Export WordPress to Static HTML to HTML

Static site generation from WordPress isn't new. Developers have been doing this for years. But it's more accessible now, the tools are better, the free hosting is better, and more people are realizing they don't need the complexity.

Let's be clear about what static means. Your WordPress site runs PHP, queries a MySQL database, assembles pages on demand. Static means pre-generating those pages as HTML files. Same content, fundamentally different architecture.

The practical difference? Static files serve instantly. No processing, no database calls. They're also inherently secure, there's literally nothing to exploit. And they cost almost nothing to host.

Here's when static WordPress makes total sense:

Your site is a digital brochure. Five pages, some images, contact info. You update it maybe twice a year. Running WordPress for this is like using a semi truck to get groceries, technically works, massive overkill.

You've been hacked before. Or you're tired of worrying about it. Static eliminates the attack surface entirely. Sleep better at night.

Hosting costs bother you. WordPress hosting ranges from $5/month for sketchy shared hosting to $30+/month for managed solutions. Static hosting is free at Netlify, Vercel, GitHub Pages, Cloudflare Pages. That adds up over years.

You want speed without effort. Optimizing WordPress is a whole discipline, caching plugins, CDNs, image compression, database optimization. Static sites are just fast. No configuration needed.

When static doesn't work:

You publish frequently. Daily or weekly updates with a static workflow gets tedious. You'd rebuild and redeploy every time. For active publishers, WordPress earns its complexity.

You need user interaction. Comments, forums, membership content, e-commerce. These require a backend. Static sites can integrate third-party services for some of this, but native WordPress features won't translate.

Multiple editors. If your team logs into WordPress daily to manage content, the admin interface matters. Static workflows are more technical.

Tools to make the conversion:

Simply Static is the go-to WordPress plugin. Install it, click generate, get a ZIP of your site. The free version works great. Pro adds features like scheduled builds.

WP2Static is the open-source alternative. Similar functionality, completely free. Active development comunity.

Our tool works differently, we render your live site from the outside, like a visitor. No plugin installation needed. Works with any WordPress site, hosted anywhere.

After exporting, hosting is trivial. Netlify has a literal drag-and-drop interface. Upload your folder, site is live. Add a custom domain in their settings. SSL is automatic.

The learning curve is minimal if your site is genuinley static. More complex if you're trying to replicate dynamic features with third-party services. But for a simple site that rarely changes? An afternoon's work saves years of hosting fees and update anxiety.