Hugo is one of the best static site generators there is - fast builds, great for large content sites. But it builds: every change means regenerate and deploy, and the output is purely static, so forms or sign-in need a separate service. lazysite renders on request and caches, with dynamic features built in - no build step, no deploy pipeline.

Feature	lazysite	Hugo
Architecture
Content format	Plain Markdown files you own	Markdown, compiled to static files
Build step	None - renders on request, caches the result	Yes - rebuild the whole site on every change
Database	None - files only	None - files only
Footprint	Tiny - one CGI script plus Perl modules from your distro	Small - a single Go binary; static output
Capabilities
Dynamic content	Server-side templating, remote data, query parameters	Static only - needs external JavaScript services
Built-in forms, auth & payments	All built in (forms, sign-in, x402 pay-per-read)	External services only
AI-first management	Built for it - agents edit over WebDAV, an API or MCP	Edit the source, then build and deploy
Memberships & paid content	Pay-per-read (x402) and per-user access	External services only
Design & experience
Themes & customisation	Layout plus theme tokens - one file to re-skin	Large theme ecosystem (Go templates)
Editing experience	Markdown files, a simple manager, or an AI agent	Markdown files plus a build step
Hosting & operations
Hosting	Any CGI host, or its own built-in server	Any static host or CDN
Performance	Cached static HTML after the first hit	Pre-built static files
Backup	Copy the files - nothing else to dump	Copy the source files - nothing else
Migration & portability	Move the folder anywhere - plain files	Move the source folder - plain files
Maintenance & security surface	Small - static files, no database, a compact codebase	Minimal at runtime - static output
Cost	Free, with minimal hosting	Free; cheap static hosting

Coming from Hugo

Your Markdown and front matter come across almost unchanged - the real difference is that you stop running a build and a deploy. If you liked Hugo being file-based but not the generate-then-ship loop, lazysite is the natural next step: same content, live on save, with dynamic features when you want them.

When Hugo still wins

Massive content sites where build-time generation shines, teams already invested in the Hugo/CI pipeline, or when you specifically want a pure static artifact to host on a CDN.

When lazysite wins

When you would rather edit and have it live than build and deploy, and want dynamic features - forms, auth, search, feeds - without standing up a backend.

Ready to try it? Install lazysite in minutes.