Building a Website on a 1C1G Server: Technology Choices, Pros & Cons

Building a Website on a 1C1G Server: Technology Choices, Pros & Cons

Introduction

Once your 1C1G server is optimized, the next question is:

What website stack should I actually run on this thing?

Not all web technologies are equal under resource constraints. This article compares popular website-building approaches, focusing on performance, maintainability, and suitability for low-end servers.

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1. Static Sites (Best Choice for 1C1G)

Examples

• Hugo
• Astro (static output)
• Jekyll
• Hexo

Pros

• No database
• No runtime backend
• Near-zero memory usage
• Extremely secure
• Handles traffic spikes easily

Cons

• Content editing workflow may feel less “CMS-like”
• Requires rebuild to publish changes

Best For

• Homepages
• Blogs
• Landing pages
• Documentation sites

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2. Static Site + Visual Editor (Best Balance)

Example

• Publii + Nginx

Architecture:

• Visual editor runs on your local machine
• Server only serves static files

Pros

• True WYSIWYG editing
• Zero server-side processing
• Ideal for non-developers
• Almost no maintenance

Cons

• Editing not done directly on server

Verdict

👉 The most practical solution for 1C1G servers

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3. Traditional CMS (WordPress)

Pros

• Huge ecosystem
• Familiar admin interface
• Plugins for everything

Cons

• PHP + MySQL memory overhead
• Security maintenance burden
• Poor performance without tuning

Verdict

⚠️ Acceptable only with strict optimization ❌ Overkill for simple homepages

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4. Headless CMS + Static Frontend

Examples

• Hugo + Decap CMS
• Next.js static export + CMS

Pros

• Online editing
• Clean separation of content & presentation
• Modern workflow

Cons

• Setup complexity
• Git-based workflow may confuse non-technical users

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5. Node.js CMS (Ghost, Strapi)

Pros

• Modern interfaces
• API-driven

Cons

• High memory usage
• Database dependency
• Poor fit for 1C1G

Verdict

❌ Not recommended

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6. Comparison Table

Stack	Memory Usage	Stability	Ease of Use	1C1G Friendly
Static (Hugo)	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐	✅
Publii	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	✅
WordPress	⭐⭐	⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⚠️
Headless CMS	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐	⚠️
Node CMS	⭐	⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐	❌

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Final Recommendation

For a 1C1G cloud server:

Static-first architectures are not a compromise—they are the optimal design.

If you need:

• Maximum stability → Static site
• Visual editing → Publii
• Dynamic features → Carefully optimized WordPress

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