic website might be a cumbersome procedure as it needs complicated code playing on the server. Basic static websites with HTML files can be effortlessly scaled up by only boosting the bandwidth.

Which one is prudent to invest in? Static Or Dynamic!

Static websites are stable as compared to dynamic ones when it comes to safety as they don’t depend on CMS plugins. APIs and JavaScript are utilized to regulate the dynamic processes of static websites, removing the risk of getting hacked. On the different hand, functional websites are highly inclined to get hacked due to numerous content sources and plugins.

A report by silicon valley experts states that about 70% of WordPress sites are at threat of getting hacked by vicious hackers because of the dearth of maintenance and upgrading. Well, that is scary, Isn't it?

When do I require a dynamic or static website?

There are plenties of situations and categories of sites that you may be looking to develop this making it more perplexing to know if you need a static or dynamic build. Commonly the answer is, if you’re looking to connect the site to a database to create content in real-time, it’s dynamic.

Dynamic and Static Websites:  Pros

Static Website Pros

1)      Quick: because a static site is not producing content in real-time from a database, they commonly load very quickly.

2)      1)  Cheap: it’s usually inexpensive to host a static site than a dynamic site.

3)     2)  simple to build: static sites are considerably easier for a developer to set up than a dynamic site.

4)    3)   Security: dynamic websites are frequently at higher risk of attack because they interact with the user.

5)    4)  Scalability: traffic rises on a dynamic site may crash it.

6)    5)   Availability: because static sites are considerably less problematic than dynamic sites, there are fewer things that can be halted.

7)     6)   SEO: because static sites are commonly quick and the content is handily crawlable, their chances of ranking on search engines can be higher than dynamic sites.

8)   7)    Fast recovery: During the event of a crash or break, all you have to do to renovate your site is redeploy.

Dynamic Website Pros

1)    1)  Personalized content: users can interact with the site to develop content that fascinates them.

2)    2)  CMS Functionality: easy for technological and non-technical users to edit content or design of a site with a CMS.

3)     3)  More strong: with characteristics like the capacity to have users log in, accept e-commerce payments, and more, the likelihoods are infinite with a dynamic site.

Conclusion - Which one is the best?

If your website is aimed for non-techies to organize or excellent business detailing is required, then a dynamic website would be a better option.

If your website doesn’t change that frequently and all the features you need can be executed with a static site, I would most definitely select this. The various website tools in recent years have enabled us to ameliorate most of the pain points of the past relating to website glitches and thus enabling us to appreciate the various advantages of website designs today