Tech made clear · 2 November 2026 · 5 min read
WordPress or custom software: which is better?
WordPress or a tailor-made Next.js solution? When each makes sense, explained with two real projects: the MARG online shop and the EFA ordering system.
I hear this question a lot. The honest answer: it depends on what the website needs to do. I use both, depending on the project. Two real examples make the difference tangible.
WordPress: strong for content and classic shops
For the bag label MARG I built a shop on WordPress with a custom theme. WordPress fits there because the team wants to manage products, texts and images themselves, and there are mature building blocks for shops, payment providers and translations.
- Good for: business sites, blogs, classic online shops
- Pro: many people know the back end, huge choice of extensions
- Watch out: keep plugins updated, not every theme is fast
Custom software: when the workflow is your product
EFA's ordering system is custom-built with Next.js and PostgreSQL. Pre-ordering with pickup times, payment before the order, QR codes per table, several locations and a dedicated admin panel: wiring such a specific flow together from plugins would have been fragile and slow.
- Good for: ordering and booking systems, portals, internal tools, automation
- Pro: exactly your workflow, fast, no unnecessary features
- Watch out: needs a developer who documents and maintains it properly
Rule of thumb
- 01
Mostly content?
WordPress (or a headless CMS) is usually the best choice.
- 02
A classic shop?
WordPress with WooCommerce or a shop system is often enough.
- 03
Your own flow with logic?
Custom software saves time and nerves in the long run.
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