WordPress powers a huge chunk of the web, and for good reason — it’s flexible, has tons of plugins, and seems easy at first glance. But the truth? It comes with more headaches than most people expect. Here’s why we usually steer clear.
Constant Updates
WordPress isn’t “set it and forget it.” Between core updates, plugin updates, and theme updates, there’s always something that needs attention. Ignoring updates can break features, make your site vulnerable, or even crash it completely. For businesses without a dedicated developer or technical support, managing these updates can feel like a full-time job. Even minor updates can cause conflicts between plugins or themes, meaning one small change could result in your contact form or checkout system suddenly not working.
Security Risks
Because it’s the most widely used CMS in the world, WordPress is a major target for hackers. Vulnerabilities usually aren’t in WordPress itself but in outdated plugins or themes that haven’t been properly maintained. A hacked site can mean lost customer trust, stolen data, or downtime that affects your bottom line. Protecting a WordPress site often means paying for security plugins, firewall services, and ongoing monitoring — and even then, there’s no guarantee you won’t get hit.
Slow Performance
Out of the box, a basic WordPress site can be fast. But as you add plugins, large images, embedded media, or complex themes, load times can degrade significantly. Slow websites frustrate users and can hurt your SEO rankings. Optimizing speed often requires technical work: caching plugins, image compression, database optimization, and careful plugin management. Without that, your visitors may leave before your site even fully loads.
Plugin Dependency
WordPress is powerful because of its plugin ecosystem — but that’s also part of the problem. Almost any feature beyond basic blogging usually requires one or more plugins. Each plugin is another point of potential conflict, security risk, or compatibility issue. Over time, plugin management becomes a juggling act: updating one plugin can break another, and some plugins are abandoned by their developers entirely, leaving you stuck with buggy or insecure tools.
Hidden Costs
WordPress itself is free, but a professional, fully-featured website is rarely cheap. You’ll often pay for premium themes, paid plugins, reliable hosting, security services, and, if you don’t have the technical skills, developer support. These costs can quickly add up and sometimes exceed the price of simpler, hosted platforms that include hosting, security, and updates in one package.
A Steeper Learning Curve Than You Think
While WordPress makes it easy to write a blog post or create a simple page, advanced functionality often requires coding. Customizing design, integrating third-party tools, or building unique features usually means learning PHP, CSS, JavaScript, or hiring a developer. For non-technical users, this can turn a “simple website project” into a frustrating, ongoing challenge.
Why We Choose Webflow
At Cascade North, we prefer Webflow for most projects. Webflow gives us the flexibility to build custom websites without relying on dozens of plugins or worrying about constant updates. Sites are fast, secure, and easy for clients to manage. Clients can update content, images, or text without accidentally breaking their site — and we don’t have to spend hours troubleshooting plugin conflicts. For us and our clients, Webflow combines the control of WordPress with a much smoother, lower-maintenance experience.