WordPress is undoubtedly one of the most popular platforms out there for designing and hosting websites. From personal websites to e-commerce, WordPress has the caliber and options to create them all. You can read Craft CMS Vs WordPress.
One of the most crucial decisions that a website developer has to make while designing a website is whether they want their website to be static or dynamic. While there are definitely perks to both variants, one of the two triumphs over the other in terms of the purpose of the website.
Today, we’ll be talking about static websites and how to generate them with ease. Using some of the most potent WordPress static site generators available, you can easily take a spin with static websites.
Besides listing the top 6 services on the web, we’ll also be sharing some insights into why static websites are better and why you should use a WordPress static website generator. Let’s jump right in!
What is WordPress static site generator?
A WordPress static site generator is software that generates HTML files from your WordPress content. It’s typically used when you want to host your website on a server with limited resources or where you don’t have access to any CMS at all.
Static site generators are especially helpful for small businesses and startups that want to minimize their costs, as they don’t require databases or additional PHP packages on the hosting server.
Why Use WordPress Static Site Generator?
WordPress and static site generators don’t exactly fall under the conventional way of site-building. But rest assured that it doesn’t strip power from the site editors. WordPress users can still create and edit content using CMS.
As soon as the editor hits “Publish,” the site will be exported to HTML serving the pre-compiled static files. This will replace the PHP-generated views. But that’s not all that a static website offers.
The benefits of going static are massive. Everything is suddenly enhanced from speed gains to a site’s performance as you use a static site.
Moreover, there are many additional benefits to using static sites. Such as:
Minimized page load speed
With static sites, pages aren’t pre-processed during runtime as per the user’s request, and the content is not derived from the database. That means the webserver will respond faster than regular. In fact, it is estimated that the server will respond ten times faster in a static site.
Easy management
Static sites are easy to manage. It requires minimal maintenance time as the serve updates automatically, and the WordPress upgrades regularly. There’s very little you have to manage.
Improved SEO
An excellent static generator knows what the search engine wants and prepares your content accordingly. It’ll help you pick the right content, apply a suitable template, and prepare static HTML. And once that is done, the generator will allow you to deliver the formatted content as quickly as possible. Since you won’t have to deal with databases or other external sources of data, the process works pretty smoothly.
Enhanced security
This brings us to the last point it’s good for improving security. Since you’re not using any external data sources and all the files are rendered on your computer. There is very little chance of security breach as you use a static site generator. This also allows you to avoid server-side processing that is time-consuming.
Top 6 WordPress Static Site Generators 2022
While there are many contenders out there, we had a tough time choosing the best few WordPress static site generators for you. We went through meticulous research and reviewed dozens of such services before bringing the best of the best in our article.
Staatic
Staatic is a WordPress plugin as well as a platform to create and manage static sites while still using your favourite CMS. It makes it very easy to convert existing and new WordPress sites to fast and secure static sites.
The open-source version (available in the WordPress directory) supports exporting your site directly to Amazon AWS and Netlify, as well as a directory on your server or ZIP-file. It even supports redirects and custom error pages, making Staatic the perfect choice when you want to stick with WordPress.
The premium version adds advanced features like quick publications and scheduled publications. It will also handle form submissions and search without having to rely on external parties.
If your looking for a way to get started without having to configure anything, they even offer premium WordPress hosting which includes a preconfigured WordPress installation and global cloud hosting based on Amazon AWS for ultimate performance and simplicity.
Hugo
Hugo is an elementary static site generator in terms of installation and navigation. The entire process is backed by detailed documentation to help you set up and run the generator flawlessly. Hugo has an extensive library of pre-built themes that makes it significantly easy to design your site as you wish.
Another brilliant feature of Hugo is its fast build speed. You can get any static site up and running in the shortest possible time. Moreover, the site has a straightforward dashboard that allows quick editing and changing themes without rebuilding the entire site.
Hugo also features a “Data-Driven Content” that makes it easier to publish the site content in JSON and CSV format. All in all, Hugo is a comprehensive and fasted framework that allows you to publish static sites flawlessly in the shortest time.
Gatsby
Advertised as a progressive web apps generator, Gatsby is among the leading CMS static site generators including WordPress. Its specialty is that the tool can work both online and offline, giving you complete flexibility.
You’ll need both node.js and git on your device in order to install and run Gatsby. The documentation pages are comprehensive and filled with all the information that you need along the way. It mixes Linux, Mac, and Windows in the instructions. So, you’ll need to be familiar with the command lines.
Eleventy
Eleventy is among the growing static site generators that show a ton of promise. The product advertises itself as a more straightforward static site generator.
The site generator is written in JavaScript. You’ll need node.js to run the tool. That is to say, the tool requires some technical familiarity to run it smoothly.
Once you’ve installed Eleventy from the command line, you’ll experience smooth performance throughout. The tool prioritizes website performance. You’ll realize this immediately upon installation.
Nikola
Nikola is known for providing detailed templates for creating entire websites and blog posts. There are also image galleries and search bars, among other things.
Moreover, you’ll find a fairly extensive library of themes and plugins that will help you build brilliant static sites. The building speed is faster than most of its competitors as well.
You’ll need to have a good command of Python in order to work on Nikola. The tool presupposes that you have Python and proceeds accordingly.
WP2Static
Here is a tool that takes a different approach than other static site generators. The product isn’t a complete site manager. Instead, it works with WordPress offering a static version of an already-running dynamic website.
That is to say, the tool leaves all control over editing and running a website to WordPress and turns it into HTML content. It combines your templates and themes along the way. You will also have complete access to WordPress plugins and themes.
Which Should You Choose In 2022?
There are many static site generators (SSGs), each with its own advantages and disadvantages. For static site lovers, these top 6 WordPress static site generators are the most popular. But if you are unsure which one to choose, we will assist you in making a decision.
Based on our testing and most users’ experience, the Staatic is the best. It is a powerful easy to use tool that has an array of useful features, including blazing fast performance, forms integration, redirect support, search integration, one-click publishing and more.
As such, it offers premium-grade WordPress cloud hosting powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS), the most secure cloud platform with global coverage that provides the highest possible performance, anywhere.
In addition, the price is very affordable when compared to other options. It costs only €19/ month for Staatic Cloud or €9/ month for Self Hosted STARTER Plan, but you can try it for free first. Overall, if you are interested in creating a static WordPress site, we highly recommend using Staatic.
Conclusion
We’ve gathered some of the most useful WordPress site generators and frontend frameworks that are available to use.
Achieving improved performance, ease of maintenance, and security are just a few of the benefits that a static site offers. Many companies worldwide are opting for this tool as they are more scalable and promising by design.
Using our guide to the best WordPress static site generators, you can now enter the world of designing static websites and experience the magic that unfolds. We hope you found our review helpful.
I read a lot of blog posts and i never heard of a topic like this. I Love this topic you made, really amazing.
@Amrit
Thanks for your comment.