Astro is a return to the fundamentals of the web
After migrating several projects from WordPress to Astro, I’ve become a massive fan of this framework.
What is Astro?
Astro is a web framework that came out in 2021 and immediately felt different. While most JavaScript frameworks started with building complex applications and then tried to adapt to simpler sites, Astro went the opposite direction. It was built from day one for content-focused websites.
The philosophy is refreshingly simple. Astro believes in being content-driven and server-first, shipping zero JavaScript by default (yes, really), while still being easy to use with excellent tooling. It’s like someone finally asked, “What if we built a framework specifically for the types of websites most of us actually make?”
Island architecture
Astro introduced something called “Island Architecture,” and once you understand it, you’ll wonder why we’ve been doing things any other way.
Traditional frameworks hydrate entire pages with JavaScript. Even if you’ve got a simple blog post with one interactive widget, the whole page gets the JavaScript treatment. Astro flips this on its head. Your pages are static HTML by default, and only the bits that need interactivity become JavaScript “islands.”
Picture a blog post with thousands of words of content. In Astro, all that text stays as pure HTML. Only your comment section or image carousel loads JavaScript. Everything else remains lightning fast. It’s brilliantly simple.
Real performance, real impact
Astro sites are fast, we’re talking 40% faster load times compared to traditional React frameworks. But here’s the thing, this isn’t just about impressing other developers. These performance gains translate directly to better search rankings, happier users, and yes, more conversions. On slower devices or dodgy mobile connections, the difference is even more dramatic.
Developer experience that actually delivers
The developer experience in Astro feels like someone actually thought about how we work. Setting up a new project is straightforward, and you’re guided through the process by Houston, their friendly setup assistant.
Components without the complexity
What I love most about Astro components is how they just make sense:
---
// This runs at build time
const { title } = Astro.props;
const posts = await fetchPosts();
---
{title}
{posts.map(post => (
{post.title}
{post.excerpt}
))}
See that code fence at the top? That runs at build time, not in the browser. Your data fetching, your logic – it all happens before the user even loads the page. You get brilliant TypeScript support without any of the complexity of hooks, state management, or lifecycle methods.
Use any framework (or none)
With Astro you’re not locked into a single way of doing things. Need React for a complex form? Chuck it in. Prefer Vue for data visualisation? Go for it. Want to keep most things as simple Astro components? Perfect.
Astro allows you to use React for the admin dashboard components, Vue for some interactive charts, and keep everything else as vanilla Astro. It all just works together seamlessly.
Features that just work
Markdown support in Astro isn’t bolted on as an afterthought. You can import Markdown files directly and use them like components:
---
import { Content, frontmatter } from "../content/post.md";
---
{frontmatter.title}
The build pipeline is modern and complete. TypeScript works out of the box, Sass compilation is built in, images get optimised automatically with Astro’s
You also get flexibility in how pages are rendered. Build everything statically for maximum speed, render on the server for dynamic content, or mix both approaches in the same project. Astro adapts to what you need.
Where Astro really shines
I’ve found Astro perfect for marketing sites, blogs, e-commerce catalogues, and portfolio sites. Basically, anywhere content is the hero and you don’t need complex client-side state management, Astro excels.
The trade-offs
Astro isn’t the answer to everything. If you’re building a complex single-page application (SPA) with lots of client-side routing, need ISR (hello Next.js), or you need heavy state management across components, you’ll probably want something else like Next.js.
The ecosystem is growing but still very small in comparison to something like Next.js. File-based routing can feel constraining on larger projects (though some people love it).
Quick start
Getting started is genuinely simple:
# Create project npm create astro@latest my-site cd my-site # Add a framework if you want npx astro add react # Start developing npm run dev
Put your pages in src/pages/, components in src/components/, and you’re ready to build something great.
Why Astro matters
After years of JavaScript frameworks getting more complex, Astro feels like a breath of fresh air. It’s a return to the fundamentals of the web – fast, accessible, content-first experiences – but with all the modern developer conveniences we’ve come to expect.
What struck me most after migrating several projects is how Astro makes the right thing the easy thing. Want a fast site? That’s the default. Want to add interactivity? Easy, but only where you need it. Want to use your favourite framework? Go ahead, Astro won’t judge.
If you’re building anything content-focused, from a simple blog to a full e-commerce site, give Astro a serious look. Your users will get a faster experience, you’ll enjoy the development process, and your Core Web Vitals will be spectacular.
Note – The website you’re reading this blog from is built with Astro.
