WordPress is free software you install on hosting and extend with themes and plugins; Wix and Squarespace are subscription website builders that bundle hosting, templates and an editor; a custom website is designed and coded from scratch for one business. None of them is best for everyone: it depends on how much you want to spend upfront, how much time you have to look after the site and how much you need to stand out and be found.
WordPress: themes and plugins.
WordPress is free, open-source software: you install it on hosting, pick a theme for the look and add plugins for features, from contact forms to bookings. Don’t confuse it with WordPress.com, a subscription service built on the same software.
- Strengths: a huge ecosystem of themes, plugins and professionals; an admin panel to edit content yourself; the freedom to move your site from one host to another.
- Limits: the software, theme and plugins all need regular updates, and every plugin is extra code that can slow the site down or become a weak spot if it isn’t kept up to date. Feature-packed themes and page builders often load more code than the site actually needs.
Wix and Squarespace: all in one.
These are website builders: you pay a subscription and get hosting, design templates, a visual editor and an app marketplace in one place. The platform takes care of security and technical updates.
- Strengths: low upfront costs, you can be up and running quickly, there’s no server to manage, and you’re free to change text and photos whenever you like.
- Limits: your site lives inside the platform. You can transfer the domain, but the design and features can’t be taken elsewhere, and if you cancel the subscription you lose, depending on the platform, the paid features or the whole site. Starting from a template is convenient, but other businesses use the same one, so standing out takes work. And writing the copy and looking after the site is still up to you.
Many builders now also offer to generate the site with artificial intelligence: what they really offer, free and with AI, is explained in our guide “Free website, AI builder or professional”.
A custom website: from scratch.
It’s designed around your business and coded specifically for it: it contains only what it needs, with no third-party themes or plugins.
- Strengths: a look that’s yours alone, lightweight pages, fewer moving parts to keep updated, and copy and structure planned to help people find you.
- Limits: a higher upfront investment and a longer build; there’s usually no drag-and-drop editor and you rely on whoever built it for changes, so trust matters a lot.
Side by side, at a glance.
| WordPress | Wix / Squarespace | Custom | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | Varies: theme, plugins, any outside help | Low | Higher |
| Ongoing costs | Hosting, paid plugins, maintenance | Subscription and apps | Hosting and support |
| Independence | High, with some practice | High | Depends on the provider |
| Updates | Whoever runs the site | The platform | Whoever maintains it |
| Moving the site | Yes, between hosts | Domain and some content only | Per the contract |
Which one makes sense when.
- A website builder if your budget is tight, you need to launch fast and you have the time and inclination to run the site yourself.
- WordPress if you want lots of ready-made features and your own admin panel, and someone, you or a professional, will keep it updated.
- A custom website if you want to stand out, be found on Google and by AI assistants, and stay out of the technical side.
If you already have a website and wonder whether to replace it, start with the 7 signs your website needs a redesign.
What to check, whatever you pick.
- Whose name the domain is in: it should be yours, whichever path you choose. Our guide to domains, hosting and email explains why.
- Who handles updates and backups, and how often.
- Speed on a phone: you can measure it with PageSpeed Insights, Google’s free tool.
- What you’re left with if you change provider or platform: usually your texts, photos and domain; the website itself depends on each provider’s rules, so ask for them before you sign.
- Every recurring cost, not just the upfront one: see our guide on what a website’s cost depends on.
Aleryc’s choice: no WordPress.
Aleryc designs every website from scratch around your business, without borrowed templates and without WordPress: a custom-built website is lighter, faster and more secure, because it doesn’t depend on themes and plugins that need constant updating. You don’t need an admin panel: we make the changes ourselves, you just write to us by email or WhatsApp, and they’re covered by the service. We register the domain in your name and, if you ever decide to stop, you receive your texts and photos (the website and its code remain Aleryc’s). A brochure website starts at €483 plus €36 a month: you’ll find all our prices on one page. If you’re based in another European Union country (we only work with clients who have a VAT number), any taxes or mandatory costs for that country are shown in your written quote, before you sign. A do-it-yourself tool may be enough to get started if your budget is small and you have time to learn it. Write to us (in English, by email or WhatsApp) and we’ll tell you honestly which path makes sense for you. See how we approach websites.