Static vs. Dynamic Websites: What’s the Difference?

What’s the difference between a static website and a dynamic website, and how do you know which one you need?

In this quick CodeYam tutorial, CEO & Cofounder Nadia Eldeib breaks down the basics. Static websites use fixed content and are often simpler, faster, and easier to build, while dynamic websites can support features like user accounts, databases, personalization, and interactive experiences.

If you’re new to building software, this is a useful starting point for understanding what you’re actually trying to build before you start building it.

Resources mentioned

1. Other reading:

   1. Figma: Static vs. dynamic websites: Which website is right for you?

   2. Wix blog: Static vs. dynamic websites: the key differences and which to use

   3. Reddit (e.g. this thread and this thread and the learn programming subreddit)

   4. Quora: What are the pros and cons of having a dynamic website vs a static website?

2. Online courses:

   1. edX: Take Harvard’s CS50 online

   2. Stanford: Code in Place

3. CodeYam example:

   1. CodeYam: Prompt Library static website example