· Lire Botes · Web Design · 3 min read
Why a Custom Astro Website Beats WordPress for Small Business
Thinking about WordPress? Here’s why Astro might be the smarter, faster, and safer bet for your next small business website.
Choosing the right platform for your business website is a big decision. WordPress might be the familiar name—but modern frameworks like Astro offer major performance and security benefits that small businesses can’t afford to ignore. If you want a fast, lean, and future-proof site with minimal maintenance headaches, Astro might be the way to go.
Astro vs. WordPress: What’s the Difference?
At a glance:
- WordPress is a content management system (CMS) built with PHP and reliant on a database. It powers over 40% of the web and has a massive plugin ecosystem.
- Astro is a modern static site generator that outputs fast-loading HTML with minimal JavaScript by default. It’s designed for speed, simplicity, and developer control.
In short: WordPress is plug-and-play, but bloated. Astro is developer-first and ultra-efficient.
1. Speed That Impresses Google (and Your Visitors)
Astro builds static HTML pages at compile time, which means your site loads lightning fast. WordPress dynamically assembles pages on each request—slower, unless carefully cached.
Why it matters:
- Faster load times = better user experience
- Google uses speed as a ranking factor (Core Web Vitals)
- Speed affects bounce rate, conversions, and SEO
Astro sites regularly score 90+ on Lighthouse out of the box. Achieving that on WordPress? It’s possible—but you’ll need extra plugins, premium hosting, and fine-tuning.
2. Security Without the Stress
WordPress’s massive plugin ecosystem is both its strength and its weakness. Every plugin you add is another potential security hole.
Stats:
- WordPress accounts for a majority of hacked CMS sites
- Vulnerabilities often come from outdated plugins or themes
Astro, by contrast, generates static sites—no database, no backend, no exposed login pages. That drastically reduces your attack surface and maintenance burden. You won’t be constantly updating plugins or patching security flaws.
3. Lower Maintenance, Better ROI
Running a WordPress site means:
- Frequent updates to core, plugins, and themes
- Dealing with compatibility issues
- Higher hosting requirements (especially if using WooCommerce or other heavy plugins)
Astro sites:
- Require virtually zero ongoing maintenance
- Can be hosted cheaply or for free (e.g. Vercel, Netlify)
- Load faster, rank better, and convert more
Over time, this means less tech debt and more focus on growing your business—not babysitting your website.
4. Fully Custom Without the Bloat
Want a specific feature on WordPress? You’ll likely install a plugin—which may come with features you don’t need. That leads to bloated code and slower pages.
Astro gives developers fine-grained control to build just what’s needed. You can integrate:
- React, Vue, or Svelte components
- Headless CMS (like Sanity, Contentful)
- APIs or e-commerce tools
No more compromise between flexibility and performance.
5. Content Editing Still Possible
One myth about Astro: that it’s only for developers. In reality, you can pair Astro with a headless CMS to give your team a friendly content interface.
Options include:
- Sanity
- Contentful
- Strapi
- Even WordPress (used only as a backend)
You still get blazing speed and security—plus the convenience of a CMS when needed.
So… Astro or WordPress?
Choose Astro if you want:
- A custom, fast, and low-maintenance site
- Strong SEO and performance scores
- Peace of mind about security
- Hosting flexibility (including free options)
- A developer-driven approach
Stick with WordPress if you:
- Need to self-manage lots of content and pages
- Rely on specific WP-only plugins
- Have an internal team already trained on WP
Final Thoughts
WordPress is familiar, but Astro is built for the future. For most small businesses that don’t need constant content updates or legacy plugin support, Astro offers better performance, fewer headaches, and more value over time.
Call to Action:
If you’re ready to build a website that’s lightning-fast, rock-solid secure, and tailored to your business, 6pt can help. We specialize in custom Astro builds that look great and work hard—so you can focus on running your business, not fixing your site.
👉 Contact us today for a free consultation.
