# Static vs Dynamic Rendering — Which One Should You Choose?

Introduction

Have you ever wondered why some websites load instantly while others fetch data every time you reload the page?

The difference often comes down to rendering strategy. Some sites pre-build all their pages once and serve them blazingly fast from a CDN. Others generate pages on-the-fly for each visitor, ensuring data is always fresh.

These two approaches—Static Rendering and Dynamic Rendering—represent fundamentally different philosophies about when and where to generate HTML. Each has distinct advantages, and choosing the wrong one can hurt your site's performance, costs, and user experience.

By the end of this guide, you'll understand exactly how each rendering strategy works, when to use them, and how modern frameworks like Next.js, Astro, and Nuxt 3 let you combine both for optimal results.

Let's demystify rendering strategies once and for all.

What Is Rendering in Web Development?

Before diving into static vs dynamic, let's define what we mean by "rendering."

Rendering is the process of turning your code (components, data, logic) into what users actually see on the screen—the final HTML, CSS, and interactive elements.

This transformation can happen in three primary locations:

The Three Rendering Approaches

Server-Side Rendering (SSR) - HTML is generated on the server for each request, then sent to the browser.

Static Site Generation (SSG) - HTML is pre-generated at build time and served as static files.

Client-Side Rendering (CSR) - HTML is generated in the browser using JavaScript after initial load.

Today, we're focusing on the first two—SSG (static) and SSR (dynamic)—because they represent the core decision most developers face when building modern web apps.

Static Rendering (SSG) Explained

Static Site Generation is the practice of pre-rendering pages at build time—before any user visits your site.

How It Works

1. During your build process, your framework fetches data and generates HTML pages
2. These pages are saved as static files ('.html', '.css', '.js')
3. When users visit, they receive pre-built files instantly from a CDN
4. No server processing happens on each request

Think of it like printing a book. You write it once, print thousands of copies, and distribute them. Every reader gets the exact same book instantly.

Next.js Example

typescript
// pages/blog/[slug].tsx
export async function getStaticProps({ params }) {
const post = await fetch(`https://api.example.com/posts/${params.slug}`)
.then(res => res.json());

return {
props: { post },
};
}
export async function getStaticPaths() {
const posts = await fetch('https://api.example.com/posts')
.then(res => res.json());
return {
paths: posts.map(post => ({ params: { slug: post.slug } })),
fallback: false,
};
}
export default function BlogPost({ post }) {
return (

{post.title}
{post.content}

);
}

This code runs once during 'npm run build', generating HTML files for every blog post. Users receive pre-rendered HTML instantly.

Advantages of Static Rendering

⚡ Ultra-Fast Load Times Static files load in milliseconds from CDN edge servers worldwide.

🧩 Perfect for Content Sites Blogs, documentation, marketing pages, and portfolios shine with static rendering.

💰 Cheaper Hosting No server runtime needed—just serve files from Netlify, Vercel, or any static host.

🔒 More Secure No server means fewer attack vectors. Static files can't be exploited.

🌍 Excellent for SEO Search engines get fully rendered HTML immediately—no JavaScript execution required.

Limitations of Static Rendering

❌ Requires Rebuilds for Updates Change a blog post? You need to rebuild and redeploy the entire site.

❌ Build Time Grows with Content A site with 10,000 pages takes longer to build than one with 100 pages.

❌ Not Ideal for User-Specific Content Can't personalize content for each user without client-side JavaScript.

❌ Stale Data Problem Content becomes outdated between builds. A product price change won't appear until the next deployment.

Dynamic Rendering (SSR) Explained

Server-Side Rendering generates HTML on-demand for each request—pages are created when users visit them.

How It Works

1. User requests a page
2. Server fetches current data from databases or APIs
3. Server generates HTML with fresh data
4. HTML is sent to the user's browser
5. Process repeats for every request

Think of it like a chef cooking to order. Each customer gets a fresh meal made specifically for them, right when they ask for it.

Next.js Example

typescript
// pages/dashboard.tsx
export async function getServerSideProps({ req }) {
const user = await fetchUserFromSession(req);
const stats = await db.userStats.findUnique({
where: { userId: user.id },
});

return {
props: { user, stats },
};
}
export default function Dashboard({ user, stats }) {
return (

Welcome, {user.name}
Views today: {stats.viewsToday}
Total revenue: ${stats.revenue}

);
}

This runs on every request, ensuring the dashboard always shows current data.

Advantages of Dynamic Rendering

🔄 Always Fresh Data Users see the latest information every time—no stale content.

🧠 Great for Personalization Show user-specific content, recommendations, or dashboard data.

🔐 Secure Data Handling Sensitive data fetching happens server-side, never exposed to the client.

⚙️ Flexible Logic Run complex authentication, authorization, or business logic before rendering.

🎯 Perfect for Real-Time Apps E-commerce, SaaS dashboards, analytics tools, and admin panels need fresh data.

Limitations of Dynamic Rendering

🐢 Slower Than Static Every request requires server processing, database queries, and HTML generation.

💸 Requires Running Server Costs more than static hosting—you need serverless functions or traditional servers.

📊 Harder to Scale High traffic requires more server capacity, while static sites scale effortlessly via CDN.

⚡ Higher TTFB Time to First Byte is longer because the server must process each request.

Hybrid Rendering: The Best of Both Worlds

Here's where modern web frameworks get really interesting: you don't have to choose just one approach.

Frameworks like Next.js, Nuxt 3, and SvelteKit let you mix static and dynamic rendering on a per-page or even per-component basis.

Incremental Static Regeneration (ISR)

ISR is a game-changer. It lets you pre-render pages statically, then automatically regenerate them in the background after a specified time interval.

typescript
// Next.js ISR Example
export async function getStaticProps() {
const products = await fetch('https://api.example.com/products')
.then(res => res.json());

return {
props: { products },
revalidate: 60, // Regenerate page every 60 seconds if there's traffic
};
}
export default function Products({ products }) {
return (

{products.map(product => (

))}

);
}

How ISR Works

1. First request gets the static version (fast)
2. After 60 seconds, next request triggers background regeneration
3. While regenerating, users still get the cached version (no slowdown)
4. Once regenerated, new version serves to subsequent users
5. Process repeats automatically

Benefits of Hybrid Rendering

🔥 Static-Like Speed Most requests get instant responses from CDN cache.

♻️ Dynamic-Like Freshness Content updates automatically without full rebuilds.

💡 Best of Both Fast initial load + fresh data when needed.

🎯 Flexible Architecture Static pages for marketing, dynamic for dashboards—all in one app.

Modern Hybrid Patterns

On-Demand ISR - Regenerate specific pages via API call when content changes

Streaming SSR - Send HTML in chunks as data becomes available

Partial Hydration - Only make interactive components client-side (Astro, SolidStart)

Performance Comparison

Let's compare static and dynamic rendering across key metrics:

The 2025 Standard

In modern web development, static-first with selective dynamic content has become the standard practice. Start static, add dynamic only where necessary.

When to Choose Static Rendering

Static rendering excels in specific scenarios. Choose SSG when:

✅ Perfect Use Cases

Marketing and Landing Pages These rarely change and benefit massively from CDN distribution.

Blogs and Content Sites Posts don't change after publication. Perfect for static generation.

Documentation Sites Technical docs, API references, and guides are ideal static content.

Portfolios and Company Sites Personal portfolios, "About Us" pages, and company information pages load instantly.

E-commerce Product Pages (with ISR) Product details change occasionally—perfect for ISR with revalidation.

Decision Criteria

Choose static rendering when:

• Content changes infrequently (hours to days between updates)
• Performance is critical
• Hosting budget is limited
• Global audience needs fast access
• SEO is a priority

When to Choose Dynamic Rendering

Dynamic rendering is essential when content must be fresh or personalized. Choose SSR when:

✅ Perfect Use Cases

User Dashboards Analytics, admin panels, and personal dashboards need real-time data.

E-commerce Checkout Cart contents, inventory, and pricing must be current.

Social Media Feeds Real-time posts, comments, and notifications require dynamic rendering.

Search Results Search queries need fresh results based on current database state.

Personalized Content User-specific recommendations, settings, or data.

Authentication-Required Pages Profile pages, account settings, and private content.

Decision Criteria

Choose dynamic rendering when:

• Data changes constantly (seconds to minutes)
• Content is user-specific
• Real-time accuracy is critical
• Complex business logic is involved
• You need server-side data security

Modern Rendering Innovations (2025 Update)

The rendering landscape continues evolving. Here are cutting-edge techniques blurring the lines between static and dynamic:

Edge Rendering

What it is: Running server-side logic on CDN edge nodes globally—not in a central data center.

Why it matters: Combines SSR's flexibility with CDN-like speed. Your dynamic logic runs 10-50ms from every user.

Example platforms: Vercel Edge Functions, Cloudflare Workers, Netlify Edge

Streaming SSR

What it is: Sending HTML to the browser in chunks as data becomes available, rather than waiting for everything.

Why it matters: Users see content faster. The page starts rendering immediately while the server fetches additional data.

Supported in: Next.js 13+ (App Router), Remix

typescript
// Next.js App Router with Streaming
export default async function Page() {
return (

 {/* Renders immediately /}
<Suspense fallback={}>
 {/ Streams in when ready */}

);
}

Partial Hydration

What it is: Only loading JavaScript for interactive components, leaving static content as plain HTML.

Why it matters: Dramatically reduces JavaScript bundle size. Static content stays static—no unnecessary hydration.

Supported in: Astro, SolidStart, Qwik

astro