What a static site actually is
A static site is built once, in advance. A generator takes your templates and content, compiles them into finished HTML, CSS and JavaScript files, and those files are uploaded to a host or CDN. When a visitor arrives, the server simply hands over a file. Nothing is assembled on demand, no database is queried, and no code runs on the server at all.
Compare that with a typical WordPress build: PHP and MySQL construct each page when it is requested (or serve it from a caching layer trying to hide that work), an admin panel sits behind a login, and a stack of plugins extends everything. That architecture is powerful, but for a ten-page brochure site it is a lot of moving parts serving pages that rarely change.
Why that matters: speed, security, stability
The benefits fall straight out of the architecture rather than from any clever optimisation.
- Speed: flat files from a CDN respond in milliseconds, so Core Web Vitals usually pass without effort and pages feel instant on mobile connections.
- Security: there is no database to inject into, no admin login to brute-force and no plugin stack to exploit. The overwhelming majority of compromised WordPress sites are breached through outdated plugins or themes; a static site removes that entire attack surface.
- Stability: nothing breaks at 2am because a plugin auto-updated. A static site deployed today will still serve correctly next year without anyone touching it.
- Portability: because the output is just files, you can move host in an afternoon with no migration plugins or database exports.
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The running-cost comparison
Static hosting is close to free. Cloudflare Pages, Netlify and GitHub Pages all host static sites at no cost for the traffic levels a small business sees, with SSL certificates included. If you prefer a conventional UK host, shared hosting from the likes of Hostinger or Krystal runs a static site comfortably on the cheapest plan, typically £2 to £5 a month.
A responsibly run WordPress site costs more than its hosting bill suggests. Decent hosting is £5 to £25 a month, premium plugins for forms, SEO and backups carry annual licences, and someone has to apply updates and check nothing broke afterwards, whether that is your time or a maintenance retainer. None of these line items is huge; together they are the ongoing tax a database-driven site charges for pages that change a few times a month.
Astro vs Hugo vs Eleventy
Astro: the modern default
Astro has become the mainstream choice for new static builds. Components look like HTML, content collections give you structured, type-checked Markdown, and the documentation is excellent. Crucially, it leaves the door open: if you later need a booking widget or server-rendered pages, Astro supports interactive islands and SSR adapters without a rebuild.
Hugo: raw build speed
Hugo is a single compiled binary written in Go. It builds thousands of pages in seconds, which matters for large blogs, documentation and news-style sites. The trade-off is its Go templating language, which most web developers find less intuitive than Astro's components.
Eleventy: deliberate simplicity
Eleventy is a lightweight JavaScript generator that supports several templating languages and imposes almost no structure. It is a favourite of developers who want full control and minimal tooling. Fewer batteries are included, so expect to wire up more yourself.
The honest catch: editing content
Static generators have no admin panel by default. Content lives in Markdown files in a Git repository, which suits developers and quietly excludes everyone else. If your office manager needs to change opening hours, asking them to edit a file and push a commit is not a serious answer.
There are good fixes. A Git-based CMS such as Decap CMS or Tina adds a friendly editing screen on top of the same files at no monthly cost. Hosted headless systems like Sanity or Contentful go further for content-heavy sites. But be honest about the threshold: if several non-technical people publish daily, or you need editorial workflows, scheduling and complex media handling, WordPress or another full CMS remains the right tool. Static wins when content changes weekly or monthly, not hourly.
Key Takeaway
If your site is essentially a brochure that changes a few times a month, a static site generator will almost always be cheaper, faster and more secure than WordPress. Choose Astro if you want a modern default with room to grow, Hugo if build speed on a large site matters, and Eleventy if you value minimal tooling. Pair it with a Git-based CMS such as Decap so non-technical staff can still edit pages without touching code.
A sensible starter checklist
- List every page you actually need; most brochure sites land between five and fifteen.
- Pick a generator: Astro unless you have a specific reason otherwise.
- Choose hosting: Cloudflare Pages or Netlify free tiers, or your existing shared host.
- Sort the contact form: Netlify Forms, Formspree or a small serverless function, since there is no PHP to process it.
- Add privacy-friendly analytics such as Plausible or Fathom, or GA4 with a proper consent banner.
- Set up redirects from any old URLs before switching DNS, so you keep your search rankings.
Done this way, a static brochure site is faster, safer and cheaper to run than the CMS build it replaces, and it will not wake anyone up at night. If you would rather hand the setup to someone who does this weekly, our team can help.