Server Side Rendering vs Static Navigation

Developers should use SSR when building applications that require fast initial page loads, improved SEO for search engine crawlers, or better performance on low-powered devices meets developers should use static navigation when building performance-critical websites like blogs, documentation sites, or marketing pages where content changes infrequently. Here's our take.

Server Side Rendering

Nice Pick

Developers should use SSR when building applications that require fast initial page loads, improved SEO for search engine crawlers, or better performance on low-powered devices

Pros

• It's particularly useful for content-heavy websites like blogs, e-commerce platforms, and news sites where first contentful paint is critical
• Related to: next-js, nuxt-js

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

Static Navigation

Developers should use static navigation when building performance-critical websites like blogs, documentation sites, or marketing pages where content changes infrequently

Pros

• It eliminates server-side processing delays, reduces hosting costs, and improves security since there's no database or server runtime
• Related to: static-site-generation, jamstack

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

The Verdict

Use Server Side Rendering if: You want it's particularly useful for content-heavy websites like blogs, e-commerce platforms, and news sites where first contentful paint is critical and can live with specific tradeoffs depend on your use case.

Use Static Navigation if: You prioritize it eliminates server-side processing delays, reduces hosting costs, and improves security since there's no database or server runtime over what Server Side Rendering offers.

The Bottom Line

Server Side Rendering wins

Developers should use SSR when building applications that require fast initial page loads, improved SEO for search engine crawlers, or better performance on low-powered devices