WordPress vs. a custom website: which is right for your business?
WordPress, Shopify or a custom build. The real pros and cons of each option, without the fanboyism, so you can choose based on your business.
By Mariano Brandolini · · 4 min read
When you’re getting a website built, sooner or later the question comes up: WordPress or something custom? Some people defend one option like it’s their favorite sports team. We work with different technologies and we think the answer depends on the business.
Here’s what each option is, where it shines and where it falls short.
What each option is
WordPress is a content management system. It’s installed on a server, you add a template (a theme) and you extend it with plugins. It’s hugely popular and has an enormous community.
Shopify and similar platforms are services where you pay a subscription and get a ready-made store to configure. They’re built for selling.
A custom website is built with code designed for your project. Today there are modern tools, like Astro, that produce very lightweight, fast sites. In fact, this very website is built that way.
When WordPress makes sense
WordPress makes sense when:
- You’ll publish content often and want to do it yourself without depending on anyone: news, a very active blog or many pages that change.
- You need a very common feature that already exists as a reliable plugin: memberships, forums or courses.
- Several people on your team will edit the site with different permissions.
What to keep in mind
Flexibility comes at a cost. Every plugin is third-party code that needs updating, and many attacks exploit outdated plugins. On top of that, a generic theme with several plugins usually loads a lot of code your site doesn’t use, which makes it slower.
A well-maintained WordPress site works very well. An abandoned one becomes slow and insecure over time. More on this in what your website needs after launch.
When a platform like Shopify makes sense
If your business is mainly about selling products, an e-commerce platform saves you from solving payments, inventory, shipping and security from scratch. The Stormcrest Games store, for example, runs on Shopify: it makes sense because the focus is the catalog and the sale.
The trade-off is a monthly subscription, and some extra features cost more.
When a custom website makes sense
A custom site is ideal when:
- Your website is mainly about presenting your business: a service business, a professional practice or a company that needs to explain what it does and receive inquiries.
- Speed and search ranking matter a lot, because you’re competing on Google with other businesses in your area.
- You don’t want to keep track of plugin updates or security issues.
- You need something specific that no plugin handles well.
What to keep in mind
To change text often, a custom site may need an admin panel, or someone who makes the changes for you. For many service businesses that’s not an issue: the site changes a few times a year, and it’s more valuable for it to be fast, secure and cheap to maintain.
A quick comparison
| WordPress | Shopify | Custom | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Editing content yourself | Very easy | Easy | Depends on the project |
| Speed | Depends on theme and plugins | Good | Excellent |
| Technical maintenance | Frequent | Handled by the platform | Low |
| Best for | Content-heavy sites | Stores | Service businesses |
Questions to help you decide
Before choosing, answer these:
- How often will you change the content? Once a month or every day?
- Do you sell products online, or do you want people to contact you?
- Who will take care of updates and security?
- How important is it to rank well on Google against your competitors?
If you change content rarely, want inquiries and want to show up on Google, a custom site is usually the best fit. If you publish every day or sell hundreds of products, a platform like WordPress or Shopify may make more sense.
What really matters
The client who lands on your website doesn’t care what it’s built with. They care that it loads fast, makes sense and makes it easy to contact you. Technology is the means, not the goal.
If you already have a site and you’re torn between improving it or migrating, redesign or start over may help. And if you’d like a recommendation for your case, get in touch: we’ll tell you straight what we’d use and why.