The short answer
It matters less than you think. Who looks after the site matters more than what it is built on. But the platform does shape how fast the site is, how much upkeep it needs, how safe it stays, how easily you can leave, and what it costs over the years.
WordPress, Wix and custom code are all sensible choices. The right one depends on whether you want to make changes yourself or have someone do it for you.
What you actually notice as the owner
Your customers never see what your site is built on. They see whether it opens quickly and whether they can find your number. You notice five things, usually later, when something needs to change.
- Speed
- How quickly the site opens on a phone, on mobile data. Slow sites lose visitors before they read a word.
- Upkeep
- What has to be updated, how often, and by whom. Every website needs some looking after.
- Security
- Old, un-updated software is one of the most common ways sites get hacked. Upkeep and security are the same job.
- Lock-in
- Whether you can pick the site up and move it to someone else if you want to.
- Cost over time
- The build price, plus what you pay every month for as long as the site is live.
The three options, fairly
WordPress
WordPress runs about four in ten of all websites, according to W3Techs. It is free, open software with a plugin (an add-on you install) for almost anything: bookings, shops, forms. Lots of developers know it, so you are never stuck with one person.
The catch is upkeep. WordPress itself, the theme (the design layer) and every plugin need updating. WordPress's own security guide says old versions don't get security fixes and that outdated plugins are a common way in for attackers. A WordPress site is only as good as the person who built it and the person who keeps it updated.
Wix, Squarespace and other website builders
Builders are made for doing it yourself. You drag things around, type, and publish. Hosting, security and updates are handled by the platform, and you pay a monthly subscription for as long as the site is live.
The trade-off is that you rent the site. Wix's own help pages say a Wix site has to stay on Wix's servers. You can take your domain with you, but if you leave, you usually rebuild the design somewhere else. You also work within what the platform allows. For many small businesses that is fine.
Custom-coded sites
This is what I build. Your site is written in code, with modern tools, for your business only. There is no admin area, no theme and no plugins to update, so there is far less to break or to attack. Pages load only what they need, which keeps them fast on a phone and light on data.
The honest trade-off: you can't log in and edit it yourself. Changes go through a developer. With us, you WhatsApp me and I make the change. On Managed Care, 1 hour of changes per month is included. If you want to change your site every day yourself, a builder or WordPress will suit you better.
Which one fits what you care about
Pick the thing that matters most to you. The ratings change to match.
If “I want to edit it myself” matters most:
WordPress
Good fit
There is an editor for text, photos and blog posts. It takes an afternoon to learn.
Wix, Squarespace and other builders
Good fit
This is what builders are made for: drag, drop, type and publish.
Custom-coded
Weak fit
You send the change to your developer and they make it. Quick, but not you.
Four questions to ask whoever builds your site
These matter more than the platform. Ask them before you pay, and get the answers in writing.
- Can I move the site to someone else if I leave? What exactly do I get to take?
- Who updates it, how often, and is that in the monthly price?
- What does a small change cost, and how quickly is it done?
- Can I edit it myself? If so, what can I change without breaking anything?
How we handle updates and changes after launch is on the how we work page. Ask me the rest on WhatsApp, and hold me to the answers.
My take
I build custom-coded sites because most owners I work with never want to log in to anything. They want the site fast, safe and changed when they ask. But if you love tinkering with your own site, a builder is a good choice and I'll tell you so. What I'd avoid is any platform with nobody clearly responsible for looking after it.
Kris, founder of TechOnEdge
Quick questions
Is WordPress safe for a small business website?
Yes, when someone keeps WordPress, the theme and the plugins updated and removes plugins nobody uses. Most WordPress trouble comes from sites that were built and then left alone for years.
Can I move my Wix website to another company?
You can move your domain, and some content such as blog posts or product lists can be exported. Wix says the site itself has to run on its own servers, so moving away usually means rebuilding the design somewhere else.
Is a custom-coded website more expensive?
Not necessarily. The build price depends on the size of the site more than the platform, and every option has a monthly cost: hosting, a builder subscription, or paid plugins. The cost to watch with custom code is changes, because a developer makes them. Find out what a change costs before you start.