For Real AcademyThe three approaches
- Website builder: a hosted, drag-and-drop tool. You pay a subscription and the company runs the hosting and software.
- WordPress (or similar CMS): software you install on hosting, or use through a hosted plan. Highly extensible through themes and plugins.
- Hand-coded site: files you write and publish on a static host. No platform in between.
| Website builder | WordPress / CMS | Hand-coded | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time to first page | Fastest. Often an afternoon | Moderate. Setup, theme, plugins | Slowest at first, unless you know the basics |
| Skills needed | None | Some. Gets technical with plugins and updates | HTML, CSS, some JavaScript |
| Design control | Limited to what the tool allows | High, with themes and custom code | Complete |
| Ongoing cost | Subscription, usually for as long as the site exists | Hosting plus any paid themes/plugins | Often very low; static hosting can be free or cheap |
| Maintenance | Handled by the provider | You update core, themes and plugins and watch for security issues | Little; there's no server software to patch on a static site |
| Portability | Harder to move; you may rebuild elsewhere | Reasonable; content can be exported | Total. The files are yours |
| Best for | Small businesses that want it done fast | Content-heavy sites, blogs, shops with many features | Portfolios, landing pages and people who want to learn |
How to choose
Choose a builder if you need a decent site this week and don't want to think about hosting. Choose WordPress if you'll publish lots of content or need features that plugins already provide, and you're willing to keep it updated. Code it yourself if you want full control, minimal running costs or want the skill itself.
The hidden cost: switching later
The cheapest moment to choose well is at the start. Moving from a builder to something else usually means rebuilding. Moving a hand-coded site to a new host means copying files. Weigh that against how long you expect to keep the site.
Our take: there's no universally best option. If the site is a means to an end, use a builder. If you'd like to understand and own what you publish, learning the basics takes less time than most people expect.
Disclosure: For Real Academy sells self-paced online courses, so we have an interest in this topic. We've tried to describe each option fairly, and we avoid statistics we can't source. Check any provider's current terms, pricing and claims yourself before you decide.
Want to own your site?
Launch Your First Website takes you from a blank folder to a live site with free hosting and a custom domain.
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