WordPress, website builder or a custom website?

We are often asked: "Should I just set something up myself in a website builder, use WordPress, or buy a ready-made website?" The short answer is that it depends on how often you want to change the content yourself, how much you want to deal with technical operation – and what you want to pay over time. Here is the full picture, including the advantages of the solutions we don't sell ourselves.

The three options – in brief

• A platform or website builder on subscription – you build (or have built) the site in a tool with ready-made templates. The tool, the operation and the security come with it, and you pay a monthly or annual price for as long as the site is there.
• WordPress – the world's most used publishing system. You yourself, or a partner on your behalf, are responsible for hosting, theme, extensions, updates and security.
• A finished custom website, delivered by us – we build the site complete for you, with code tailored to the task and easy to read and maintain. You pay once, own everything, and only pay for hosting directly to the provider.

None of the three is "wrong". But they place costs and responsibility differently – and that is where you should look closely.

Subscription: simple – but you're renting

Website builders have become very good, and for many people they are the right choice. First the advantages, honestly:

• You're up and running quickly. Choose a template, fill in the content, publish – often the same day.
• No technical work. Operation, security and updates come with the subscription. You think about content, not servers.
• Templates look nice. You get a cohesive design without hiring anyone, and you can edit text and images yourself whenever you like.

Then the disadvantages, just as honestly:

• The monthly cost doesn't disappear. It lasts as long as your site exists – and usually rises when you need more from the tool.
• Customisation is limited. You can do what the tool allows. If you want something outside the templates and settings, you're stuck.
• You can't move a solution you rent. Your design and setup live in the provider's tool. If you want to switch, in practice you start over.
• The features are locked. Payments, booking and other add-ons often cost extra – or don't exist.

In short: you pay for simplicity, and the simplicity belongs to the tool, not to you.

WordPress: flexible – but with maintenance responsibility

WordPress powers a large share of all the websites in the world, and not without reason:

• An enormous range of extensions. Almost no matter what you want the site to do, there's a plugin for it.
• You own the content. Texts and images are yours, and can move with you if you change host or theme.
• A large community. Guides, forums and developers everywhere – help is never far away.

But freedom has a price, and it is paid in time or money:

• You have to keep updates and security in check. Core, theme and extensions must be kept up to date – otherwise the site becomes vulnerable over time.
• Performance can get slow. Many extensions and heavy themes pile up, and then it shows in load times – for both visitors and Google.
• You need technical expertise or help. Either you do the job yourself, or you pay someone to do it for you. That cost comes either way.

So WordPress is an excellent tool – if someone actually takes on the responsibility that comes with it.

Custom-built from us: you own everything – and pay once

The third way is what we deliver ourselves: a finished website built for exactly your business. This is what you get from us:

• Code and content you own. Your files, your domain, your passwords. If you want to move the site or have someone else work on it, you can – without having to start over.
• No monthly cost to us. You pay once for the build. We earn when you order something new, not from the site simply sitting there.
• Hosting is paid directly to the provider. A few dozen kroner a month, and you're on the agreement yourself. We set it up for you.
• SEO foundation included in all packages. Titles, descriptions, structured data, sitemap and Search Console – in place from day one.
• Fast and responsive. The code contains only what your site actually needs, so it loads quickly on all devices.

But to be as honest here as elsewhere in this article: this is not right for everyone. If you want to publish blog content every week yourself, and edit everything in a tool you know, a platform or WordPress may suit you better. A custom-built website pays off best when the content changes rarely – prices, services, testimonials, contact details – and you want to avoid technical maintenance entirely.

So what does it cost over three years?

Here is the core of the comparison. A low monthly price is easy to say yes to – but hard to stop paying. Note that the figures below are general: we don't know every provider's prices, and they change constantly. This is not a stab at anyone – just a way of doing the maths.

Solution	Setup cost	Monthly cost	Over 3 years (ex. VAT)
Website builder subscription	Often low or none	Typically from a few dozen to several hundred kroner	Often the highest in the end
WordPress	Development + theme + extensions	Hosting + maintenance	Depends on who runs it
Website from us (NettStart)	NOK 10,000	Hosting (a few dozen kroner, paid to the provider)	Typically the lowest total

With WordPress, the maths therefore depends on who runs it: if you do everything yourself, it's cheaper in kroner and more expensive in hours. If you have someone keep the site updated and secure, that cost comes on top every month. With a subscription you pay for a long time – with a one-time solution you're done paying early.

How to choose – three questions

Before you decide, answer these three honestly:

• How often do you want to change the content yourself? If you publish something new weekly, that argues for a platform or WordPress. If the content mostly stands still – as on most local businesses' sites – you don't need an advanced editing tool.
• How important is total cost over time? Calculate over three years, not the first month. That's when you see which option is actually cheapest for you.
• Who is going to run the technical side? With a subscription, the responsibility lies with the provider. With WordPress, it lies with you – or with whoever you pay. With a finished custom website there is almost nothing to run beyond the hosting.

There isn't one right answer for everyone. But there is a right answer for you – and you find it by doing the maths before you choose, not afterwards.