WordPress vs Modern Alternatives: What's Best in 2025?

WordPress powers over 40% of all websites. It's been the default choice for nearly two decades.

But should it still be your choice in 2025?

The answer depends on what you're building. For many small businesses, modern alternatives offer better speed, security, and lower maintenance without sacrificing functionality.

Let's break it down honestly.

The Case for WordPress

First, let's be fair to WordPress. It's still popular for good reasons:

For content publishers, news sites, and businesses that blog frequently, WordPress still makes sense. The content management is excellent, and the plugin ecosystem means you can do almost anything.

But for a simple business website? That's where alternatives shine.

The Modern Alternatives

In 2025, there are several compelling alternatives to WordPress, each with different strengths:

Static Site Generators (Hugo, Eleventy, Astro)

Best for: Small business sites, portfolios, landing pages

These generate plain HTML files, making them incredibly fast and secure. No database, no server-side processing, no security vulnerabilities.

The catch: Less user-friendly for non-technical people. Best when built by a developer.

Webflow

Best for: Design-focused sites, marketing pages

Visual builder with clean code output. Great for designers who want control without coding.

The catch: Monthly fees (£12-35/month) and you're locked into their platform.

Squarespace / Wix

Best for: DIY users with simple needs

Easy to use, templates look good, everything included in one package.

The catch: Limited customization, ongoing monthly costs, can feel "samey".

Ghost

Best for: Publishers, newsletters, membership sites

Built specifically for content and subscriptions. Much faster and cleaner than WordPress.

The catch: Less flexible for non-publishing use cases.

The Speed Difference

This is where modern alternatives really shine. Let's compare typical loading times:

Speed matters. Google uses it as a ranking factor, and visitors leave if your site takes more than 3 seconds to load.

The Security Factor

WordPress gets hacked. A lot.

Not because it's poorly built, but because it's everywhere. Hackers target it because the ROI is high. If you find a vulnerability in a popular plugin, you can potentially exploit millions of sites.

Static sites and modern alternatives are inherently more secure because:

• No database to hack into
• No admin login to brute force
• No plugins to exploit
• No PHP vulnerabilities

This doesn't mean WordPress can't be secure. But it requires active maintenance, security plugins, and vigilance. Modern alternatives are secure by default.

The Maintenance Reality

Here's what WordPress maintenance actually looks like:

• Core updates every few months
• Plugin updates (sometimes weekly)
• Theme updates
• Testing updates don't break things
• Security monitoring
• Database optimization
• Backup management

For many small businesses, this becomes:

• £30-100/month for a maintenance service
• Or 2-4 hours per month doing it yourself
• Or ignoring it and hoping nothing breaks

Modern static sites? Zero maintenance. Upload once, forget about it. No updates, no security patches, no database to optimize.

When You Should Still Choose WordPress

Don't let this guide make you think WordPress is bad. It's not. It's just often the wrong tool for simple business sites.

Choose WordPress if you:

• Blog frequently - WordPress's editor and workflow are excellent
• Need specific plugins - Some functionality only exists in WordPress
• Have complex e-commerce - WooCommerce is powerful and mature
• Need multiple content editors - WordPress has great user management
• Want total control - Open source means you can do anything
• Have technical support - In-house or hired developers who know WordPress

When Modern Alternatives Win

Choose a modern alternative if you:

• Want a simple business site - 5-10 pages, rarely change content
• Value speed - Fast sites rank better and convert better
• Don't want maintenance - Set it and forget it
• Are budget-conscious - Lower ongoing costs
• Need it to just work - No surprises, no broken plugins
• Want better security - Sleep better at night

For most small businesses, the second list matches their reality better than the first.

The Cost Comparison

Let's compare total cost of ownership over 3 years:

The difference is significant. Even if you do WordPress maintenance yourself, you're investing dozens of hours over three years.

What We Recommend

For small businesses in 2025, we recommend starting with modern alternatives unless you have a specific reason to use WordPress.

Services like Computer Web build on modern platforms that are:

• Faster than WordPress
• More secure by default
• Require zero maintenance
• Cost less over time
• Still look professional and work perfectly

You get a better site for less money and zero ongoing hassle. That's the kind of value small businesses actually need.

Making the Decision

Ask yourself these questions:

1. Will I be blogging regularly (multiple times per week)?
2. Do I need complex e-commerce with hundreds of products?
3. Am I comfortable maintaining a website myself?
4. Do I have budget for ongoing maintenance?
5. Do I need specific functionality only available in WordPress?

If you answered "no" to most of these, you probably don't need WordPress. You need something simpler, faster, and more reliable.

Bottom Line

WordPress isn't dead. It's still the right choice for many use cases, particularly content-heavy sites and complex e-commerce.

But for a typical small business website, modern alternatives offer better performance, security, and value. They're faster to load, cheaper to maintain, and more secure out of the box.

In 2025, the default choice shouldn't be WordPress. It should be "what's the simplest solution that meets my needs?"

Often, that's not WordPress anymore.