Static Site Generation vs Server-Side Rendering: What to Use When?
What is Static Site Generation (SSG)?
Static Site Generation (SSG) is a build-time rendering strategy where HTML pages are generated during the build process and served as static files. This results in ultra-fast load times and better scalability for content that doesn’t change often.
- • Pages are generated at build time
- • Ideal for blogs, documentation, and marketing sites
- • Improves performance and SEO with static content
SSG reduces server load and provides a better user experience because there’s no need to render pages on each request. However, it’s not ideal for highly dynamic or real-time data use cases.
Comparing Performance and Use Cases
SSG outperforms SSR when it comes to speed and caching. But SSR gives you flexibility when dealing with dynamic data. The choice depends on your application’s nature, data needs, and how often content changes.
When to Use SSG vs SSR
Choosing between SSG and SSR boils down to the type of content and user interaction required. Here’s a quick guideline:
- 1. Use **SSG** for blogs, documentation, landing pages, and static product pages.
- 2. Use **SSR** for dashboards, personalized feeds, e-commerce carts, and user-specific content.
- 3. Hybrid models (like ISR in Next.js) offer a middle ground.
The Rise of Hybrid Rendering in 2025
Modern frameworks like Next.js and Nuxt.js support hybrid rendering strategies including Incremental Static Regeneration (ISR), allowing you to combine the best of both worlds—static generation with real-time updates.
Developer Tip
Evaluate your project’s update frequency, SEO needs, and data dependencies before committing to a rendering method. Frameworks now allow flexible rendering per route or page.