Refract Group2026
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WordPress vs Custom code
WordPress if editors publish every day and depend on its ecosystem. Custom code if speed, security and a product-like site matter more than plugins.
Trusted by teams from pre-seed to the S&P 100
So, which one?
Each is the better pick for a different team. Here’s which.
WordPress is usually better if
- Editors live in WordPress
- You rely on its plugins
- Publishing volume is the point
Custom code is usually better if
- Speed and security are worth the build
- It must share parts with your product
- You want fewer moving parts to patch
Which way each one leans
The middle means it’s even.
WordPressCustom codeEditorial and publishing sites
Best forEvenFast, product-linked sites
Plugins and updates to manage
Speed and upkeepLeans Custom codeLittle to patch; built to be fast
Built in, mature
ContentLeans WordPressA headless CMS of your choosing
Editors, in wp-admin
Who edits itLeans WordPressEditors through a CMS
A plugin for almost everything
IntegrationsLeans WordPressAnything with an API, built properly
Open source, portable
Leaving laterEvenIt is your code
More comparisons
- Framer vs WebflowFramer if a design-led team wants to launch fast and keep shipping pages. Webflow if a marketing team will run a large, structured site.
- Webflow vs WordPressWebflow if a marketing team wants a fast, tidy site without plugins. WordPress if an editorial team already lives in it, or needs its ecosystem.
- Webflow vs Custom codeWebflow if marketing needs to change the site without a developer. Custom code if the site has to share parts or logins with your product, or do what no builder can.
Want a second opinion on your stack?
Tell us who will run the site and what it has to do. We’ll say which we’d pick, and why.
Most teams start with a call. Some start with a fixed-price sprint.
The people you’d work with, from the first call to launch