What is Gatsby?
Gatsby is an open-source static site generator (SSG) which is used to build lightning fast Progressive Web Apps and websites. SSG frameworks are appealing to many business owners because they are cheap and extremely performant.
While there are several static site generators that are written in different programming languages, Gatsby is the most popular JavaScript SSG.
Who is using Gatsby?
More and more businesses are beginning to recognize the benefits of using Gatsby:
- The Braun website – a popular manufacture of shaving products
- The Reactjs website that provides documentation
- The Spotify Design website for sharing UI tips
Many of these businesses started with a WordPress website and sought a faster solution. For reference, here’s a comparison of Gatsby matched up with WordPress.
In what scenarios should I use Gatsby?
Performance is a priority.
Gatsby comes with a variety of built-in features that empower you to out-perform your competitors. For example, using a Content Delivery Network (CDN), page caching, and minification are all factors that boost speed.
Security is crucial.
Gatsby doesn’t run off a database, which is a common gateway for hackers. Furthermore, you can easily enable XSS protection and access control to prevent DDoS attacks.
You are looking for affordable hosting and a low-maintenance setup.
Because you’re only serving static files with Gatsby, there are free hosting options available. Other options may cost as little as $5/month.
Static files are also low-maintenance, freeing up costs associated with building complicated server infrastructure. Let your managed host worry about infrastructure so you can focus on strategy.
In what scenarios should I not use Gatsby?
Your website uses dynamic content.
Gatsby handles dynamic content by doing client side rendering (CSR). This type of dynamic content is difficult for search engines to crawl, putting you at a disadvantage for SEO.
You update your website multiple times a day.
Gatsby is a high performance option because all of the work is done at build time (before the website is published). On the downside, that means that each time you publish changes, the website could be down for several minutes.
You want to develop in-house, but you don’t have a team of skilled developers.
Gatsby is implemented with JavaScript and GraphQL. If your team isn’t skilled with either of these complex technologies, you’ll have to rely on a partner.
A partner experienced in many frameworks can guide you.
Need help evaluating your situation or choosing the best way to build a website? Reach out for a free consultation with one of our experts. We’re happy to help you get started with your solution.
