Staatic vs security plugins and managed hosts
Firewalls filter attacks and managed hosts patch fast, but WordPress still answers every visitor. See how a static public site compares, and when the alternatives fit better.
Three ways to protect a WordPress site
Most WordPress sites are protected in one of two ways: a security plugin or firewall that filters requests before they reach vulnerable code, or a managed host that patches, scans and blocks on your behalf. Both keep WordPress itself answering every visitor.
Staatic takes a different route. Visitors get finished pages, and your WordPress moves somewhere they can't reach. The comparisons below show what that changes, and where the other options are still the better fit.
Staatic vs security plugins and firewalls
Security plugins and web application firewalls inspect incoming requests and block the ones that look like an attack. That works when a rule exists for the attack. In 2025, 46% of new WordPress vulnerabilities had no fix on the day they went public, and the most targeted ones were attacked a median of 5 hours after disclosure.1 In one vendor test, standard hosting defences blocked only 26% of WordPress attacks.1
Security plugin or firewall
For example Wordfence, Patchstack, Sucuri or a host WAF
- Works on any WordPress site, including shops and member areas
- Adds login protection, malware scanning and activity logs
- WordPress, plugins and the database still answer every visitor
- Protection depends on a rule existing before the attack arrives
- A security plugin is more code running on every page view
Staatic
Static public site, private WordPress
- Visitors only get finished pages: no login page, REST API, plugin code or database to send requests to
- A new plugin flaw can't be used against the public site, rule or no rule
- On Staatic Cloud, WordPress sits behind an extra password prompt and switches off when idle
- Pages also load faster, because nothing runs per visit
- Logged-in areas, carts and checkout need a separate dynamic setup
They also work together. Many teams keep a security plugin on their private WordPress for login protection and scanning, while Staatic takes the public site out of the line of fire.
Staatic Cloud vs managed WordPress hosting
Managed WordPress hosts take care of the server, caching, backups and often a firewall. Your site still runs WordPress live for every visitor, behind a page cache. When a WordPress flaw is published, the host has to block or patch it fast enough on your behalf.
Managed WordPress host
Live WordPress behind a page cache
- Every WordPress feature works, including logged-in visitors and shops
- Server updates, backups and support handled for you
- Login page, REST API and plugins stay reachable on your public domain
- Pages the cache misses are still built by PHP and the database
- Forms and search usually need extra plugins or services
Staatic Cloud
Managed private WordPress plus a static public site
- Managed WordPress with backups, SFTP and a preview site, kept off your public domain
- Every visitor gets a finished page from Amazon CloudFront
- Forms with spam filtering and instant search included
- Your site keeps running if WordPress breaks or needs cleaning up
- Content changes go live when you publish, not the moment you save
When Staatic is not the right choice
If most of your site is built per visitor, such as a web shop with accounts, a membership site or a forum, a static public site covers only part of it. Keep those features on a dynamic setup, or forward just those paths with origin rules. The compatibility overview shows where each feature fits.
Sources
- Patchstack, State of WordPress Security in 2026, February 2026. Patchstack sells a WordPress security product.