Ask IH: Best static alternative to WP?
I've been looking for a static/html website framework or platform that has a CMS in order to replace WP which is increasingly slow and bloated.
Any ideas?
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Hey Ihus,
You have some great suggestions here already including WebFlow but if you curious to explore more, have a look here https://jamstack.org/generators/ for an SSG and then https://jamstack.org/headless-cms/ to find a CMS that works for you.
Hope this helps 👍
I would say Webflow hands down
This. Webflow is super easy to use if you have any familiarity with frontend.
ghost.org is the best CMS now - fast, modern, clean themes, open-source, easy to install on own servers if needed
Definitely. You can also use their servers if you don't want to self-host
Static may not be the most convenient if you want to get out from WordPress. Try Statamic - it's sort of best of both worlds. Flat file, can be used without database, so it's blazing fast. Use only the fields and options you define so no bloat. Free version is enough for most solopreneurs. Based on Laravel so can be expanded or added to any Laravel app.
I personally was using WordPress for 10+ years but now I run WordPress tutorials blog using Statamic :)
Oh, and google pagespeed is >95 with no magic or modifications if built properly, even with inexpensive hosting.
netlify CMS, getgrav
To add to this, you can also host Wordpress on Netlify, so you get all of Wordpress’s features with the speed of cached static pages.
true, but you need to export each time after each modification.
A Wordpress + VPS + litespeed cache, it's enough to have a fast website
I'm using Jekyll for my personal site and really like it so far. I'm hosting it for free on Github Pages and there were never any issues even though some of my posts ended up on the frontpage of HN and there were hundreds of visitors simultaneously.
WordPress is never bloated plugins are, whichever CMS, it will be never as easy like WordPress to edit, manage and publish content + the customizability.
The current Gutenberg interface just makes the thing easier to edit and publish. If you feel Gutenberg is limited then choosing right addon like The Plus Addons makes stuffs easier if you're not looking to get hands into coding.
Btw Which plugins did you install?
If you're used to WordPress, try installing WordPress locally using Local by Flywheel, and generate static files with Simply Static plugin, then publish using GitHub Pages.
The main issue is the lack of certain dynamic functionality - like search or contact forms... you can use Google services or few other alternatives out there.
It depends on the complexity of your project.
I tried to use some static converter plugin to html in WordPress but I don't like results. Can you experience with plugin to convert WP to HTML?
If you like building in WordPress look up static-html-output on GitHub. I've noticed some visual glitches (css) but nothing you can't fix. you can host your site statically on s3. Best of both worlds really.
There are a number of plugins that help you speed up your WordPress site. However, it may be the case that you have too many plugins installed on your site and your host is not able to handle your site's traffic. take a look at https://www.paklingo.com/
I migrated from WP to Jekyll and included the main points to consider. Not for everyone of course, since it's static site generator.
You need to know how to code to use it, right? One of the many advantages of other platforms is - no need for coding experience.
Yes. I mean you don't need much, but it doesn't automatically come with an editor (this is possible to set up, though). Perhaps real alternative is more like Ghost.
Anyone using headless WordPress with jamstack?
I am planning to evaluate https://www.11ty.dev/ for my personal website. Seems like the simple static site generator which fits my need. I also saw a tutorial to connect it to Netlify CMS and make it easy to maintain. However, I don't think it's ready for non-tech folks.
Hugo.io - moved from WordPress to Hugo website, hosted on Netlify, it is amazingly fast and easy, almost like public transport vs own car.
the site is gohugo.io also it takes some configuration to set it up with a headless cms which is what OP needs
Similar to simplystatic seems hardypress.
And there are several services creating Static pages from notion (super.so simple.ink, popsy, potion)
I used CloudCannon for https://nodepath.app, and it's been perfect for me so far. I don't know your situation or skills, but the free tier might be enough for you.
Sanity_io
There is some plugins that allow you too fasten WP. Maybe you have also too much plugins and your hosting can't handle it
You may want to combine both worlds.
I'm really biased (I'm the developer), but take a look at: https://patrickposner.dev/plugins/simply-static/
I also have a done-for-you service solution based on Simply Static: https://simplystatic.io/
Cheers,
Patrick
Hi, I use Simply Static for one of my client charity websites. It's superb for simple WordPress websites on [very] limited hosts (like my clients - with no database). Great tool!
I'm happy to hear that! Feel free to reach out if you need my help one day! :-)
I recently read about https://wagtail.org/ an open source django cms.
Had no chance to give it a try yet, but it sounds interesting.
I'd say Stackbit - all the speed and performance of a static site on a CDN, a modern Javascript framework for devs, yet coupled with a visual drag/drop CMS that non-technical clients will take well to.
If you can code you will love https://versoly.com/
It comes with a code editor built-in to import/edit/export code and works with Tailwind.
I've been working on setting up a blog and I really like Hugo. It is a bit technical to set up but so far I'm enjoying it. Here are a couple links that may help:
https://cloudcannon.com/community/learn/hugo-tutorial/
https://www.regisphilibert.com/blog/2019/01/from-wordpress-to-hugo-a-mindset-transition/
I first tried a paid Ghost plan and was very frustrated with it. I've bee a full-time self-employed web developer for 15+ years working with all kinds of technologies and interfaces and I couldn't figure out how to do very simple tasks in their interface - I was having to search for basic things like "How to delete a post", "How to export posts", and "How to change the domain". Nothing was obvious in the interface (I later realized, you couldn't change the domain on the free trial version and had to pay to be able to see the domain changing interface). A lot of documentation you come across no longer applies to their current interface. Basically, my frustrations with Ghost, led me to Hugo.
So to sum it up, so far, I'm liking Hugo and I would highly recommend not using Ghost (unless you are planning to host it yourself).
Webflow 100%