Dynamic

Static Site Generation vs Client Side Rendering

Developers should use SSG for content-heavy sites like blogs, documentation, portfolios, and marketing pages where content changes infrequently, as it offers superior performance, security (no server-side vulnerabilities), and low hosting costs meets developers should use csr when building dynamic, interactive web applications that require real-time updates, such as dashboards, social media platforms, or complex forms, as it provides a smooth user experience with fast client-side navigation. Here's our take.

🧊Nice Pick

Static Site Generation

Developers should use SSG for content-heavy sites like blogs, documentation, portfolios, and marketing pages where content changes infrequently, as it offers superior performance, security (no server-side vulnerabilities), and low hosting costs

Static Site Generation

Nice Pick

Developers should use SSG for content-heavy sites like blogs, documentation, portfolios, and marketing pages where content changes infrequently, as it offers superior performance, security (no server-side vulnerabilities), and low hosting costs

Pros

  • +It's ideal for projects requiring SEO optimization, global scalability via CDNs, and simplified deployment workflows, especially when combined with modern frameworks like Next
  • +Related to: next-js, gatsby

Cons

  • -Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

Client Side Rendering

Developers should use CSR when building dynamic, interactive web applications that require real-time updates, such as dashboards, social media platforms, or complex forms, as it provides a smooth user experience with fast client-side navigation

Pros

  • +It's ideal for applications where user interactions drive frequent UI changes, as it minimizes server requests after the initial load, reducing latency for subsequent actions
  • +Related to: javascript, react

Cons

  • -Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

The Verdict

These tools serve different purposes. Static Site Generation is a methodology while Client Side Rendering is a concept. We picked Static Site Generation based on overall popularity, but your choice depends on what you're building.

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The Bottom Line
Static Site Generation wins

Based on overall popularity. Static Site Generation is more widely used, but Client Side Rendering excels in its own space.

Disagree with our pick? nice@nicepick.dev