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WordPress: pros and cons for small businesses

WordPress offers free software, full control, ownership of the site and thousands of extensions. For small businesses, against that stand the maintenance it needs, security risks from outdated extensions, ongoing licence costs and often slow sites.

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Last updated: 23 October 2026 · By Maurice, freeehouse team · About 3 minutes to read

What speaks for WordPress?

  • Free software. WordPress itself costs nothing.
  • The site belongs to you. You can take it to any host. Content can be saved with the export tool.
  • Extensions for almost everything. Shop, booking, multiple languages, forms.
  • Many service providers. If one stops, another can be found.
  • A lot of freedom in structure and design.

What speaks against WordPress?

  • Maintenance. According to the WordPress documentation, up-to-date versions are the most important step for security. Someone has to install them.
  • Security risks. Outdated extensions are the most common way in.
  • Licence costs. Many extensions and templates cost money every year.
  • Loading time. Many extensions and heavy templates make sites slow.
  • Dependence on whoever set it up. Often only one person knows how the site is built.

Is WordPress good for Google?

Yes, with good upkeep. WordPress produces pages whose content is in the HTML, and there are extensions for page titles, descriptions and sitemaps. Problems mostly come from loading time and outdated technology. Google assesses user experience, among other things, through the Core Web Vitals. More in the guide Improve loading time.

Who is WordPress right for?

For businesses with technical know-how or a reliable service provider, who want a lot of freedom, publish content regularly, for example a blog, and want to control the site themselves in the long run.

WordPress suits businesses less if they want to have a site once and then leave it in peace. A WordPress site that nobody looks after becomes a risk over time.

What do we see when moving from WordPress?

With older WordPress sites we often see the same patterns: many installed extensions of which only some are used, an outdated PHP version at the host, and nobody who has the login details of the former service provider. Content and addresses can still be carried over completely.

If WordPress takes too much upkeep: freeehouse rebuilds your site, without extensions you have to maintain, and the site still belongs to you with its source code. You only pay for hosting with care, cheaper than today. Claim your spot on the waiting list

Checklist: stay with WordPress or switch?

  1. 1

    Is there someone who installs updates regularly?

  2. 2

    Do you know which extensions are installed and what for?

  3. 3

    Do you have access to the admin area, hosting and domain?

  4. 4

    Does the site load fast enough on mobile?

  5. 5

    Are the licence costs for template and extensions reasonable?

If you answer yes to everything, keep WordPress. If several answers are no, either a thorough clean-up with a maintenance contract or a rebuild makes sense.

Clean up or start over?

Cleaning up is worth it when the site is basically well built and only upkeep is missing. Starting over is worth it when many extensions, an outdated template and unclear access come together. Then the effort of cleaning up is often greater than for a clean rebuild in which content and addresses are carried over.

Frequently asked questions

Is WordPress secure?

WordPress itself is actively maintained. A site usually becomes insecure through outdated extensions, templates and access. With regular maintenance, WordPress can be run securely.

Is WordPress suitable for beginners?

For writing content, yes. For setup, security and fixing errors you need experience or help.

Is WordPress slower than a website builder?

That depends on how it is built. A lean WordPress site can be very fast, one with many extensions very slow.

Is WordPress worth it for a small website?

If you are technically skilled or have a service provider, yes. For a small business card site with no upkeep, there are simpler solutions.

Sources

Providers' prices and terms change often. What counts is what's in your customer account and your contract. Not legal advice.

Read more

WordPress alternatives for businessesWordPress maintenance: what you need and what it costsWordPress or website builder?Improve loading times: Core Web Vitals made simple
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