Static and dynamic web servers primarily differ in content delivery. A static web server directly serves the hosted files to a browser without modification. In contrast, a dynamic web server, composed of a web server and additional software such as an application server and database, has the capability to update hosted files before their delivery to a browser. The application server modifies the content as per user request, and the web server generates content when the database requests it. This process, though more complex, adds a layer of flexibility to content rendering.