Why I'm Using HTMLy Instead of WordPress for This Blog

I love WordPress. I've managed hundreds of WordPress websites, designed a few, and fixed (mostly design, UX, and SEO) issues on most of the websites I've touched regardless of CMS or platform. WordPress os open source, incredibly well-documented, has a massive ecosystem of users, developers, and designers, and is flexible enough to power everything from small blogs to huge e-commerce stores. I hear that Drupal is great too from webdevs that use that CMS, it's very similar to WordPress in many respects.

But for my own website where I might not look at it for months sometimes, I don't want the required maintenance commitment of keeping a CMS core, plugins, and themes up to date. I don't need to support multiple users being able to edit content and/or backend files and I don't need e-commerce functionality. That's where HTMLy comes in - a lightweight flat-file CMS that doesn't even need a database.

And if you care anything about pageseed scores, the default theme of HTMLy really impressed me with not only getting green scores in all 4 categories, but 100 in all 4 categories. Granted there was basically no real content when i got those results but that's still an achievement worth praising and hard to get with most wordpress setups in my experience.

TL;DR WordPress vs HTMLy: Quick Comparison

Feature / Factor	WordPress	HTMLy
Database	Requires MySQL/MariaDB	No database - flat-file storage (Markdown)
Ecosystem	Huge: 60k+ plugins, thousands of themes	Small: limited plugins/themes, focused on blogging
Ease of Setup	Easy with installers, but needs DB setup	Extremely simple - just upload and run install script
Maintenance	Frequent updates (core, themes, plugins)	Minimal updates, few dependencies
Security	Common target for attacks (plugins, wp-admin)	Lower attack surface, fewer common exploits
Performance	Can get heavy without caching/CDN	Lightweight and fast by default
Hosting Needs	Requires PHP + database server	Requires only PHP (lighter hosting options)
Content Editing	Block editor (Gutenberg) or page builders	Markdown-based, simple editor
Migration/Backup	Export DB + files (can be messy)	Just copy folders/files (portable)
Scalability	Can run massive, complex sites	Best suited for small-to-medium blogs
Ideal Use Case	Small & Large Businesses, e-commerce, membership sites	Personal blogs, developer blogs, hobby sites

Reasons to Use HTMLy Instead of WordPress

1. No Database = Simple & Portable

Everything in HTMLy is just files and folders. Migrating to a new host is as easy as copying a directory. Backups are simpler too - no MySQL exports or serialized data headaches.

2. Lower Attack Surface

WordPress is the most popular CMS in the world - which makes it the biggest target for automated attacks. HTMLy has fewer moving parts (no wp-admin, no plugin ecosystem vulnerabilities), so it's less exposed by default.

3. Lightweight Hosting

HTMLy runs on any cheap or minimal hosting environment, from shared hosting to a Raspberry Pi. No need for MySQL or extra services, which keeps resource usage low.

4. Focus on Writing

If your site is mostly a blog and not a complex project with membership features or e-commerce, HTMLy is closer to "install and just write." No plugin bloat, no endless configuration choices.

5. Lower Maintenance Over Time

WordPress plugins and themes need constant updates and this isn't a bug, it's a feature. Some break or get abandoned. HTMLy's simplicity means fewer updates and less long-term babysitting.

6. File-Based Transparency

Your posts in HTMLy are just Markdown files. You can open them in any text editor, track them with Git, or sync them to cloud storage. No database means you always have direct control of your content.

7. Predictable Performance

WordPress plugins can slow down a site in ways that are hard to track. HTMLy's flat-file approach makes performance more predictable. Fewer surprises, faster pages.

8. Philosophy Fit

Some people don't like how WordPress keeps evolving into a page builder and site-builder platform. If you want a tool that "does one thing and does it well," HTMLy stays focused on blogging.

Use-Cases Where HTMLy Shines

Here are a few types of sites where HTMLy makes a lot of sense:

• Personal Blogs: Perfect for people who just want to write without managing plugins, block editors, or database backups.
• Developer Blogs: Markdown + Git integration makes it easy to version-control posts and sync them across machines.
• Small Project or Documentation Sites: Keep things portable and easy to move between servers or share with collaborators.
• Low-Cost Hosting: If you're running on budget shared hosting or lightweight VPS, HTMLy's resource footprint is minimal.
• Privacy/Security-Focused Projects: Fewer attack vectors compared to WordPress makes HTMLy attractive when security matters.
• Hobbyist Sites: Great for side projects where you don't want to worry about long-term maintenance overhead.

Final Thoughts

WordPress will always be the powerhouse CMS with the biggest ecosystem, but sometimes that's overkill. HTMLy is lean, portable, and much easier to maintain if all you need is a blog or content-focused site.

If your philosophy is "less moving parts, more writing," HTMLy could be the right fit.