WordPress or a custom website: what's right for your business
An honest comparison of WordPress and a custom static website (Astro, React): speed, security, maintenance, SEO and cost. With a real migration case.
"Can you build my site in WordPress?" It's one of the first things I'm asked. WordPress runs a huge part of the web and makes sense in many cases, but not all. This is the comparison I walk every client through, without overselling either side.
What each one is
- WordPress: a content management system with a database. On every visit the server "assembles" the page with PHP from the database, a theme and the installed plugins.
- Custom static website (built with tools like Astro or prerendered React): pages are generated once and served as ready-made HTML. No database and no admin panel exposed to the internet.
The comparison
| WordPress | Custom static website | |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | Depends on theme and plugins; usually needs caching and tuning | Very fast out of the box |
| Security | Admin panel, plugins and PHP to keep updated; a common attack target | Minimal attack surface |
| Maintenance | Constant core, theme and plugin updates | Almost none |
| Editing content | Very comfortable if you know it | Via a simple panel or text files; a bit less flexible |
| Features | Thousands of plugins for nearly everything | What's needed gets built |
| SEO | Good if well configured | Excellent technical base by default |
The real case: from template WordPress to a static site
The old site of a psychology practice in Vigo was WordPress with a bought template. Its problems were very typical:
- Template demo pages indexed on Google, in English: a fake team, a pricing table, a shop… none of them theirs.
- An outdated WordPress on the server with the admin login responding. On a health site, that's a serious risk.
- Slowness from the heavy template.
The new static site with Astro: 0.4-second load, 1.1 MB for the whole site, 100 in accessibility, best practices and SEO, and nothing to update every week. Without losing rankings, because the URLs were kept (see how to rebuild your website without losing rankings).
When I'd choose WordPress
- You'll publish lots of content and several people will edit it daily.
- You need a very specific feature that a mature plugin already solves.
- You already have a WordPress site that works well and is maintained.
When I'd choose a custom site
- A site for a professional, clinic, law firm or SMB with a few dozen pages.
- You care about speed and security and don't want to chase updates.
- You want the best technical SEO base without fighting plugins.
- You need something no plugin does well.
And the price?
A template WordPress can be cheaper upfront, but add maintenance, paid plugins and the cost of fixing things when they break. A custom static site usually costs a bit more at first and noticeably less over time. Compare over two or three years, not just the first invoice.
If you want the actual number for your case, I give a fixed quote after the audit in web design and SEO in Ourense.
How's your website doing now? Check it for free in seconds, WordPress or notFrequently asked questions
Can I move from WordPress to a custom site without losing rankings?
Yes, if you keep the URLs that rank and 301-redirect the rest. That's what was done in the practice's case.
Can I edit the text myself on a custom site?
Yes. A simple panel can be added to edit text, photos or articles without touching code.
Is WordPress bad for SEO?
No. A well configured and maintained WordPress ranks fine. The problem is heavy templates, too many plugins and lack of maintenance.