WordPress websites,
the honest truth.
We built over 100 WordPress websites and managed more than 50 every month for the better part of a decade. Here is what that experience taught us, and why we eventually stopped.
What WordPress actually
looks like, day to day.
WordPress powers more than 40% of the internet. It is not a bad platform. But for most small and mid-size business websites, the day-to-day reality looks very different from the promise.
Plugin dependency & conflicts
Every feature requires a plugin. Contact forms, SEO, security, caching, image optimisation. Each one is built by a third party. When a developer stops maintaining their plugin, or two plugins conflict with each other, the problem becomes yours to resolve.
Security vulnerabilities
WordPress is the most targeted CMS on the internet. Every plugin and theme is a potential entry point for attackers. Keeping a site secure means constant monitoring, regular patching, and staying on top of updates. It is an ongoing responsibility, not a one-time task.
Constant updates
WordPress core, themes, and plugins all release updates independently. An update to one can break compatibility with another. You either update promptly and risk something breaking, or hold off and risk a security breach. It is a cycle with no comfortable exit.
Performance issues
Out of the box, WordPress is not fast. Getting good performance requires caching plugins, image optimisation tools, and quality hosting. Even with everything configured correctly, every page load still runs database queries that a static site does not need.
Hosting headache
Shared hosting, managed WordPress hosting, or a VPS? The options are endless, and choosing the wrong one affects your site's speed and reliability. Then there is the ongoing management. Every time something goes wrong with the server, you are the one responsible for sorting it out.
Technical complexity
The WordPress dashboard was built for developers, not business owners. Plugin settings, theme options, widget areas, and custom fields fill the screen. What should be a straightforward content tool ends up feeling like a control panel for something far more complex than your site actually needs.
WordPress is free.
Running it is not.
The software is open source and costs nothing to download. But building and maintaining a WordPress website that actually works for your business is a different story. Here is what the real cost looks like over a typical year.
Hosting
Quality hosting that keeps your site fast, secure, and available. Budget options exist, but they come with slow speeds and limited support.
£120 – £600 per yearPremium plugins
Security, SEO, forms, backups, caching, and performance tools. Most business sites rely on five to ten premium plugins, each with its own annual renewal.
£200 – £500 per yearPremium theme or updates
Unless you are using a free theme with limited customisation, theme licences require annual renewal for continued updates and support.
£50 – £100 per yearMaintenance and updates
Someone needs to keep WordPress, its plugins, and its theme updated, resolve conflicts when updates break things, and monitor the site for security issues.
£600 – £1,800 per yearDeveloper fixes
When something goes wrong, and it will, a developer's time starts at £50 to £100 per hour. A hacked site or a critical plugin failure can mean hundreds of pounds in emergency fixes.
Variableper year. On top of whatever the site cost to build in the first place.
Eight years on WordPress.
Here is why we stopped.
100+ WordPress websites built. 50+ managed every single month. We knew the platform inside out.
Brilliant Digital did not arrive at this conclusion from reading articles or watching trends. We lived it. For over eight years, WordPress was our primary platform. We built more than 100 WordPress websites for businesses across every industry we could reach.
At our busiest, we were actively managing over 50 WordPress websites every single month. As a two-person team, that meant both of us were splitting our time between building new sites for clients and keeping existing ones running. We sold maintenance packages because the platform demanded them. Plugin updates, security monitoring, backups, compatibility checks, emergency fixes when a theme update broke a client's homepage on a Friday evening. We knew the platform inside out, and we were good at keeping it running.
But we also saw what our clients experienced. The unexpected bills when something broke. The anxiety of not knowing whether their site was secure. The frustration of needing a developer for a simple content change. We were solving problems that, in our view, should not have existed in the first place.
So we made a decision. We stopped recommending WordPress and started building websites on modern platforms that eliminate the need for ongoing maintenance entirely. We gave up a reliable revenue stream from those maintenance packages because we believed our clients deserved better. Not a platform that needs constant attention, but a website that simply works.
What a modern website
gives you instead.
Every problem outlined above disappears when you build on a modern, custom platform. Here is what that actually looks like.
No plugins, no dependencies
Functionality is built directly into the site. Forms, SEO, performance optimisation, and security are part of the build, not bolted on from third-party sources that you have no control over.
Secure by design
Modern websites are pre-rendered as static files. There is no database to hack, no admin login to brute-force, and no plugins to exploit. The attack surface that makes WordPress vulnerable simply does not exist.
Fast without trying
Pages are pre-built at deployment time and served from a global content delivery network. No database queries, no server-side processing, no caching plugins to configure. The result is a website that loads in a fraction of the time.
Hosting that takes care of itself
Modern websites deploy to global content delivery networks where traffic, speed, and availability are handled automatically. No server to maintain, no hosting provider to troubleshoot, and no surprise charges when traffic spikes.
Simple, intuitive content editing
A clean content management system lets your team update text, images, and pages without any technical knowledge. No cluttered dashboards, no plugin settings to navigate. Just the content tools your team actually needs.
Lower cost of ownership
No annual plugin renewals. No hosting bill. No maintenance contract. The ongoing cost of running a modern custom website is a fraction of what WordPress demands year after year.
Common questions
about WordPress.
01 Is WordPress really that bad?
No. WordPress is not a bad platform. It powered the internet for two decades and still runs more than 40% of all websites. The issue is that for most small and mid-size business websites, the overhead it demands is disproportionate to what the site actually needs to do. Plugin management, security patching, hosting configuration, and constant updates add up quickly. For a business that needs a professional website that loads fast and generates enquiries, there are better options available today.
02 What is the difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org?
WordPress.com is a hosted version with restrictions on themes, plugins, and customisation. WordPress.org is the self-hosted version that gives full control but requires you to handle hosting, security, and updates yourself. Most business websites that outgrow a basic template end up on WordPress.org, which is where the maintenance overhead begins. Neither version eliminates the core issues described on this page.
03 Can you migrate my existing WordPress site?
Yes. We regularly help businesses move from WordPress to modern, custom-built websites. We handle the content transfer, URL redirects, and SEO preservation so you do not lose search rankings or traffic during the transition. Get in touch and we will walk you through how it works for your specific site.
04 Do I have to keep my existing design when I migrate?
Not at all. Moving from WordPress means we write the site fresh in modern code, rather than copying files from one platform to another. That makes it the right time to rethink the design, update the layout, improve the navigation, and refresh any content that no longer reflects your business. Some clients want to keep their existing look and feel. Others use the move as a chance to modernise the site entirely. Either way, we agree on the scope at the start of the project so there are no surprises.
05 How much does a custom website cost compared to WordPress?
The upfront investment in a custom-built website is typically higher than a basic WordPress setup. But the total cost of ownership over two to three years is often lower, because you are not paying for hosting, premium plugins, security tools, and ongoing maintenance. We provide detailed quotes following an initial consultation.
06 What happens to my WordPress content when I migrate?
Everything comes with you. Text, images, blog posts, and metadata are all transferred to the new site. Nothing gets lost. The new website is typically faster, more secure, and simpler to manage from day one.
07 Do I need technical knowledge to manage a custom-built site?
No. Every website we build includes a content management system that lets you update text, images, and pages without touching code. We also include a hands-on training session at launch so your team is confident managing the site independently.
Websites built
the modern way.
Citizens Advice Peterborough
ProDerm UK
Morph Retouching
Greystone Heritage
Sustain Health
LC Computers
"This is the second website they've built for me. I went back because they did such an amazing job the first time and have consistently provided outstanding support over the years."
Katy W.
"This is the second website Brilliant Digital has developed for me, and once again they've exceeded my expectations. The process was smooth, collaborative, and incredibly well managed."
Meggan P.
"The website is super-modern looking and it's already ranking highly on Google. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Alex and the team. 5-stars all day long."
Adam F.
"I am blown away by the work of Brilliant Digital. The website they have produced is stunning. They delivered to the brief and then exceeded expectations."
Sarah S.
"He guided the entire process, brought my ideas to life and offered his advice to make them better. I've used other developers before. I'll never go anywhere else."
Ryan H.
"The whole process was clearly explained and went very smoothly. He even provided training for me to learn how to use my website."
Wendy B.
"This is the second website they've built for me. I went back because they did such an amazing job the first time and have consistently provided outstanding support over the years."
Katy W.
"This is the second website Brilliant Digital has developed for me, and once again they've exceeded my expectations. The process was smooth, collaborative, and incredibly well managed."
Meggan P.
"The website is super-modern looking and it's already ranking highly on Google. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Alex and the team. 5-stars all day long."
Adam F.
"I am blown away by the work of Brilliant Digital. The website they have produced is stunning. They delivered to the brief and then exceeded expectations."
Sarah S.
"He guided the entire process, brought my ideas to life and offered his advice to make them better. I've used other developers before. I'll never go anywhere else."
Ryan H.
"The whole process was clearly explained and went very smoothly. He even provided training for me to learn how to use my website."
Wendy B.
"I am so 'untech' and anything on the computer is an ordeal. Brilliant Digital led me gently through the process. The result is a beautiful website I'm very proud of."
Lisa
"Amazing job redesigning and launching our outdated website. Alex had great understanding of our limited time commitments running a busy business, and delivered exactly what was briefed."
Max M.
"Very professional, incredibly talented, with a great ability to listen and understand personal needs. Super easy and flexible to work with."
Edyta L.
"Alex very much lived up to the 'Brilliant' in their company name. He made the process so easy, and I am beyond happy with the end result."
Simon R.
"I've managed over 40 website projects and Alex has just delivered the best yet. The site is fast, secure, and the platform is very solid."
Paul H.
"The attention to detail in understanding our business needs was impressive, and his knowledge in delivering the end result, nothing short of miraculous."
Natalie G.
"I am so 'untech' and anything on the computer is an ordeal. Brilliant Digital led me gently through the process. The result is a beautiful website I'm very proud of."
Lisa
"Amazing job redesigning and launching our outdated website. Alex had great understanding of our limited time commitments running a busy business, and delivered exactly what was briefed."
Max M.
"Very professional, incredibly talented, with a great ability to listen and understand personal needs. Super easy and flexible to work with."
Edyta L.
"Alex very much lived up to the 'Brilliant' in their company name. He made the process so easy, and I am beyond happy with the end result."
Simon R.
"I've managed over 40 website projects and Alex has just delivered the best yet. The site is fast, secure, and the platform is very solid."
Paul H.
"The attention to detail in understanding our business needs was impressive, and his knowledge in delivering the end result, nothing short of miraculous."
Natalie G.
Ready to move
beyond WordPress?
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