WordPress or a plain HTML website?
I build both, and the honest answer is that each suits different businesses. The deciding question is simple: who will change the website after launch, and how often?
What the two actually are
A plain HTML site is a set of finished pages stored as files. When someone visits, the server sends the file. There's no database, no admin login and nothing built on the fly. Changes are made by editing the files, usually by your developer.
WordPress is a content management system. Pages are stored in a database and assembled by PHP code each time they're requested, unless caching is set up. You log in to a dashboard to edit pages, add posts and upload images, and plugins add features like forms, shops and bookings.
How they compare
| Plain HTML | WordPress | |
|---|---|---|
| Editing | Through your developer | Yourself, from a dashboard |
| Speed | Very fast by default | Fast if built carefully, slow if not |
| Security upkeep | Very little to patch | Regular updates to core, theme and plugins |
| Hosting | Cheap or free static hosting | A PHP host with a database |
| Features | Anything, but each is built | Many available as plugins |
Choose plain HTML when
- The site changes a few times a year, such as new prices or a new photo
- Speed and low upkeep matter more than editing it yourself
- You'd rather send a WhatsApp message than learn a dashboard
- The site is mainly about getting enquiries, not publishing content
Choose WordPress when
- You or your staff will update content often, such as notices, offers or posts
- Several people need to edit different sections
- You need features WordPress plugins already do well, such as WooCommerce
- You want to publish guides or news regularly without waiting for anyone
The hidden cost of WordPress
WordPress itself is free, but keeping it healthy isn't. Plugins left out of date are one of the most common ways sites get hacked, so updates have to happen regularly, with a backup before each one. Heavy themes and page builders can make sites slow. None of this is a reason to avoid WordPress, but it should be in the plan from the start. My maintenance page explains what looking after it involves.
The hidden cost of plain HTML
Every change goes through someone who can edit code. For a site that changes rarely, that's cheaper than maintaining WordPress. For a site that changes daily, the waiting and the cost add up, and WordPress becomes the better deal.
You can change your mind later
Neither choice is permanent. A plain HTML site can move to WordPress when your content starts changing often, and a WordPress site can be turned into static pages if you stop editing it. What matters is that the domain and hosting are in your name and the move is planned properly, as described on my website migration page.
If you'd like help deciding, see website development and WordPress development, or ask me with the form below.