WordPress, website builders or custom code: which website fits?

Hosted website builders

Platforms such as Wix, Squarespace, Webflow and Shopify host the site for you and provide a visual editor. Security updates, hosting and backups are handled by the platform. They are a good fit for small businesses, portfolios, simple stores and anyone who wants to edit pages without code.

The trade-offs are monthly fees and limits. You work within the platform's features and templates, and moving to another platform later can be difficult. Freelancers who specialize in one platform often work fastest. See our guides to Wix, Squarespace, Webflow and Shopify.

WordPress

WordPress is open-source software that you install on your own hosting. It is very flexible, with thousands of themes and plugins, and many freelancers know it well. It suits blogs, business sites, membership sites and stores with WooCommerce.

The flexibility comes with responsibility. Someone needs to keep WordPress, themes and plugins updated, manage backups and watch security. Many owners hire a freelancer for ongoing website maintenance.

Custom-coded websites

A custom website is built from code for your needs. It can do almost anything and can be very fast, but every change needs a developer. Custom development makes sense for web applications, unusual features, high performance needs or tight integration with other systems. It is usually unnecessary for a simple business site.

Side-by-side comparison

Questions to help you decide

• Who will update the site after launch, and how technical are they?
• Do you need special features, such as bookings, memberships or integrations?
• How much can you spend each month on hosting, plugins or subscriptions?
• Who will handle updates, backups and security?
• How likely are you to move platforms later?

Who to hire for each option

For a website builder, look for a freelancer who specializes in that platform and can show live sites built with it. They will know its limits and the apps or add-ons that fill common gaps. For WordPress, ask which themes and plugins they use, how they handle speed and security and whether they offer maintenance after launch. For a custom site, look for a developer or small team with experience in the technology you are considering, and ask how the code will be documented so another developer could take over later.

In every case, ask to see the admin area of a site they built, not just the front end. An admin area that is tidy and easy to understand is a good sign that you will be able to manage your site yourself.

Planning for growth

Think about where the site might be in two or three years. A small brochure site might grow into a store, a booking system or a membership area. Choosing a platform that can grow with you avoids a costly rebuild. If you are unsure, describe your plans to two or three freelancers and compare their recommendations and the reasons behind them.

Speed and search visibility

All three options can produce fast, search-friendly websites, but they get there differently. Builders handle much of the technical side automatically. WordPress depends on the theme, plugins and hosting chosen, so ask the freelancer how they keep pages fast. Custom sites can be the fastest of all, but only if the developer plans for it. Whichever you choose, ask for basic search settings, such as page titles and descriptions, to be set up before launch.

Keep ownership of the basics

Whatever you choose, register the domain, hosting and platform accounts in your own name and give the freelancer access. Ask for a short handover document with logins you control, plugins or apps used and how to make common edits. This protects you if you change freelancers later.