What is the difference between CSR, SSR, and SSG?

CSR (Client-Side Rendering), SSR (Server-Side Rendering), and SSG (Static Site Generation) are web rendering strategies differing by where the HTML is generated: in the browser (CSR) after JS loads, on the server for each request (SSR), or ahead of time during build (SSG), impacting performance, SEO, and interactivity; CSR offers high interactivity but poor initial SEO, SSR balances SEO & speed with server load, while SSG provides blazing speed & SEO via pre-built static files but less dynamic data.

CSR – Client-Side Rendering

How it works : The server sends a minimal HTML file ,JavaScript loads in the browser .React/Vue builds the UI in the browser.

Flow : Request → Empty HTML → JS loads → UI renders

Pros : Rich interactivity , Good for dashboards & web apps , Reduces server load

Cons :Slower first load ,  Poor SEO without extra work ,  Blank screen until JS loads

Best for : Admin dashboards ,CRM systems (like ResonateCRM) , Authenticated apps

SSR – Server-Side Rendering

How it works : Page is rendered on the server for every request ,Fully built HTML is sent to the browser , JavaScript hydrates the page.

Flow : Request → Server renders HTML → Browser displays → JS hydrates

Pros: Faster first paint ,  Excellent SEO , Content visible immediately

Cons : Higher server cost , Slower response under heavy traffic

Best for : SEO-heavy pages , E-commerce product pages , News & content sites

SSG – Static Site Generation

How it works : Pages are generated at build time , Served as static HTML files via CDN

Flow : Build time → HTML generated → CDN serves files

Pros :  Fastest performance : Best SEO , Very secure , Cheap hosting

Cons :  Content changes require rebuild , Not ideal for real-time data

Best for : Landing pages , Blogs & documentation , Marketing websites