In the 21st century, companies are including technological upgrades due to the efficiency they provide which is why most have started looking at migrating their web hosting to a more modern, secure, fast, and affordable approach. One approach employed by the most tech-savvy companies is the Jamstack architecture. Anyway, web hosting allows companies to connect with multiple users and share information on a platform that they are in control of. It could be a simple office intranet that allows staff to download files at any location or a complex app that allows you to make orders of food from multiple food stores and have it delivered to your house.

Hosting can mainly support 2 kinds of websites, static and dynamic sites. A dynamic site's HTML, CSS, and JavaScript code will not remain the same and can sometimes change, hence dynamic. It is important to note that dynamic sites are only dynamic in terms of the source code returned from the server. The site itself is still interactive and dynamic through the use of JavaScript on the client-side. A static site's HTML, CSS, and JavaScript code will always remain the same and never change, hence static. It is important to note that static sites are only static in terms of the source code returned from the server. The site itself is still interactive and dynamic through the use of JavaScript on the client-side.

We have created a companion repository that developers or tech-savvy users can use to see a real demo of the 2 kinds of websites and get a feel of the nuanced differences between static and dynamic sites. The code is open-source so feel free to use it however you'd like.

So what are the pros and cons of the 2 kinds of sites? Which one should you choose or is there an even better alternative?

Static vs Dynamic Sites

Static Site Hosting

A static site hosting simply stores pre-built pages, or markup, and renders it as is. These sites can then work with RESTful APIs and JavaScript on the client-side to pull information and display it dynamically, in real-time, to the user but the hosted pages will always remain the same.

The main advantages are:

• Fewer or no dependencies decrease the performance of the website.
• Makes use of a CDN which is relatively cheaper than a server.
• Has improved security over a dynamic site.
• High performance for the end-user.

The main disadvantages are:

• Dynamic activity can only be performed on the client-side.
• Not good for a long-term solution as businesses need to be agile to keep up with fast-changing trends.
• The functionality of the site is very limited.

Dynamic Site Hosting

A dynamic site hosting is less simple. These sites require a server to be running in order to dynamically generate the pages on-demand and, only then, return the pages to the client. While RESTful APIs and JavaScript can be client-side, it is not necessary as the server can also take the responsibility of pulling the information and displaying it on the dynamically generated pages. This means these sites would generally require consistent pulling from the server and more infrastructure for the server to run would be required which increases the site's running costs.

The main advantages are:

• Web pages can be updateable in real-time.
• Easier to create a responsive site that quickly adapts to screen sizes.
• Smooth navigation because page routing is handled on the server.
• SEO optimization is easier.

The main disadvantages are:

• Keeping the site online is expensive compared to static sites.
• The processing of the site may be slower due to the constant rebuilds which happen in the background.

Looking at the advantages and disadvantages of static and dynamic hosting, it is pretty clear that the best hosting solution to utilize is dynamic due to the offers it has. Now let’s talk about the JAMStack.

The JAMStack Approach: The Best of Both Worlds

According to jamstack.org, Jamstack is the new standard architecture for the web. Using Git workflows and modern build tools, pre-rendered content is served to a CDN and made dynamic through APIs and serverless functions. Technologies in the stack include JavaScript frameworks, Static Site Generators, Headless CMSs, and CDNs. This delivers enhanced performance, higher security, low-cost and easy scaling, and a better developer experience.

The magic lies in the JAM, which is an acronym for JavaScript, APIs, and Markup. So with this stack or architecture, we can get all the benefits of a static site and a dynamic site. This will almost always be a better alternative. But it is important to remind you that sometimes the other approaches still have their benefits over the Jamstack.

Javascript

This is the programming language that helps support dynamic components on the client side.

APIs

Reusable APIs handle all the server-side functions or database actions and are accessed over HTTPS with Javascript.

Markup

The markup forms the presentational layer, the pre-generated pages of your site which are usually generated using an SSG (static site generator) such as Gatsby, Hugo, or Next.js.

Jamstack helps separate the back-end functions and database from the front-end pages and user interface. Without being tethered to the backend, the frontend can be globally deployed directly to a content delivery network (CDN). Because the files are already compiled and are served to the browser straight from the CDN, there is no need to query the database each time someone loads the site.

Benefits of using the JAMStack Approach

With JAMStack, website building is disconnected from web hosting, meaning you can build websites and apps in your preferred environment. Any changes that are made to the build are deployed to the static site generator or CDN, where a new instance of the site is then created. And above all else, your site will be modern, fast, and secure.

The main benefits are:

• Improved performance
• Enhanced security
• Low-cost and easy scaling
• Better developer experience

Choose the right approach to your web hosting

So now that you understand what static sites and dynamic sites can do. It should be easier to pick the right approach. Here at iPhupha Digital, we are strong proponents of the alternative approach that merges the 2 kinds of sites to provide the best of both worlds: the Jamstack approach. So much so that we built our own website using this approach.

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