Key takeaways
- A tech stack is the set of tools a site runs on: the front end, the CMS, hosting and integrations.
- Most business sites use a hosted builder, WordPress, Webflow, a headless setup or, for shops, Shopify. Each suits a different site and team.
- Headless separates the CMS from the website, giving design freedom, speed and content that can be reused elsewhere.
- Start with what the site has to do, who will update it, what it connects to and how it needs to grow. Only then choose the technology that fits.
- AI coding tools have defaults. They're a starting point, and the stack decision should still be made deliberately.
Every website and web app sits on a set of technologies: something to build the pages, somewhere to keep the content, somewhere to host it all. Together they're called the tech stack, and the choice shapes how fast the site is, how easy it is to update, what it costs to run and how far it can grow.
It's also a decision that's easy to get wrong, because most people only make it once every few years. Here's how to think it through without needing to be a developer.
What is a tech stack?
A tech stack is the combination of tools and services a website or app is built and run on. For most sites that means a front end (what visitors see), a content management system (where your team edits content), hosting (where it lives) and any integrations, such as forms, payments, analytics or a CRM.
Some platforms bundle all of these together. Others let you choose each part separately. That difference is the first big decision.
What are the main options for a website?
Most business websites end up on one of four kinds of stack: a hosted website builder, WordPress, a visual platform like Webflow, or a headless setup where a modern front end is paired with a separate CMS. Online shops add a fifth, ecommerce platforms like Shopify. Each suits a different kind of site and team.
| Best for | Watch out for | |
|---|---|---|
| Hosted builder (Wix, Squarespace) | Small, simple sites that need to be live quickly | Limited flexibility, and hard to move away from |
| WordPress | Content-heavy sites with a familiar editor | Plugin sprawl, security updates and slower pages if not maintained |
| Webflow | Marketing sites where designers want visual control | Costs rise with scale, and complex logic is limited |
| Headless (e.g. Next.js with Sanity) | Fast, distinctive sites with structured content and integrations | Needs a developer to set up and extend |
| Shopify | Online shops of most sizes | Custom functionality often relies on paid apps |
What does headless mean?
Headless means the content management system and the website itself are separate. Your team edits content in the CMS, and the website pulls it in and displays it however the design needs. Because the two aren't tied together, the front end can be built for speed and design freedom, and the same content can feed a website, an app or anything else.
This site works that way: it's built with Next.js and its content is managed in Sanity. That lets us design every page without template limits, while keeping the editing simple for whoever updates it.
What's different about a web app?
A web app does things for logged-in users rather than just presenting information: dashboards, portals, booking systems, tools. That usually means a database, user accounts, permissions and business logic, so the stack is chosen more like software than a website. Frameworks such as Next.js, a database and a reliable hosting platform are a common starting point.
Many businesses need both: a marketing site to win customers and an app or portal to serve them. They can share a design system and sometimes a codebase, but they have different jobs and the stack should reflect that.
How do you choose the right tech stack?
Start with what the site has to do, who will run it and how it needs to grow, then choose the stack that fits. Picking technology first and fitting the business around it is how sites end up hard to update, expensive to change or rebuilt within a couple of years.
Questions to answer before choosing a stack
- What is the site's job?Presenting information, generating leads, selling products or serving logged-in users all point to different stacks.
- Who will update it, and how often?A marketing team publishing weekly needs a different editor from a site that changes twice a year.
- How important is design freedom?If the brand needs to stand out, avoid stacks that lock you into templates.
- What does it need to connect to?CRMs, booking tools, payment providers, product data or internal systems.
- How much will it grow?More pages, more traffic, new languages, an app later on.
- What will it cost to run?Hosting, licences, plugins or apps, and maintenance, over three years rather than one.
- Who will look after it?An in-house developer, an agency or nobody. Be honest, because it changes the answer.
What about speed, security and SEO?
All three depend more on how a stack is set up and maintained than on the name of the platform. That said, some stacks make them easier. Static and server-rendered front ends tend to be fast by default, fewer plugins means fewer security holes, and full control over the page structure makes technical SEO simpler.
- Speed. Fast pages help rankings (opens Google Search Central in a new tab) and conversions. Ask how pages are rendered and how images are handled.
- Security. Every plugin, theme and integration is something to keep updated. Fewer moving parts is safer.
- SEO. Check you control URLs, metadata, redirects, sitemaps and structured data without workarounds.
- Accessibility. The stack won't make a site accessible on its own, but it shouldn't get in the way.
Should AI influence which stack you choose?
It's worth knowing that AI coding tools have defaults. Ask one to start a project and it will usually reach for whatever is most common in its training data. That's often a reasonable choice, but it's a starting point, not a decision. The right stack still comes from your requirements, and someone needs to make that call deliberately.
AI works best on a stack that's well documented and widely used, because it has seen more of it. That's a fair factor to weigh. It shouldn't outweigh what the business actually needs.
The best stack is the one that fits how your business works, not the one that was quickest to start.
Can you change your tech stack later?
Yes, but it's rarely free. Content can usually be moved, and the domain and brand come with you, but the site itself often needs rebuilding. Plan redirects from the old URLs so search rankings carry over. Choosing carefully at the start, with the next few years in mind, is far cheaper than migrating later.
If you're weighing a builder against a bespoke site, AI Website Builders vs Custom Development covers that choice in more depth.
Where does design fit into the decision?
Earlier than most people expect. The design and the content structure tell you what the stack needs to support: how flexible the layouts are, how content is organised, what the editors need to do. Deciding those first, as we set out in Building a Website with AI: Why Good Design Still Comes First, means the technology serves the brand rather than limiting it.
So, which tech stack is right for you?
There's no single best stack, only the right fit. A simple site with a small team might be perfectly served by a builder. A content-heavy site might suit WordPress or a headless CMS. A distinctive brand that needs speed, flexibility and integrations will usually be best on a modern headless setup. Decide what the site has to do and who will run it, and the stack follows.
Frequently asked questions
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