WordPress suits 80% of projects. But for the remaining 20% — custom CMS isn't a whim, it's necessity. We explain why.
"Why write CMS from scratch when there's WordPress?"
Fair question. WordPress powers 43% of all sites. Free, tons of plugins, huge community. Why reinvent the wheel?
Answer: for 80% of projects — indeed, why. But for 20%, custom CMS — not a whim, but the only sensible solution.
We explain when and why.
**Case #1: Aggregator with 500,000 Listings**
Client launched listing aggregator (like OLX). Initially on WordPress + WooCommerce.
After 3 months:
- 50,000 listings
- Site started lagging
- Search worked 10-15 seconds
- Admin panel wouldn't open at all
We optimized. Added cache, CDN, powerful server. Got better, but:
- 100,000 listings — lagging again
- Search with filters (price, city, category) — 8 seconds
- Server costs $200/month
Rewrote to custom CMS (Node.js + PostgreSQL):
- 500,000 listings
- Search with filters: 0.3 seconds
- Server: $80/month (smaller needed)
WordPress wasn't created for such scale. It's a blog platform stretched to fit e-commerce, aggregators, portals. Works, but with crutches.
**When WordPress — Perfect**
Let's be honest, WordPress — top for:
**1. Blogs, News Sites**
That's what it was created for. Works flawlessly.
**2. Corporate Sites (Business Cards)**
5-10 pages, contact form, contacts. WordPress handles it in an hour.
**3. Small E-commerce**
Up to 1000 products WooCommerce works well. Quick to set up, tons of plugins.
**4. Limited Budget**
$800-1500 — can make decent WordPress site. Custom for this money — only landing page.
**When WordPress — Bad Idea**
**1. High Load**
WordPress + MySQL not created for millions of queries. Can optimize, but it's like trying to win a race in a Zaporozhets. Can tune it, but better take a normal car.
**2. Complex Logic**
Cost calculator with 50 parameters. Booking system with calendar and online payment. Marketplace with multiple user types.
Can do on WordPress, but it's tons of plugins that conflict with each other. Update one — breaks another.
**3. Specific Requirements**
Client wants admin panel to look like their internal CRM. Wants certain fields auto-filled from 1C. Wants each employee to see only their data.
WordPress isn't flexible for such things. Will have to write tons of custom code. And if you're writing tons of custom on WordPress — maybe easier to write from scratch?
**Conclusion**
WordPress is great. For 80% of projects — best choice.
But if you're planning serious business, high load, complex logic — custom CMS will pay off. Invest more now, but save on maintenance and scaling later.
Not sure what to choose? Write — we'll analyze your project and recommend optimal solution.
