It's one of the first questions we get: should I use Wix, WordPress or a custom-built site? The platforms all have passionate advocates and vocal critics. The honest answer is that it depends — but not on the platforms themselves. It depends on what your business actually needs from a website.

At a glance

Before we go into detail: none of these options is universally better. The right answer depends on your budget, your technical comfort level, how much you expect your site to grow and what you need it to do. What we can tell you is which situations each option is genuinely suited to — and where people get into trouble by picking the wrong one.

WordPress

WordPress powers around 40% of all websites on the internet. That statistic gets quoted constantly, but what it actually means is that WordPress is extremely well supported, has an enormous plugin ecosystem and is likely to remain relevant for a long time. It's not a simple drag-and-drop tool — it's a content management system that gives you a lot of control in exchange for a bit more complexity.

WordPress is a strong choice when:

  • You need a blog or content-heavy site with a proper editorial workflow
  • You want maximum control over SEO at a technical level
  • You're comfortable managing software updates and basic hosting
  • You need specific third-party integrations or custom functionality

WordPress becomes a problem when: you're not technical and don't have an agency or developer maintaining it. Plugins go out of date, security vulnerabilities appear and without regular maintenance, a WordPress site can become slow, broken or hacked. It's a powerful tool that requires ownership.

Wix

Wix is a hosted website builder — you drag and drop elements, pick a template and your site is live without touching any code or managing any hosting. It's genuinely easy to use and for some businesses it's completely adequate. The limitations only become apparent when you try to do something the platform doesn't natively support.

Wix works well when:

  • You're a sole trader or very small business with a limited budget
  • You want to manage content updates yourself without any technical knowledge
  • Your site needs are simple: a few pages, a contact form, maybe a gallery
  • You're moving quickly and need something live within days

Wix becomes limiting when: you need custom functionality, advanced SEO control, complex integrations or a site that will grow substantially over time. The platform's closed nature also means if you want to move away from Wix, you can't export your site — you start over.

Custom website

A custom-built website is designed and developed specifically for your business — no templates, no platform constraints. It can be built on a custom CMS, a headless setup or a framework like Next.js. The upfront cost is higher than a Wix site, but the output is entirely tailored to your goals, your brand and your users.

Custom is the right choice when:

  • You're in a competitive market and brand differentiation matters
  • You need specific functionality that platforms don't support out of the box
  • You're building something for the medium to long term and don't want to be tied to a platform
  • Speed and SEO performance are business-critical
  • You want a site that looks and feels genuinely different from your competitors

Custom becomes an issue when: the budget isn't there. A properly built custom site starts around £2,000–3,000 for a small business and goes up from there. If that's not feasible, a well-built Wix or WordPress site is genuinely better than a poorly built custom one.

Which should you pick?

If your budget is under £500: Wix or WordPress with a quality theme. Invest the money in good copy and a professional logo instead.

If you're a growing business looking to generate leads: custom or WordPress. The SEO ceiling on Wix is real, and lead generation sites need to be built around conversion, not templates.

If you have complex requirements or specific integrations: custom every time. You'll spend more time and money trying to bend a platform to your needs than you would building the right thing from the start.

If you need to manage it yourself with no technical help: WordPress with a well-built theme, or Wix Studio with a professional setup. Both give you content management without requiring a developer for day-to-day updates.

One thing all three have in common

The platform matters far less than the quality of execution. A bad custom site will underperform a well-built Wix site. Great copywriting on a WordPress template will outconvert a beautiful custom site with vague messaging. Don't let the platform debate distract you from the fundamentals: clear positioning, a focused page structure, mobile-first design and a fast path to contact.