WordPress vs. Gatbsy: The Marketer’s View

The main difference between WordPress vs Gatsby

While there are several variations between the tools, the most significant difference is that WordPress is a dynamic website engine and CMS solution. It builds websites that can present different information to different visitors. Gatsby, on the other hand, is a React-based, open-source framework that builds static sites—ones that look the same to every user.

This distinction has probably already got you thinking about the pros and cons of each and how they might be best suited for different types of customers and website needs. So, let’s go there and fully explore the various attributes that make each of them a brilliant solution for certain circumstances.

Pros and Cons of WordPress

Pro #1: Usability

Without a doubt, what WordPress really has going for it is ease of use. Especially from a marketer’s perspective, it’s very easy to recommend WordPress for websites because once it’s built, customers can usually manage the content themselves (or with little guidance).

Pro #2: Themes and plugins

Another benefit of using WordPress is that it comes with many themes and plugins that make choosing the look and functionality of your website easy. For example, you can easily add self-managed payment tools, forms, and SEO tools along the way.

Pro #3: Non-technical

Of course, one of the main advantages of using this platform is its non-technical nature. Of course, you can make it complex if you want, but for those who want an easy-to-use tool with almost zero barrier to entry, this is it.

Minus #1: Security

Unfortunately, since WordPress uses MySQL as its database, it has become vulnerable to bot attacks and other malicious intent. Brute force attackswhere bots try to access login credentials over and over are quite common on the platform.

Minus #2: Management

While plugins are a handy feature of WordPress, this also means that they can be difficult to manage over time. This is because plugins are often updated independently of platform updates. If you’re not constantly up to date with them, it can affect the security and function of your website – a big thumbs down from a user’s point of view.

Cons #3: Speed

Again, plugins come at a price. The more of them you have, the slower your pages will load. Not only does this hurt your SEO, but it can also frustrate users and cause them to pack things up.

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Pros and Cons of Gatsby

Pro #1: Execution

By far the biggest benefit you can gain from using Gatsby is website performance. It is known for building extremely fast websites, a major factor for Google Page Experience Update. Not only does this help keep customers on your website, it’s also a signal to search engines that your pages load quickly (aka they’re search-friendly).

Pro #2: Data connections

While you might think that static websites don’t have the advantages of dynamic ones when it comes to data integration, this is where Gatsby shines. You can still have all the magic of loading data from anywhere, including pulling data from APIs, CMSs and databases – creating a rich user experience and delighting your customers.

Pro #3: Freedom to publish

Since your initial Gatsby build will have static files, you have the freedom to publish a Gatsby site to any Content Delivery Network (CDN). This means your site can handle massive traffic without needing additional servers, saving you money all around.

Cons #1: Price

Building a website with Gatsby can cost you more upfront because it requires a developer to complete all the work. That being said, once the initial build is done, you will likely save with less downtime and increased productivity.

Min. 2: Tech heavy

It is not so easy for merchants and customers to work in Gatsby. You will probably need to collaborate with a developer to realize the big benefits. Or, if you want to learn how to use the React JS that Gatsby is built on, you can rely less on outsourcing.

Minus #3: External tools

Gatsby doesn’t come with its own development or content management tools. For that, you’ll need to look to external sources like Contentful, which — frankly — are pretty easy to pick up and use right away.

Which is best when it comes to WordPress vs Gatsby?

Now that you understand the differences, advantages, and disadvantages of WordPress and Gatsby, how do you know which solution is right for you or your client? It all depends on what is needed from the website. If you want a non-technical, easy to use and manage platform, then WordPress is probably your best bet. However, if you need a performance-oriented website and have the budget for that initial investment, then go for Gatsby.

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