WordPress powers about 40% of the web. It's proven, it has a massive plugin ecosystem, and millions of developers know it. So why do we generally steer new clients toward custom-built sites? It comes down to what you're actually paying for over time — not just the upfront build cost.
What "custom built" actually means
When we say custom built, we mean a site written from scratch using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript — or a lightweight framework like Next.js or Astro — without a content management system powering it under the hood. The code is clean, purposeful, and contains nothing you didn't ask for.
This website — devtechllc.com — is a custom-built static site. It loads in under a second, costs nearly nothing to host, and hasn't needed a security patch in its existence. That's the baseline we're comparing against.
The WordPress tax
WordPress sites come with ongoing overhead that most businesses don't fully anticipate when they start:
- Plugin updates — most WordPress sites rely on 15–30 plugins. Each one needs regular updates, and any update can break something else. We've inherited plenty of broken WordPress sites from clients who didn't keep up.
- Security vulnerabilities — WordPress is the most targeted CMS on the internet by a wide margin. A site you don't actively maintain can be compromised within months. This isn't theoretical; it happens constantly.
- Performance overhead — out of the box, WordPress is slow. Making it fast requires a caching plugin, a CDN, image optimization plugins, database caching, and careful theme selection. Every one of those layers adds maintenance burden.
- Hosting costs — WordPress requires PHP hosting with a MySQL database. A static site can run for free or near-free on Cloudflare Pages, Netlify, or Vercel. The gap is $0 vs. $15–50/month, forever.
- Theme bloat — premium WordPress themes like Divi or Elementor generate mountains of inefficient HTML and CSS. The sites look fine in a browser but are a nightmare to customize or debug.
Page speed and SEO
Google has made page speed a ranking factor, and it shows. A typical optimized custom static site will score 95–100 on Google PageSpeed Insights. A typical WordPress site, even a well-maintained one, often scores 50–75 without significant effort.
This matters for SEO. A faster site ranks better, has lower bounce rates, and creates a better first impression. When a visitor lands on your site and it loads in 400ms versus 2.5 seconds, the conversion difference is real.
When custom makes sense
For most business websites — the ones that need to look great, load fast, and clearly communicate what you do — a custom-built site is simpler and cheaper to maintain long-term:
- Near-perfect page speed scores out of the box
- Zero plugin dependencies or update loops
- Dramatically better security surface (no CMS = no CMS attacks)
- Lower or zero hosting costs on modern static hosting platforms
- Complete design flexibility without fighting a theme
- Easier for developers to maintain and audit
When WordPress still makes sense
We're not anti-WordPress. It's still the right choice in specific situations:
- You need a blog or news site with multiple authors and a formal editorial workflow
- Your team has non-technical editors who need a CMS to manage content daily, and you can't use a headless alternative
- You have an existing WordPress site that works well and just needs updates or migrations — rewriting isn't always the right answer
- You need a specific plugin that solves a complex problem (WooCommerce for a certain niche, for example) without a good custom alternative
What about Shopify for e-commerce?
E-commerce is its own category. For most online stores, Shopify is the right call over WooCommerce — it's a purpose-built e-commerce platform with better payment processing, better security, and a more predictable cost structure. WooCommerce (WordPress + plugin) works but carries all the same WordPress maintenance overhead, plus the complexity of running a store.
Our recommendation
For new projects, start with a custom build unless you have a specific reason not to. You'll end up with a faster, more secure site that's cheaper to maintain and easier to evolve. If you do need WordPress (or WordPress migration or updates), we handle that too — just with clear eyes about what you're getting into.
Curious what a custom site would cost for your business? See our website packages starting at $1,500, or get a custom quote.
Related resources
- Our web development services — custom builds, Shopify, and WordPress work
- Website pricing packages — starting at $1,500
- How we estimate project costs