WordPress or custom site: the real comparison for your business in Morocco
"You need WordPress" or "you need custom": you read everything and its opposite. Here are the real differences — real prices, speed, security — to decide for your specific case.
Let's start with facts. WordPress powers about 43% of the world's sites. It's open-source software, with an ecosystem of thousands of extensions. A custom site — what we deliver at AWP — is coded for you, with no generic software layer underneath: the page is the code. The right answer depends on your case.
1. The real 3-year price
| Poste | WordPress bien fait | Custom (AWP) |
|---|---|---|
| Build (showcase, 6-8 pages) | 2 500 – 8 000 DH | from 2 499 DH |
| Extensions premium / an | 500 – 1 500 DH | 0 MAD (none needed) |
| Hosting fiable / an | 600 – 1 200 DH | 300 – 800 DH (moins gourmand) |
| Updates & security | self-managed or agency flat rate | incluses 12 mois chez AWP |
| Total 3 ans (fourchette basse) | ≈ 5 000 – 12 000 DH | ≈ 2 500 – 3 300 DH |
The often-forgotten point: WordPress is free, WordPress maintenance isn't. Every premium extension renews yearly; every major update must be tested. Custom has no licences to renew.
2. Speed (Google measures it)
A WordPress page loads on average 100 to 300 lines of theme and extension code before displaying yours. A custom site carries only what the page uses. On our outil de test gratuit, an average WordPress mobile score sits between 45 and 65; our pages run between 85 and 99. Google measures Core Web Vitals — and every second lost costs visitors.
3. Security
Poorly or un-updated plugins provide 90% of hacker entry points on WordPress. A static custom site offers almost no attack surface: no admin, no extensions, no exposed base. That's why a WordPress site needs a maintenance plan — and why ours include backups.
4. Independence and scalability
WordPress ties you to your theme and plugins: when a team leaves, picking the design back up becomes fragile. Custom code belongs to you: any competent developer can take it over. Honest limit: you can't edit your texts yourself on a basic custom site — unless you're delivered a light CMS (we offer one) or support updating your content for 12 months (ours).
Nos recommandations par cas
- Editorial blog, content published weekly → WordPress makes sense (comfortable editor).
- Showcase site, booking, appointments → custom: faster, cheaper over 3 years, zero technical maintenance.
- E-commerce in Morocco → light custom shop or Shopify depending on the catalog; see nos offres e-commerce from 5 400 DH.
- Want to edit the site yourself → WordPress + training, or custom + light CMS.
- Frequent redesigns / UX tests → custom: the code is more flexible.
FAQ
Is WordPress really free?
The software, yes. Not reliable hosting (600–1,200 MAD/year), nor premium extensions (often 500–1,500 MAD/year), nor maintenance. Over 3 years, “free” costs more than entry-level custom.
Peut-on changer de solution ensuite ?
Yes, but with work: redo design, re-import content, redirect URLs. That's why the starting choice is worth settling — we offer this point in a 20-minute call.
Pourquoi certaines agences poussent WordPress ?
Because it saves them time (template + configuration) and some clients ask for it out of habit. A serious agency recommends the tool fitting the case, not the tool it knows.
And for SEO?
No intrinsic advantage: Google sees HTML. In practice, the speed of a well-built custom site plays in its favour; see our Core Web Vitals article.
🚀 A frank opinion on your project? Free quote within 24hVoir aussi : Agence ou freelance ? · The 12 questions to ask before signing · Core Web Vitals & vitesse · Nos rates 2026