Discovering What Is Jamstack: The Future of Fast and Secure Websites

Jamstack is a revolutionary architecture for building apps and websites. It's versatile, modern, and gives you a lot of flexibility and freedom to create a perfect end product. It also provides exquisite developer's experience. But if you're new to Jamstack, it may not be that obvious.

That's why we're giving you the ultimate guide. The good, the bad, the ugly — everything you need to know about Jamstack.

In this article you'll learn:

1. What is Jamstack - the definition and what it's used for

2. The difference between Jamstack sites and standard web stacks

3. How Jamstack works and what are its main components

4. The benefits of using Jamstack architecture

5. When should you use Jamstack?

6. Best practices for Jamstack

7. What are the Jamstack drawbacks?

8. How to start a Jamstack project

9. What are the typical Jamstack tools and technologies?

10. A few actual Jamstack examples

11. Trends and predictions for Jamstack's future

There's a lot to talk about Jamstack so let's get right to it!

What Is Jamstack?

Jamstack is a modern web development architecture that uses JavaScript, APIs, and Markup (JAM) to create fast, secure, and scalable websites and apps. The term Jamstack was coined by Matt Biilmann, the co-founder and CEO of Netlify, in 2016 at Smashing Conf.

Jamstack works by pre-rendering the front end into static HTML files and serving them directly from a content delivery network (CDN). This eliminates the need for a backend server to generate dynamic content, which improves performance, reliability, and security. Any dynamic functionality is handled by JavaScript and APIs, which can access various third-party services and data sources.

Jamstack is suitable for building any kind of website and app, such as e-commerce platforms, product blogs, content-rich websites, or personal websites.

Jamstack is often seen as a better alternative to the traditional monolithic architecture, which powers CMS platforms like WordPress, Drupal, or Joomla.

The official definition of Jamstack highlights its advantages:

Jamstack is an architectural approach that decouples the web experience layer from data and business logic, improving flexibility, scalability, performance, and maintainability.

Jamstack removes the need for business logic to dictate the web experience.

It enables a composable architecture for the web where custom logic and 3rd party services are consumed through APIs.

What Does Jamstack Stand For?

The acronym ‘JAM’ in Jamstack represents the three core components of this architecture: client-side JavaScript, APIs, and Markup. However, Jamstack also offers a rich infrastructure ecosystem, making it a powerhouse for creating versatile web development architecture.

This is a simplified explanation of Jamstack. If you want to learn more about the technical aspects of Jamstack, read on.

Jamstack Meaning In Comparison To Other Web Development Stacks

Jamstack is a bit of a modern web development stack. The software development stack is a set of tools used to develop web apps and sites. While it may seem that there's nothing special that distinguishes Jamstack from other frameworks, there actually is. And that is — Jamstack is static but at the same time, it's dynamic.

In simple terms, its architecture uses Git workflows and modern tools to serve the pre-rendered content to a CDN (Content Delivery Networks) and make it dynamic via APIs and serverless functions.

To sum it up, Jamstack gives you more elasticity in creating modern, user-friendly apps and websites. It also ensures that your customers and users will find it easy and inviting to move around your site or app.

Demystifying Jamstack – How Does It All Work?

Understanding how Jamstack works may not be easy, especially for non-tech people. So let's analyze the core functionalities to get to know it better and understand how exactly it works.

JavaScript

JavaScript (JS) is one of the most popular programming languages and core technologies of the WWW (World Wide Web). It's also thought to be the best language for coding beginners.

Its power lies in giving life to web pages — JavaScript converts a static website into an interactive one. That helps to engage visitors and improves user experience.

In general, JS is a fundamental element for interactive websites and applications with dynamism.

What's the difference between static websites and dynamic pages and why does it matter?

That's the part where it's worth mentioning the concept of static vs dynamic pages. Static pages are those with a fixed content that isn't changed often, for example, blog posts. On the contrary, content on dynamic pages changes frequently, e.g., e-commerce websites, or weather pages.

How does it work on a technical level? When a server receives a request for a static web page, no additional processes take place. While when the server receives a request for dynamic content, it adjusts to the user's query.

Why is this important when talking about Jamstack? Because Jamstack sites are static files but the APIs are accessed via HTTPS with JavaScript and that enables Jamstack websites to have a dynamic functionality. Jamstack's cornerstone is staticity that with the use of JavaScript and APIs, in the hands of the end-user, becomes a dynamic and interactive environment.

APIs Inclusion In Jamstack

On Jamstack, the operations that can make a website dynamic are possible with the APIs — third-party tools & services or your custom functionalities.

That's what Jamstack uses, next to JavaScript, to enable web pages to be dynamic. APIs also give more flexibility to build different kinds of applications and make them more complex, functional, and accessible.

Headless CMS (Headless Content Management System) is also a large part of the Jamstack environment since it allows you to deliver content wherever you need and want to — not only to a templated site but even to many receivers at the same time, like e-stores or mobile apps.

Along with headless CMS, thanks to the connection to the data via API and receiving only the content part instead of the presentation part, you get the flexibility to choose your favorite Jamstack frontend framework to build a site.

Technologies Applied in Jamstack Architecture

As you already know, Jamstack is not a tool in itself but an environment and set of standards according to which you create apps and websites.

And that's what it's known for — the use of technology to provide a flexible environment for website and Jamstack development services.

Markup in Jamstack

In general, the content can be sent to a website in a different way and Jamstack uses markup. Markup is one of many ways you can choose to save the data, for example, a text on a website, so it can easily be delivered to the site. It's like sending a package — you can send it via post-office, courier, or your favorite shipping company.

Mow, markup is possible thanks to decoupling (creating separate components to better adjust your content) and pre-rendering (preloading elements on the page for better speed — anything that isn't generated in real-time).

Static Site Generators

With that, you can go to the final step — generating your site. There are integrated tools for that in Jamstack: Gatsby, Next, Nuxt, and others, called Static Site Generators. They combine your content and template written in one of the frameworks into files that can be deployed to a hosting environment as a ready-to-serve website.

There are over 300 static site generators out there, so developers can easily choose one that suits best the Jamstack app or website they're working on.

Additionally, Jamstack provides popular tools for an automated git version control process. That's important because you can easily save all versions of your code, all types of changes, easily backup all data, etc. As a result, all processes are smooth and effective.

All these components make Jamstack projects more comprehensible, adjustable, and faster.

The JAM in Jamstack

As explained earlier in the article, Jamstack, short for "JavaScript, APIs, and Markup," represents a cutting-edge web development methodology that prioritizes client-side JavaScript, APIs, and Markup as key building blocks for creating fast, scalable, and secure websites and applications.

All the above-mentioned components co-relate with each other and create a coherent unit. Jamstack websites wouldn't exist without them all. The composite nature is what makes them so powerful and extensive.

With so many options to show what you want to show, and create user experiences your competition wished you hadn't, you can also manage content easily, with a few clicks and in a real-time editor. The number of Jamstack CMS is growing, and the same can be said about the features that you make use of while exploring them.

Why Use Jamstack — The Benefits

Jamstack has everything you need to provide a perfect user and developer experience. It's great for building simple apps as well as highly complex websites.

Here are the main benefits of your future Jamstack site — if you decide to go for it!

1. Enhanced Performance

Jamstack doesn't create pages in real-time but uses the pre-built static content which makes the whole process faster.

Moreover, it serves your pre-built markup and all static assets over a CDN (Content Delivery Network distributed in different geographical locations) which boosts the speed. CDNs are a great advantage because they can be close to the client or user which skyrockets the performance even more — there are fewer lags.

That gives you fast-loading pages, shorter response time, and largely improves user experience. Statistics show that 1 in 4 visitors would abandon a website that takes more than 4 seconds to load and 46% of users don't revisit poorly performing websites. So if you care about page speed and UX, Jamstack will take care of it and reduce the bounce rate.

2. Improved Security

Jamstack websites are known for its security. Since you don't need to operate a lot with code and store it on your servers, you can make sure it's safe.

By decoupling the front-end from the back-end, Jamstack reduces the attack surface and potential vulnerabilities. Static sites are less susceptible to common security threats like SQL injections and cross-site scripting (XSS).

And the third-party apps used via the APIs lower the risk of attacks because all the work happens in their environment so everything is safe and sound.

3. Cost Effectiveness

When you build and deploy websites using the Jamstack architecture, you lower the costs of maintenance. Jamstack's serverless nature reduces infrastructure costs, as you only pay for the resources you use. Eliminating the need for server provisioning and maintenance results in a cost-effective approach to web development.

Also, the APIs allow you to save money on extra tools as you can use the third-party apps to deal with some of the aspects of DevOps and maintenance of the servers.

4. Scalability and Reliability

There's nothing better than Jamstack to make scalable, well-performing projects. Since it's based on CDNs, hosting your Jamstack website is a piece of cake. You don't have to worry about traffic because your site is served to clients via local servers, which makes it easier to quickly reach users.

Think about it as a one-lane vs three-lane highway. It's a breeze to unload the traffic on three-lanes rather than get stuck on the highly-jammed one.

There are no glitches, no errors, and end-users can enjoy a smooth and fast experience.

5. Better Developer Experience

Using old, heavy frameworks to develop an app or website is no longer a problem. Jamstack developers don’t have to focus on standard technologies that are hard to use and make it painful to create the end product.

Instead, they can incorporate their favorite tools and approaches for faster results and concentrate on what really matters.

6. Easier Maintenance

Separating the front-end and back-end allows for effortless content updates without affecting the site's core functionality. This streamlined maintenance process accelerates development cycles and empowers content editors to make real-time changes with ease.

7. Greater Flexibility

Jamstack's architecture encourages the use of third-party tools and services, fostering a more flexible development approach. Developers can easily integrate APIs, services, and tools to build bespoke solutions and assemble components, promoting reusability and faster development cycles.

It's easier to keep it working smoothly without the need to constantly keep an eye on additional tools and other addons. The APIs are like the extensions to the Jamstack site and largely enhance work. It's also easier to maintain it at a lower cost.

8. Ultimate SEO-friendliness

Static sites are easily indexable by search engines, enabling better SEO performance. With Jamstack's focus on performance and fast load times, search engines reward these websites with higher rankings, driving more organic traffic.

Jamstack Architecture – When Should You Use It?

You may be wondering how is Jamstack better than the famous WordPress. Why should you even consider choosing Jamstack over the global leader used by millions of people?

WordPress is definitely a behemoth in the world of Content Management Systems but don't get discouraged by it when thinking about Jamstack. That's because Jamstack has a huge advantage over WordPress in many aspects.

Read on to find out when it's advisable to abandon the monolithic architecture that WordPress is based on for the sake of Jamstack.

You Need a Healthy Website without Glitches

If you've ever used WordPress, you know exactly it's not perfect. It lacks coherence on many levels, beginning from theme structure, through missing functionalities, to random errors.

Often, you need to patch them with additional solutions or think about how to overcome them. And it's not always easy.

Jamstack allows you to omit those glitches and creates a perfect environment to build a fully functional website.

Security Is What You Ask for

That's probably one of the most important factors and cuts above WordPress (and other web-building platforms).

A lot of people experience security breaches, hacking, and malware attacks that damage content or erase it. It’s also easy to get blacklisted by Google. That can cut you off from getting crawled by Google and gaining traffic to your website. In consequence, your business incurs serious losses.

Fewer surfaces make platforms built in the Jamstack ecosystem less vulnerable to external attacks and threats.

You Want a Faster Website Delivery

The pre-rendering that Jamstack projects are based on makes websites load much faster than when they're based on a real-time content transfer.

So if you plan to include a lot of dynamic elements on your website, for example, videos or gifs, WordPress may slow it down and extend the loading time for your page.

SEO-friendliness Is Crucial for You

The technical and security aspects highly influence your position in the search engines, especially when you experience security issues and have problems with the back-end development. Jamstack can help boost your online presence and skyrocket your web performance.

Faster load time and static-dynamic structure with the pre-rendering make your Jamstack website an easy setting for Google bots to crawl and put it high in rankings.

You Want Your Solution to Be Cost-Effective in a Long Term

We've already mentioned that the costs of maintenance are much lower when you build sites and apps in the Jamstack environment. You don't have to invest in additional resources but can focus on the front-end processes.

Hence, if you want to cut costs on platform development and deployment, choose Jamstack sites over WordPress sites.

Jamstack: Best Practices

To make your work on Jamstack sites easier and more comfortable, its creators defined the best practices. If you apply them in building your web or app, you'll find it easier to work in this specific ecosystem.

Let's check them in short.

1. Base Your Jamstack Project on CDN

Projects in Jamstack don't have to be stored on a server but are served directly from CDNs. No single server is required and your websites load quickly and are scalable.

And that is the first best practice for using Jamstack to boost speed and improve user experience.

2. Use Build Tools

In Jamstack, the approach assumes that websites should be built with little effort. So instead of focusing on the tiresome back-end, developers can get straight to the point by automating work with modern build tools.

Such tools can help automate processes like compiling computer source code into binary code, packaging it, and running automated tests.

That helps to reduce repetitive tasks, improve the quality of the end product, and save time and money. Moreover, dedicated tools make it possible to establish best practices for software delivery and continuous integration.

3. Automate Builds

Automating build processes that are clearly defined and scripted makes it easy to implement them. Whenever you need your content to go live, automated builds can do the job for you, so you don't have to repeat the work.

4. Atomic Deploys

To keep consistency on your site and avoid glitches, Jamstack recommends atomic deploys. It's a system that lets you safely deploy your content — your website goes live only after all content is uploaded. It's a good practice for large projects.

5. Cache Invalidations

Instant cache invalidation is a practice that ensures your content is live when you publish it. After your build is uploaded, the CDN invalidates its cache. This means that all your new builds are immediately live.

6. Git Version Control Systems

To simplify staging and testing workflows, and reduce contributor friction, you can freely work in version control systems such as Git.

You and your team can easily track and manage changes, improve teamwork, and work flexibly the way you or your team likes without the need to adjust to rigid frameworks. This ensures high-performing development, and your software team can work faster and more effectively with reduced development time and better deployments.

A Few Words on Jamstack Drawbacks

However great Jamstack sounds and seems, it has its disadvantages. For some, they may be smallish imperfections, but for others, they might be the bigger obstacle. That's why it's important to look at both the good and the bad sides to choose the right platform for your needs.

If you're wondering what Jamstack lacks in its greatness, here's a short list:

1. The Complexity of Implementation: One of the main drawbacks of Jamstack is the initial complexity of implementation, especially for developers who are new to the architecture. Setting up build pipelines, managing serverless functions, and coordinating various APIs can be challenging and time-consuming.

2. Complicated API Architecture: unlike traditional CMS, Jamstack infrastructure may require you to use many different APIs just for one project. The environment is largely API-dependent and you need to be aware of that.

3. Dependency on Third-party Services: Jamstack relies on various third-party services, such as CDNs, build tools and serverless platforms. While these services offer scalability and performance benefits, they also introduce a level of dependency and potential risk if any of these services experience downtime or changes in their offerings.

This means that unless you have a team of web developers or the right skills, you will get stuck at some point in using Jamstack to build an app or website.

But don’t get discouraged! Some people can help you build a perfect platform in the Jamstack environment and introduce you to this powerful web development approach.

Like we did below, for example.

How To Get Started With Jamstack?

Here are some steps you can follow to dive into the world of Jamstack and be ready to cooperate with an agency – or even start your very own, first project.

Define Your Project Goals

Before diving into the technical aspects, take a moment to clarify your project goals.

• What do you aim to achieve with your website?

• Is it to showcase your brand, sell products online, or engage with your audience?

Understanding your objectives will shape your approach and help us provide tailored recommendations for your Jamstack project.

Evaluate Your Website Requirements

Consider your website's specific needs and goals. Are you looking to create a blog, an e-commerce store, or a dynamic web application? Understanding your requirements will help us tailor the Jamstack approach and select the optimal tech constellation to meet your unique objectives.

Discover the Jamstack Philosophy

Dive into the world of Jamstack by understanding its core principles. Learn about the importance of static site generation, which produces fast-loading HTML files, and how it differs from traditional dynamic websites. Explore the benefits of using JavaScript to add interactivity, leveraging APIs to fetch data, optimizing markup for search engines and accessibility, and using headless CMS for smooth content management experiences and collaboration.

Explore the Jamstack Ecosystem

Familiarize yourself with the tools and services available for Jamstack development. There are user-friendly platforms that provide pre-built templates, drag-and-drop interfaces, and easy content management systems tailored for non-technical users.

Choose a Static Site Generator (SSG)

Selecting the right static site generator is crucial for building Jamstack websites efficiently. There are several popular options to choose from, such as Gatsby, Hugo, Next.js, Jekyll, and Nuxt.js. Research their features, community support, and performance to find the one that aligns with your project requirements.

Explore Headless CMS and Content APIs

A headless CMS (Content Management System) allows you to separate content management from presentation. Look into headless CMS options like Storyblok, Strapi, or Sanity to manage your content. Familiarize yourself with working with content APIs, as they enable you to fetch data dynamically and integrate it into your static site.

Embrace Serverless Functions

Serverless functions, such as AWS Lambda, Vercel Serverless Functions, or Netlify Functions, enable you to add dynamic functionality to your Jamstack sites. Learn how to leverage these functions to perform tasks like form submissions, user authentication, or data processing. Understand how to deploy and manage serverless functions within your chosen hosting platform.

Choose a Deployment Platform

Determine the hosting and deployment platform that suits your needs. Providers like Netlify, Vercel (formerly Zeit), and AWS Amplify offer seamless integration with popular static site generators and make the deployment process straightforward. Learn how to configure your build settings, set up continuous integration and deployment (CI/CD), and manage your Jamstack projects efficiently.

Dive into Performance Optimization

One of the significant advantages of Jamstack is its focus on performance. Learn about optimization techniques like asset minification, lazy loading, image optimization, and caching. Understand how to leverage CDNs (Content Delivery Networks) effectively to deliver your static assets worldwide with low latency.

Collaborate with a Team of Experts

Jamstack is a powerful and rich environment to build exciting, composable, and ultra-performative apps and websites. Yet sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you still may need some support from specialists who have undergone dozens of projects. Banging a head against the wall isn't always the greatest strategy, is it?

Our web development agency specializes in Jamstack and can provide you with valuable insights and expertise. From setting up your project to implementing custom features, we're here to support you. We'll work closely with you to understand your vision, offer strategic guidance, and bring your website to life.

We'll also help you select all the Jamstack tools and solutions your project needs. And there are myriads of them!

Tools And Technologies For Jamstack Development

Jamstack development relies on a variety of tools and technologies that enhance the development experience and enable seamless workflows. Below are some key tools, technologies, and third-party tools commonly used in Jamstack development.

Static Site Generators (SSGs)

SSGs are at the core of Jamstack development. Popular options include Gatsby, Hugo, Next.js, Jekyll, and Nuxt.js. These tools facilitate the generation of static HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files from templates and content sources, allowing for fast and efficient websites.

Headless CMS

Headless CMS platforms, such as Storyblok, Strapi, Sanity, and Prismic, decouple the content management system from the front end. They provide APIs that allow developers to retrieve and manage content, enabling easy integration with Jamstack sites.

Content APIs

Content APIs allow you to fetch data from various sources dynamically. RESTful APIs and GraphQL APIs are commonly used to retrieve content from headless CMS platforms or other data sources, enabling real-time updates and dynamic content rendering.

Version Control Systems (VCS)

VCS tools like Git are essential for tracking changes, collaborating with teams, and managing code repositories. Platforms like GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket provide hosting services for repositories and enable seamless collaboration.

Serverless Functions

Serverless functions, such as AWS Lambda, Netlify Functions, and Vercel Serverless Functions, enable the execution of server-side code on demand without the need for traditional server infrastructure. They are instrumental in adding dynamic functionality to static sites.

Deployment Platforms

Platforms like Netlify, Vercel, AWS Amplify, and Firebase Hosting provide hosting and deployment services tailored to Jamstack applications. They offer features like continuous integration and deployment (CI/CD), automatic builds, global CDN distribution, and serverless function deployment.

Testing and Automation Tools

Testing frameworks like Jest and Cypress enable automated testing of Jamstack applications. Continuous integration tools like Travis CI and CircleCI can be integrated with deployment platforms to automate testing and deployment processes.

Analytics and Monitoring Tools

Tools such as Google Analytics, Hotjar, and Sentry provide insights into website performance, user behavior, and error tracking. Monitoring tools help identify and address issues promptly.

Payment and E-commerce Tools

Stripe or PayPal, connected via API, allows secure payment processing, subscription management, or automated invoicing services.

Authentication and User Management

Tools like Auth0, Okta, or Firebase Authentication ensure you benefit from user authentication, identity management, and single sign-on capabilities, social logins, role-based access control.

Search Functionality

With search solutions like Algolia, Elasticsearch, or MeiliSearch, you'll be happy with powerful search-as-a-service options with instant and scalable search results that help your visitors to better navigate through your products, services, or content.

Email Delivery and Marketing

SendGrid or Mailchimp will enable transactional and marketing email delivery, offering email marketing campaigns, automation, and audience management.

These are only a few examples of Jamstack enhancement possibilities.

There's one thing to remember here: if any solution sends an API, your Jamstack website will easily use it to enrich the user experience or automate processes for your team. It's your call!

Real-World Jamstack Examples - The Impact of Jamstack on Various Industries

Jamstack can transform businesses across different industries, ranging from e-commerce, marketing, and gastronomy to SaaS, health & beauty, and beyond.

Just take a look at our actual projects that showcase the power of Jamstack in delivering high-performance, scalable, and secure web experiences for our clients.

SaaS

Urban.co is a UK-based convenient app and web service that brings the spa and clinic experience right to your home in 60 minutes.

We migrated their website from monolithic to Jamstack architecture, implementing a Storyblok headless CMS along the way. It gave them a great dose of flexibility and modularity they needed for the future development of their platform.

Also, their content management processes improved due to the ease of tackling the localization and collaboration challenges they experienced before starting the switch to Jamstack.

Main results:

• 100% reduction of the web dev team's time needed to manage content

• 1 week needed to finish content processes that previously took a month

• Making the customization and localization of specific sites easier and smoother

E-commerce company website

Best IT stands as a leading partner for digital transformation in the German-speaking / DACH region. With a solid foundation as a digital agency since 2000, they have earned their reputation as pioneers in the e-commerce domain.

We used the Jamstack approach to speed up the performance of their website and, as a result, support their SEO presence. This was coupled with refreshing the designs and UX they provided us with. We transformed them into easily modifiable, modular blocks that can be arranged accordingly by their content marketers, without the development team's involvement.

Main results:

• Quicker adding changes to the website's front end

• More control over SEO strategy

• Facile scaling up through the use of API and third-party solutions

Gastronomy

Etno Cafe's website belongs to a Polish coffee concept and comprises a network of coffee shops, a roastery, and a cold brewery. Originating in Wroclaw 10 years ago, the brand has grown to become one of Poland's most prominent coffee names, with plans to expand its presence internationally soon.

By creating a brand new Jamstack website, we gave them more security they required as their previous WordPress-based platform had many points of failure. We also equipped their marketing team with a comfortable headless CMS, Sanity, to edit the website's content quickly and seamlessly.

Main results:

• Stability and security thanks to using a content delivery network (Cloudflare in this case)

• The new, fresh design transformed into composable architecture components that are easy to modify and rearrange

• Broader reach as the website was created by all accessibility requirements

Future Trends and Possibilities With Jamstack Architecture

Jamstack architecture has gained significant traction, and its future looks promising with exciting trends and possibilities on the horizon. Here are some key trends to keep an eye on:

Increased Adoption

The popularity of Jamstack continues to grow as more developers and organizations recognize its benefits. Increased adoption will lead to a larger ecosystem, better tooling, and broader community support.

Data shows its growing popularity – there were 100% more websites created in Jamstack in 2022 than in 2020, and the number of developers with less than one year of experience more than tripled in the same time.

Advancements in Static Site Generators

Static site generators will continue to evolve, offering more powerful features, improved developer experience, and enhanced performance. Expect new releases, frameworks, and plugins that simplify complex workflows and enable seamless integration with modern technologies. This is already happening: take a look at our Next.js and Gatsby comparison, in which we tracked their evolution.

Headless Commerce

Jamstack & ecommerce? It's a perfect combination, and headless commerce platforms will play a crucial role in the future. Expect the emergence of specialized headless commerce solutions that seamlessly integrate with Jamstack, providing robust e-commerce capabilities while maintaining the benefits of static site delivery.

Integration with Serverless Functions

Serverless functions are a powerful tool within the Jamstack architecture. In the future, expect more integrations and advancements in serverless technology, enabling developers to build complex and dynamic functionality while leveraging the scalability and cost-effectiveness of serverless computing.

Improved Developer Tooling

As Jamstack gains traction, the developer tooling landscape will continue to expand. Expect new and improved developer tools, extensions, and integrations that streamline workflows, simplify deployment processes, and enhance developer productivity.

Increased Focus on Security

Jamstack's inherent security benefits make it an attractive choice for organizations concerned about data protection and privacy. Future trends will focus on strengthening security measures, including improved authentication and authorization mechanisms, vulnerability scanning tools, and enhanced security practices.

The Emergence of Jamstack-focused Hosting Providers

With the rise of Jamstack, specialized hosting providers will likely emerge, catering specifically to the unique requirements of Jamstack websites. These providers will offer tailored services, optimized configurations, and seamless integration with popular static site generators and CMS platforms.

Expansion of Jamstack Community and Knowledge Sharing

The Jamstack community will continue to grow and thrive. Expect more conferences, meetups, online communities, and resources dedicated to Jamstack development. Knowledge sharing will play a crucial role in driving innovation and pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved with the Jamstack architecture.

By keeping up with these trends and exploring the possibilities they present, developers can stay at the forefront of Jamstack development and leverage its potential to build fast, scalable, and secure web applications. Embracing the future of Jamstack will empower developers to deliver exceptional digital experiences and meet the evolving needs of modern web development.

Jamstack Website Pricing - A Breakdown of Key Cost Factors

Based on our experience, the average cost to build a Jamstack website falls around $11,000, with development time typically clocking in at 200 hours. However, this is just a baseline – more complex projects with advanced features will naturally require a higher investment.

Each element affects the final price but in Jamstack there are several important components you need to consider when making financial estimates.

Project scope

First of all, to get an accurate estimate of web development costs, you need to know exactly what are your needs and requirements:

• How you want your website to look like — the layout, theme, pictures, graphics, animations, number of pages, in other words, the design.

• What additional features do you need? Some of the frequently requested functionalities include an SSL certificate, integration with other tools like live chat, contact form, admin panel, and other smallish elements.

• What is your budget?

• What niche does your business operate in?

• Do you want a static website (e.g. a personal blog or portfolio) or a dynamic environment that allows users to freely move around the site and use its features (most suitable for e-commerce)?

The strategy will differ for every job but you need to have clear guidelines so your contractor knows how to plan their work.

Dev team

When you know what you want, you can hire a team of specialists who will provide you with professional services. Depending on your needs, you'll need:

• Front-end developers: the front-end is the visual layer that visitors see whenever they enter your page. Front-end devs who use Jamstack need to know what's behind the HTML files and how to work in this specific environment.

• Back-end developers: need to know JavaScript, how to program databases, and everything that's behind the visuals.

• Designers: will ensure the right UI and UX so the end product is fully functional and user-friendly.

• Illustrators and graphics: will be responsible for all graphics, illustrations, animations, pictures, and other visual elements.

• Copywriters and content specialists: will take care of all texts on your site. It's especially important for SEO and organic traffic.

• A project manager: who will supervise the workflow, bring people together, and oversee changes.

You can either outsource agencies that offer professional Jamstack development services or put together your team of Jamstack developers.

Tech stack

The tools you choose for your Jamstack project significantly impact performance and scalability. Here's a breakdown of the essential components:

• JavaScript Frameworks: These provide structure and functionality for your website's front-end behavior (what users see and interact with). Popular options include React, Next.js, Gatsby, and Nuxt.js.

• Static Site Generators (SSGs): These tools pre-render your website's HTML, resulting in fast loading times and improved SEO. Popular SSGs include Gatsby, Hugo, Jekyll, and Eleventy.

• Headless CMS Options: These content management systems allow you to manage your website's content (text, images, etc.) separately from the front-end code. This flexibility is a core principle of Jamstack.

Here's the pricing comparison of some popular Headless CMS options:

Average Cost of Jamstack Development - Project Pricing Examples

Let's look at the real-life examples. Below, we present a few projects we've developed for our clients. The pricing differs depending on the scope of work and we divided it into three categories:

1. Development

2. Design + animations + dev

3. Entire project = copy + design+ dev

Take a look at what it may cost if you decide to outsource the services. Note that the Jamstack price is lower than when you decide to do it on your own.

Example 1: Development for BGL

Approach: Agile - we had more or less a fixed scope, but some elements were changed on the go, as we could improve them straight away.

Core assumption: Most of the pages needed to be editable through a content management system by non-technical employees, we picked Storyblok CMS so the customer can create new blocks of content and manipulate them on the website through the CMS. We were cooperating with a designer responsible for creating the designs and animations.

Example 2: Dajemy Slowo - design + animations + dev

Approach: We worked in an Agile approach, with weekly reporting, and changing the plan depending on the actual scope.

Core assumptions: This site was supposed to be very fast, performant, and SEO-friendly. Also, we were to change the WordPress part for a headless CMS. In the end, we delivered a great result which took dajemyslowo.com to a higher level.

Example 3: Etno Cafe - all project: copy + design + dev

Approach: Agile

This project was based on copywriting, so the designs needed to emphasize it. The client shared with us his Brand Identity and preferred approach to the visuals, giving us, more or less, a free hand as to what the website should look like. The effect is a very performant and SEO-friendly site, even considering the huge amount of graphics on photographs visible on the site.

Recap – Embracing The Future With Jamstack

Although some state that the JAM in Jamstack is already a thing of the past, these are still the core concepts behind the platform. It constantly evolves and gives you many possibilities. Undoubtedly, it's an out-of-the-box architecture that lets you create modern static sites with a full dynamic experience.

Now that you know what Jamstack is, how it works, and what you can do with it, you can choose whether it's the right solution for you. We encourage you to build your website using Jamstack, and if you're not sure whether you’re on the right track, Naturaily is here to help!

We're an eCommerce & web development company that's been offering solutions for over 10 years now. If you need any assistance with creating well-performing, freely custom-made websites or web apps, feel free to contact us!