Laravel vs WordPress: when should you go custom?
WordPress isn't the wrong choice, and Laravel isn't always the better one. Here's how to tell which approach actually fits your project.
I regularly get asked whether a project should be built "in WordPress" or "custom". Both are perfectly valid choices, just for very different situations. This article walks through the key differences.
When WordPress is enough
For a business website, a blog, or a simple portfolio, WordPress is often the fastest and cheapest route. There's a huge ecosystem of themes and plugins, and managing content is easy for a non-technical user. As long as your project is mostly content and standard functionality, this is usually the sensible choice.
When custom software with Laravel is the better choice
Once a project involves unique business logic, such as a custom calculation, an integration with an external system, a client portal with specific permissions, or performance beyond what a standard CMS can handle, you'll quickly run into plugins that almost but don't quite do what you need.
Laravel gives you full control over the architecture: you build exactly the functionality required, without unnecessary layers, and with code that stays predictable as the project grows.
The rule of thumb
Is your project mostly content? Choose WordPress. Does it revolve around unique logic, data, or workflows that set your business apart? Then custom software is the investment that pays for itself.
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