WordPress website: is it the right choice?
WordPress powers 43% of the web, but that doesn't automatically make it the best choice for your site. An honest overview of what a WordPress website costs, when it makes sense, and when custom code is smarter.
- WordPress is a good choice for a brochure site or blog: low entry costs, familiar CMS interface.
- For portals, integrations, booking systems or fast delivery, custom code (Next.js, built from scratch) is usually faster and more reliable.
- Having a WordPress site built costs roughly €500–€5,000+ via a freelancer or agency, depending on scope and custom theme.
- We don't build WordPress: our Starter (€1,250) and Business (€2,950) are custom-code sites that load faster and cost less to maintain.
When is WordPress the right choice?
WordPress is the world's most widely used CMS and powers approximately 43% of all websites. It's open-source, has a large ecosystem of plugins (Yoast SEO, WooCommerce, Elementor) and many content teams are familiar with the interface. For a simple brochure site, a blog or a basic webshop, WordPress is a solid choice. As soon as custom logic is involved: a booking system, a client portal, integrations with external systems or strict GDPR data-storage requirements: it becomes more complex and more expensive than a solution built from scratch.
What WordPress does well
Low entry costs and large supply
There are thousands of free and paid WordPress themes and more than 60,000 plugins. An agency budget of €500–€2,000 can already deliver a decent brochure site. The CMS interface is familiar: editors can update content without programming knowledge.
SEO plugins available
Yoast SEO and Rank Math are popular plugins that make technical SEO settings accessible: sitemap, canonical, meta-description, structured data. They simplify part of the SEO work, though they don't guarantee good rankings: the content and technical foundation of the site remain decisive.
Content management without technical knowledge
The WordPress editor (Gutenberg) and page builders like Elementor allow non-technical users to lay out pages, add media and change layouts. For organisations with an active editorial team, that's a real advantage.
Large community and documentation
Almost every WordPress problem has already been solved and documented. That lowers the barrier to finding a freelancer or agency who can work with WordPress, and makes switching relatively straightforward.
Where WordPress falls short
Continuous maintenance and security updates
WordPress is a popular attack target: approximately 96% of hacked CMS sites run on WordPress (Sucuri, 2023). Plugins, themes and core all require regular updates. Skip updates and you increase the attack surface. Many agencies charge a monthly maintenance contract for this.
Loading speed suffers with many plugins
Every extra plugin loads extra JavaScript and CSS. Unoptimised WordPress sites often score poorly on Core Web Vitals (Google PageSpeed Insights). It takes specific knowledge to properly configure caching (WP Rocket, LiteSpeed), CDN and image optimisation.
Less suited for custom logic
Portals, dashboards, API integrations or complex forms can be built in WordPress, but require custom PHP code or heavy plugins. The result is a site that's hard to maintain and can break with every plugin update. Custom frameworks (Next.js, Laravel) are better suited for this by design.
Vendor lock-in via theme and page builder
If you want to switch theme or page builder later, content often has to be reformatted. Elementor-specific shortcodes and blocks aren't transferable to another system.
When is custom code smarter than WordPress?
Custom code (frameworks like Next.js or Laravel, or headless CMS integrations) is usually the better investment if you need one or more of the following: a login environment for clients or staff, integrations with external systems (CRM, ERP, accounting, calendar), strict GDPR data storage on your own servers, high availability or performance requirements, or scalability in functionality without a tangle of plugins. Custom code requires a higher initial investment, but delivers a site that's faster, more secure and cheaper to maintain in the long run.
What does a WordPress website cost?
Costs vary widely and depend on scope, customisation and whether you hire a freelancer or agency.
| Build type | Indicative | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Freelancer, simple theme | €500–€1,500 | simple brochure site |
| Agency, custom theme | €2,000–€5,000+ | multi-page site, branding |
| Custom webshop (WooCommerce) | €3,000–€8,000+ | small webshop, custom checkout |
| Our Starter package (no WP) | €1,250 one-off | clean one-pager, live fast |
| Our Business package (no WP) | €2,950 one-off | multi-page, SEO, NL/EN |
WordPress rates are indicative market prices excluding VAT. Our prices are fixed amounts upfront. Monthly hosting and maintenance: €39–€89/mo with us (cancel monthly).
Frequently asked questions about WordPress websites
Is WordPress free?
How long does it take to have a WordPress website built?
What's the difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org?
Is a WordPress site well findable on Google?
Does Delahaye Solutions build WordPress sites?
Ready for a website without WordPress hassle?
Book a free, no-obligation call. You get an honest estimate and a fixed price, no surprises.
Book my free call →Free and no-obligation · Response within one working day · Not satisfied = money back