Development · 6 min · Updated
WordPress, Shopify or custom development: how to make the call
How to choose between WordPress, Shopify and a custom-built website or app, based on what you sell, how you work and the real three-year cost.
Choosing a platform is one of the decisions that is hardest to undo, so it is worth making on the right criteria rather than on habit or price alone.
Choose WordPress when content leads
WordPress suits businesses whose website is mainly about services, information and publishing: professional services, clinics, schools, consultancies and content-led brands. It is flexible, widely supported and easy for teams to edit. With WooCommerce it can also sell, which works well when selling is one part of a content-rich site.
Choose Shopify when selling is the business
Shopify suits businesses where products and orders are the core: retail brands, direct-to-consumer stores and growing catalogues. Hosting, security and checkout are managed for you, and a large app ecosystem covers most needs. You trade some flexibility for reliability and speed to launch.
Choose custom development when your process is unique
Custom development makes sense when your workflow, pricing logic, integrations or scale do not fit a standard platform: portals, marketplaces, booking engines with complex rules, or SaaS products. It costs more to build, but you are not paying to work around limits.
Compare the three-year cost, not the build price
- Setup or build cost.
- Monthly platform, hosting and maintenance fees.
- Apps, plugins and transaction fees.
- The staff time spent working around limitations.
The cheapest build is rarely the cheapest site to own. A platform that fits your process usually costs less over three years even if it costs more on day one.
Questions to ask before deciding
- What will we sell or offer in two years, not just at launch?
- Which systems must it connect to: CRM, ERP, accounting, booking?
- How many languages and markets will we serve?
- Who will update it day to day?
Our comparison page and cost estimator give a quick recommendation, and a short call with a project lead will confirm it.
Want this done for your business?
Talk to a project lead. You will get a clear plan and a fixed quote within one business day.