Choosing the platform is one of the first decisions in any website project, and it affects cost, speed, flexibility and how easily your team can make changes for years.
Here is how the three most common options compare, and when each one is the right choice.
WordPress
WordPress powers a large share of the web. It is ideal for content-led business websites, blogs and service businesses that want to edit pages themselves.
- Best for: business and corporate websites, content and blogs
- Strengths: easy editing, huge ecosystem, good for SEO
- Watch out for: too many plugins slow sites down and need updates
Custom development
A custom website or web application is built from scratch in frameworks such as Laravel, React or Next.js.
- Best for: unique features, portals, high performance
- Strengths: no platform limits, fastest performance, full control
- Watch out for: higher upfront cost, needs a capable team to maintain
Shopify
Shopify is a hosted ecommerce platform designed to get stores selling quickly and reliably.
- Best for: online stores of most sizes
- Strengths: fast launch, secure hosting, simple store management
- Watch out for: monthly fees and app costs, less flexibility for unusual workflows
Quick comparison
Use these questions to narrow the choice.
- Selling products online? Start with Shopify or WooCommerce
- Mainly presenting services and content? WordPress
- Need logins, dashboards or custom workflows? Custom development
- Need maximum speed and a unique design? Custom or a lean WordPress build
Our recommendation
There is no single best platform, only the best fit for your goals, budget and team. We recommend a platform after understanding what your website needs to do now and in the next few years, and we will tell you honestly when a simpler option is enough.
Services that can help