Should I use WordPress or a custom solution?

WordPress is right when you need a site up fast, your budget is under $5,000, your content team needs full WYSIWYG control, and you don't need custom integrations. It's also right for blogs and media sites where the plugin ecosystem solves most requirements.

Custom is right when: you need consistent sub-2-second load times, you're integrating with CRM/ERP/payment systems, you're serving content in multiple languages, you need custom business logic (calculators, configurators, dashboards), or your site IS your product.

The honest answer for most B2B operators: start with WordPress if you're validating a business model. Move to custom when your site becomes infrastructure — when it's generating leads, processing transactions, or serving as the primary interface for your business. The migration cost ($10,000-$25,000) is worth it once the template is limiting your growth.

Performance comparison: WordPress with 15+ plugins averages 3-5 second LCP. A custom Next.js site with the same content averages 0.8-1.5 second LCP. Google's Core Web Vitals directly affect search ranking, and that performance gap compounds into traffic over 12 months.