WordPress vs. Angular: Why I Built My Site With Zero Backend

When I started building AllTheTools.dev, I had a decision to make. Go with WordPress like everyone else, or build something different with Angular.

I chose Angular. And honestly, it's one of the best decisions I made for this project.

Let me explain why.

The Bottom Line

I built AllTheTools.dev with Angular instead of WordPress because I wanted complete control, zero technical debt, and no database to manage. My blog runs entirely on JSON files—no CMS, no plugins, no backend. The site loads instantly, requires almost no maintenance, and has a minimal attack surface. This approach isn't for everyone (you need real development experience), but if you have the skills, it's worth considering over a traditional CMS.

Why I Chose Angular Over WordPress: Quick Summary

• Complete control – Every line of code is mine, no plugins or themes to work around
• Zero technical debt – No database, no server-side code, no constant security patches
• JSON-powered blog – Posts are simple JSON files, no CMS required
• Built-in performance – Static files load instantly, no caching plugins needed
• Minimal security surface – No database to hack, no login page to brute force, no plugin vulnerabilities
• Full portability – JSON files can move anywhere, no database exports or migrations

Complete Control Over Everything

With Angular, I own every line of code. Every component, every feature, every pixel on the screen - it's all mine.

WordPress is great for a lot of people. Actually, it's great for about 43% of the entire Internet - over 450 million sites run WordPress. But it comes with baggage.

You're working within someone else's framework. You're dealing with themes that almost do what you want. You're installing plugins to fill gaps. And then those plugins conflict with each other or slow your site down.

The minute I become dependent on someone else for my functionality, I've already crossed a line I don't want to cross.

I didn't want to deal with that. I wanted to build exactly what I needed, nothing more and nothing less. Angular gave me that freedom.

When I need to add a feature, I just add it. No searching through plugin directories. No hoping someone else built what I need. No worrying about whether a third-party developer will keep their code updated. Zero dollars spent on monthly subscriptions.

It's just me and the code. That's it.

Almost Zero Technical Debt

Here's the thing about WordPress: it requires constant maintenance.

You're updating the core platform, the themes, the plugins. And you're praying those updates don't break your site. I've seen WordPress sites go down because a plugin update conflicted with the theme. I've watched people spend hours troubleshooting compatibility issues.

There's front-end, back-end, the database, and while those things are now pretty well adjusted for low-level technical folks, it's just too damned much for me.

I want to be able to launch my site and know for a fact that barring something out of my control, like Cloudflare going down, or my host's infrastructure taking a nosedive, my site will be running in 1 year, 5 years, probably more without a single iota of maintenance involved.

With Angular, I don't deal with any of that.

My site is front-end only. There's no database to manage, no server-side code to maintain, no security patches every other day. The technical debt is precisely zero.

Sure, I update Angular occasionally. But those updates are straightforward. And because I control the codebase, I know exactly what will break and how to fix it. There are no surprises.

This means I spend my time building features, not maintaining infrastructure.

A JSON-Powered Blog Changes Everything

People assume you need a CMS like WordPress to run a blog. You don't.

My blog runs on JSON files. Each post is a simple JSON object with a title, date, content, and metadata. Angular reads those files and renders them on the site.

It's clean. It's fast. And it works perfectly for what I need.

I write posts in markdown, convert them to JSON, and drop them in a folder. No database queries. No admin panel. No bloated editor. Just files.

I use prerendering to make all pages and posts on my site social media friendly, so that og-meta tags show up, Twitter renders my previews correctly, and Pinterest won't balk at posting something without meta tags.

And because everything is static, the site loads instantly. There's no backend processing. No database calls. The browser gets the JSON, Angular renders it, and the user sees the content. Done.

This approach also makes the site incredibly portable. If I ever want to move hosting providers or change how the blog works, I just grab my JSON files and go. No database exports. No migration plugins. No headaches.

Performance That Actually Matters

WordPress sites can be fast. But they require work to get there. You need caching plugins. You need CDN setup. You need to optimize database queries and clean up bloated themes.

With a front-end only Angular site, performance is built in.

There's no server processing. Everything loads from static files. Modern browsers are insanely good at handling this. The result is a site that feels instant.

Users don't wait for pages to load. They click, and the content appears. That's the experience I wanted to create.

Security Is Simpler

WordPress is a massive target for hackers. It's the most popular CMS in the world, which means it's constantly under attack. Even if you keep everything updated, there's always some plugin vulnerability waiting to be exploited.

My Angular site doesn't have those problems.

There's no database to hack. No login page to brute force. No server-side code to exploit. The attack vector surface is practically microscopic.

Sure, I still need to secure my hosting and use HTTPS. But I'm not dealing with the constant stream of WordPress security issues. That peace of mind is worth a lot.

The Trade-Offs Are Real

I'm not going to pretend this approach works for everyone. It doesn't.

Let's be clear: this isn't a one-to-one comparison. Angular requires a lot of development experience. You need to understand JavaScript, TypeScript, component architecture, routing, and a bunch of other concepts that WordPress just handles for you.

If you're not already a developer, the learning curve is steep. Really steep.

But if you have the dev chops, or you're willing to invest the time to learn, it's probably worth it. And it doesn't have to be Angular specifically. Vue.js or React would give you similar benefits. The framework matters less than the approach: front-end only, JSON-powered, no database.

If you need a lot of dynamic content or user accounts, WordPress might make more sense. If you're not comfortable writing code, a traditional CMS is probably easier.

But for AllTheTools.dev, this was the right call.

I wanted a fast, simple site that I could control completely. I didn't want to deal with plugins, databases, or constant maintenance. And I definitely didn't want technical debt piling up.

Angular gave me all of that.

Would I Do It Again?

Absolutely.

Building AllTheTools.dev with Angular was more work upfront. I had to write more code than I would have with WordPress. But that initial effort paid off.

Now I have a site that loads fast, requires almost no maintenance, and does exactly what I need. I don't worry about updates breaking things. I don't stress about security vulnerabilities. I just build features and ship them.

That's the kind of development experience I wanted, and Angular delivered.

You're on the site right now. Look around. Check out the tools, browse the blog, see how everything works. This is what an Angular project can look like when you build it from scratch. Fast, clean, and exactly what it needs to be.

If you're thinking about building a site and you're comfortable with code, consider going front-end only. It's not for everyone, but it might be exactly what you need.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you build a blog without WordPress?

Yes. I run my blog entirely on JSON files rendered by Angular. Each post is a JSON object with title, date, content, and metadata. There's no database, no admin panel, no CMS. I write in markdown, convert to JSON, and drop the file in a folder. It's fast, portable, and requires zero backend infrastructure.

Is Angular better than WordPress?

It depends on your skills and needs. WordPress is easier if you're not a developer—it powers 43% of the web for good reason. But if you're comfortable with JavaScript/TypeScript and want complete control over your site, a front-end framework like Angular (or React or Vue) eliminates plugin conflicts, database management, and most security concerns. The trade-off is a steeper learning curve and more upfront development work.

What is a front-end only website?

A front-end only website (also called a static site or JAMstack site) has no server-side processing or database. Everything is rendered in the browser from static files. This makes the site faster, more secure, and easier to maintain. You can still have dynamic-feeling features—you just handle them with JavaScript instead of server-side code.

How do you run a blog without a database?

Store your content in flat files like JSON or markdown. Your framework reads these files and renders them as HTML. There's no database queries, no CMS backend, no admin login. When you want to publish a new post, you just add a new file. This approach works well for personal blogs, portfolios, and documentation sites.

Is a static site faster than WordPress?

Generally, yes. WordPress requires server processing and database queries for every page load (unless heavily cached). A static site serves pre-built files directly to the browser—no processing, no queries. Modern browsers handle this extremely efficiently. The result is near-instant page loads without caching plugins or CDN optimization.

Is WordPress secure?

WordPress can be secure, but it requires constant vigilance. It's the most popular CMS in the world, which makes it a massive target. You need to keep the core, themes, and plugins updated, and even then, plugin vulnerabilities are common. A front-end only site eliminates most of these attack vectors—there's no database to breach, no login page to brute force, and no server-side code to exploit.

What are the downsides of building a site with Angular instead of WordPress?

The main downside is the learning curve. You need to understand JavaScript, TypeScript, component architecture, routing, and build tools. WordPress handles all of that for you. Angular also requires more upfront development time—you're building features from scratch instead of installing plugins. If you need user accounts, e-commerce, or lots of dynamic content, a traditional CMS might be more practical.

Can I use React or Vue instead of Angular for a static blog?

Absolutely. The framework matters less than the approach. React (with Next.js or Gatsby) and Vue (with Nuxt) can both power JSON-driven static blogs. The benefits are the same: no database, fast performance, full control, minimal maintenance. Pick whichever framework you're most comfortable with.

What is technical debt in web development?

Technical debt is the accumulated cost of shortcuts, outdated code, and maintenance overhead. With WordPress, technical debt builds up through plugin updates, theme conflicts, database bloat, and security patches. A front-end only site with no dependencies has almost zero technical debt—there's nothing to update except the framework itself, and those updates are predictable and straightforward.