Around 40% of the world's websites run on WordPress, so it can't be a bad choice – and it isn't. But it's not automatically the right choice for a small business either. Let's go through the comparison honestly, point by point.

Speed

A hand-coded static website wins this round hands down. WordPress builds every page load from a database and PHP, with the theme's and plugins' scripts piled on top. A typical WordPress page loads in 2–5 seconds; a well-optimized static page in under a second. Speed isn't just a comfort issue: Google uses it as a ranking factor, and every extra second has been proven to lower conversion.

Security

WordPress's popularity makes it the number one target for attackers. Most break-ins happen through outdated plugins – and the average site has 20–30 of them. A static, hand-coded website has no login page, no database and no plugins, so the attack surface is practically zero.

Search engine optimization

A draw – but for different reasons. WordPress offers good SEO tools as plugins (Yoast, RankMath), but the platform's technical weight pulls in the other direction. On a custom-built site, SEO is built directly into the code: semantic HTML, schema markup, speed and a clean structure without plugins. You can reach the top of Google with either – with custom code, the groundwork is simply already in place.

Updating content

Here WordPress strikes back. If you publish content yourself every week – a blog, news, events – the admin panel is worth its weight in gold. Updating a static site requires either the developer's help or a separate lightweight publishing tool. The honest question is: how often do you actually update your site? Most small business websites change a few times a year, in which case an admin panel is dead weight.

Long-term costs

  • WordPress: hosting €10–30/month, licenses €100–400/year, keeping updates and security in check either takes your own time or a €50–150/month maintenance contract.
  • Custom static: hosting €0–10/month, no licenses, no mandatory maintenance. Changes are billed as needed.

Over five years the difference easily adds up to thousands of euros in favor of static.

When would I choose WordPress, and when custom code?

Choose WordPress (or another CMS) if:

  • you publish content weekly and want to do it yourself
  • you need a large online store with thousands of products
  • several people in different roles update the site

Choose custom code if:

  • you want the fastest possible site and the best SEO foundation
  • you want a unique look that doesn't resemble a theme
  • you don't want to pay for licenses and maintenance forever
  • your site's content changes a few times a year
💡 In the name of honesty: we build custom websites, so we have a horse in this race. But that's exactly why we also tell you when WordPress is the better choice – and we'll say it out loud at the quoting stage too, if your project calls for it.

Summary

For most small and medium-sized businesses – whose website is a business card, a service brochure and a contact channel – a custom static website is faster, more secure and cheaper in the long run. You can find price ranges in the article how much does a website cost, and on our services page you can see our prices directly.