Static vs WordPress in 2025: Speed, Security, Cost
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ShareIf you’re choosing between a static architecture and WordPress in 2025, focus on the outcomes that affect users and revenue: Core Web Vitals (LCP/INP/CLS), security exposure, and total cost of ownership (TCO).
Executive comparison
| Dimension | Static site (SSG/Jamstack) | WordPress (Monolith or Headless) |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | Excellent: pre-rendered HTML, less JS, edge caching | Varies: needs optimization; can be fast with tuning |
| Security | Smaller attack surface; no runtime app on requests | Requires patching, hardening, WAF/CDN; plugin risk |
| Cost (TCO) | Lower infra + maintenance; predictable at scale | Licenses often $0, but higher ops/maintenance overhead |
| Editing | Developer-driven or lightweight CMS; can be opinionated | Mature editor, roles, revisions, plugins, media handling |
| Extensibility | Integrate best-of-breed APIs | Massive plugin/theme ecosystem (quality varies) |
Speed in 2025: win Core Web Vitals by default
Static architectures ship pre‑rendered HTML and aggressively cache at the edge. That eliminates server compute on each request and typically reduces JavaScript by design. The net effect is stronger LCP and INP out‑of‑the‑box—especially on mobile and constrained networks.
Must‑do items either way:
- Optimize hero images for LCP: responsive
srcset,imagesizes, and preload tags. - Inline critical CSS and defer non‑critical resources.
- Keep interactivity minimal above the fold; avoid client‑only render traps.
Security: reduce the blast radius
Static sites remove the dynamic app from the request path. With no database or admin panel exposed, your risk profile shrinks dramatically. WordPress can be hardened—keep core/plugins/themes updated, restrict admin access, add WAF/CDN—but it requires ongoing vigilance. For regulated industries, minimizing runtime components often simplifies audits.
Cost: what TCO really looks like
Static hosting + CDN is inexpensive and scales linearly. Your primary costs are developer time and a few focused services (forms, search, CMS, analytics). WordPress licensing is free, but ops time accrues—updates, backups, image processing, performance tuning, and security layers. If your team lacks dedicated ops capacity, static often wins on predictability.
When to choose which
Choose static when:
- Performance and security are top‑tier priorities.
- Content structure is predictable, and editorial workflows are simple.
- You want to integrate best‑of‑breed services (forms, search, auth) without a monolith.
Choose WordPress when:
- Non‑technical editors need rich authoring and preview workflows.
- You rely on specific plugins (SEO suites, advanced custom fields, ecommerce add‑ons).
- You’re prepared for ongoing maintenance and performance hardening.
A strong middle path in 2025 is headless WordPress for authoring + a static front‑end for delivery, giving editors familiar tools while preserving speed and resilience.
Migration outline (WordPress → Static)
- Audit URLs, templates, and structured data (Open Graph, JSON‑LD, sitemaps).
- Export content: WordPress REST API or XML → normalize to Markdown/MDX.
- Rebuild templates in your SSG (Next/Remix/Nuxt/Astro); preserve canonical URLs.
- Media strategy: migrate to a CDN; generate responsive variants (800/1200/1600).
- Forms/search: replace with serverless functions or hosted services.
- QA redirects and Core Web Vitals; ship with automated image preloading for LCP.
Mini case note: a clinic site’s 3‑week results
We migrated a small clinic website from WordPress to a static stack. Within 3 weeks:
- LCP median improved from ~3.2s → ~1.6s on mobile (field data).
- Bounce rate down 18%; new patient inquiries up 22%.
- Maintenance time dropped to near‑zero; updates are now atomic deploys.
Results vary by site, but the pattern holds: less JavaScript, pre‑rendered HTML, and disciplined media handling move the needle.
Ready to see it on your site?
We’ll ship a 48-Hour Prototype so you can measure speed and leads before committing.