Last updated: 23 October 2026 · By Maurice, freeehouse team · About 3 minutes to read
The comparison at a glance
| Point | Website builder | Self-hosted WordPress |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | immediately, no technical skills | set up hosting, choose a theme |
| running costs | subscription, according to the price pages roughly €144 to €240 a year | hosting, domain, licences, maintenance |
| Maintenance | Provider | you or a service provider |
| Security | Provider | depends on updates |
| Freedom | limited to the provider's functions | almost unlimited |
| Ownership | no, hardly any export | yes, can be moved at any time |
| Switching | rebuild | move to any host |
When is a website builder better?
When you need a small site quickly, don't want to touch any technology and take care of upkeep yourself. For clubs, hobbies and a first presence, a website builder is honestly the better choice. You save yourself the maintenance that WordPress brings.
When is WordPress better?
When you need a lot of freedom, publish content regularly, such as a blog, or want functions a website builder doesn't offer. And when it matters to you that the site belongs to you. The condition: someone takes care of updates. The WordPress documentation calls current versions the most important step for security.
Which costs more?
That depends on your time. A website builder costs a fixed subscription and your time for content. WordPress costs hosting, often licences, and maintenance. If you do the maintenance yourself and get by with free extensions, WordPress costs less money but more time. Details under What does WordPress cost?.
Which is better for Google?
Both can be found well. WordPress offers more control over code and structure, but often becomes slow through many extensions. Website builders often load more code than necessary. What counts is content, one page per service, loading time and how well known your business is.
Is there a third way?
Yes: a website that a service provider builds and looks after, with a simple admin area for text and images. You have no technology to deal with, as with a website builder, and the site is yours, as with WordPress. In the contract, watch for ownership of the source code, term and price development.
Decision guide
- Little time, small site, enjoy doing it yourself: website builder.
- Technical know-how, lots of content, full control: WordPress.
- No time, but you want ownership and good quality: a built, maintained website.
freeehouse is the third way: we build your website by hand, it is yours with source code, and maintenance is included in the hosting. We don't charge for the build, you only pay for hosting, cheaper than today. How freeehouse works
What happens in five years?
A website builder keeps running as long as you pay, and the provider sets prices and features. A WordPress site keeps running as long as someone looks after it, and you decide. If you want to switch in five years, you rebuild with a website builder, while with WordPress you move. For many businesses this consideration matters more than the price in the first year.
Frequently asked questions
Is WordPress harder than a website builder?
Yes, above all for setup, updates and fixing errors. Writing content is easy with both.
Is a website builder safer than WordPress?
With a website builder, the provider takes care of security. With WordPress it depends on regular updates.
Can I switch from a website builder to WordPress?
Yes, with a rebuild. Content is carried over, old addresses are redirected.
What do most small businesses use?
Many use website builders because getting started is easy. WordPress is the most widely used system for websites overall worldwide.
Sources
- WordPress Developer: Hardening WordPress, accessed 23 October 2026
- Wix: Premiumpakete und Preise, accessed 23 October 2026
- Jimdo: Preise und Pakete, accessed 23 October 2026
- Wix Help Center: Exporting or embedding your Wix site elsewhere, accessed 23 October 2026
Providers' prices and terms change often. What counts is what's in your customer account and your contract. Not legal advice.
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