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The Joy of Static Site Generators

• 2 min read
#web #astro #performance

I used to overcomplicate everything. Every personal project needed React, a database, authentication, the works. Then I discovered the joy of static sites.

The Complexity Trap

My old blog setup:

  • Next.js with App Router
  • PostgreSQL database
  • Prisma ORM
  • NextAuth for… a blog with no users
  • Vercel with Edge Functions
  • 47 npm dependencies

All for a site that could be 10 HTML files.

The Static Revelation

Static Site Generators (SSGs) output plain HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. No server needed. No database. No authentication headaches.

Benefits:

  • Speed - HTML is fast
  • Security - No server to hack
  • Cost - Free hosting on GitHub Pages, Netlify, Vercel
  • Simplicity - Fewer things to break

Why Astro?

I chose Astro for several reasons:

  1. Islands Architecture - JavaScript only where needed
  2. Content Collections - Built-in content management
  3. Markdown/MDX - Write posts in Markdown
  4. Framework Agnostic - Use React, Vue, Svelte, or none
  5. Performance - Ships zero JS by default

My New Stack

  • Astro - Static site generation
  • Tailwind - Styling
  • Markdown - Content
  • GitHub - Version control + hosting

Total npm dependencies: 5. Build time: 2 seconds.

When to Go Static

Static sites are perfect for:

  • Blogs and portfolios
  • Documentation sites
  • Marketing pages
  • Project showcases
  • Any content that doesn’t need real-time updates

When Not to Go Static

You might need something more dynamic for:

  • Social networks
  • Real-time collaboration tools
  • E-commerce with inventory management
  • Apps with user-generated content

The Middle Ground

Modern static sites aren’t purely static. You can:

  • Use API routes for forms
  • Integrate with headless CMS
  • Add client-side interactivity where needed
  • Use serverless functions for dynamic features

Performance Wins

My old Next.js blog:

  • First Contentful Paint: 1.8s
  • Time to Interactive: 3.2s
  • Lighthouse: 74

My new Astro blog:

  • First Contentful Paint: 0.4s
  • Time to Interactive: 0.5s
  • Lighthouse: 100

Conclusion

Don’t let the “static” in Static Site Generator fool you. Modern SSGs are incredibly capable. For most personal projects, they’re the right choice.

Keep it simple. Ship it fast.

What’s your preferred static site generator? I’m curious to hear!