Custom vs WordPress: when each one makes sense

The logic behind choosing a platform

It's not about "which is better," but which foundation supports the business long-term.

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1) What role should the site play?

Most sites are either:

Professional presence (brochure): clarity → trust → contact.

Tool / System / Product: flows, accounts, dashboards, bookings, marketplace, evolution.

If the goal is presence → both can work.
If there's future evolution → Next.js is the stronger base.

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"Core idea: Choose for where the site will be in 6–12 months, not just for launch day."

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2) When WordPress makes sense

Use it when:

• Content changes often
• The team is non-technical and needs WYSIWYG
• You need a quick go-live for classic company presence

Advantages

• Fast delivery
• Low upfront cost
• Many ready-made modules / plugins

Trade-offs

• Plugins = ongoing cost & maintenance
• Performance needs tuning to stay competitive
• Security requires consistent care

Best fit when content editing is the main priority. Not for convenience, but when it genuinely fits the project.

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3) When Custom (Next.js) makes sense

Choose it when:

• Speed & SEO really matter
• You want clean UX without theme constraints
• The site may evolve into a tool, not just a brochure
• You want a quiet, stable architecture without plugin dependencies

Advantages

• Very high performance (Core Web Vitals)
• Free hosting for lightweight brochure sites (Vercel / Netlify)
• Clean structure → no plugin overhead
• Natural path to dashboard / system / app

Content editing

• Rare updates → handled directly
• Frequent updates → integrate Headless CMS (Sanity / Contentful / Strapi)

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"Personal note: On projects with a growth horizon, Next.js stays cleaner and faster with less maintenance — a better long-term base."

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Bottom Line:

• Frequent, non-technical content management? → WordPress
• Premium experience, SEO, clarity, evolution? → Next.js

Decide based on the direction of the business, not the convenience of week one.