WordPress and HTML are the two most common methods of building a website. If you’ve never coded before the notion of using HTML to create a website from
scratch can seem daunting. Fortunately, WordPress exists, which can be used to create and manage a website via a specifically designed user-friendly admin area. Both systems have pros and cons: the following information will help you make an informed decision.
WordPress and HTML: What’s the difference?
WordPress is a content management system (CMS) that allows users to build their own website without having to understand coding. Because of this, it is a hugely popular platform, with more than 30% of the world’s websites being built using it. A content management system allows you to create and modify a website without having to interact directly with the code.
HTML stands for Hypertext Markup Language, which is the standard markup language for building websites. HTML is used to build the basic structure of a site, which is then enhanced using CSS and JavaScript.
What are the Pros of WordPress?
1. Code-Free Content Management
Sites like WordPress have revolutionised website building because they’ve almost entirely eliminated code from day-to-day use and management. The platform is specifically designed to be user-friendly, even for beginners. Instead of coding, almost all actions can be performed through the user interface, including creating and updating pages and managing SEO.
2. Easily Customised
Another plus is that WordPress is very customisable. You can easily change your website’s theme, which alters its whole look, and your site can gain increased power and functionality with various plugins. Many of these are free, but there are online stores that advanced ones at a competitive price.
3. Continual Development
Because WordPress is open source, it’s always developing. Anyone can contribute to WordPress, for example by fixing bugs or creating themes. This means a continual development of the platform, which enables you to build better websites even quicker.
What Are the Cons of WordPress?
- Because WordPress uses PHP and a database, it may load slower than an HTML site.
- You are required to maintain your WordPress site, which means updating the core software, themes and plugins. However, you can choose a hosting service that does this for you.
How About HTML?
HTML requires less maintenance. Once the code is written, you can leave it alone and not worry about updates. However, if you do want to make changes, you can access and modify the underlying code easily. HTML allows you to customise everything on your website and is, therefore, more flexible than WordPress when integrating certain additional features. Another plus is that HTML can run on a cheaper server with fewer resources because it doesn’t require PHP or MYSQL like WordPress does.
One of the biggest downsides of HTML is that it is not user-friendly for beginners. You need basic coding skills to build and update your website and will need to be able to rewrite your CSS if you want to change its appearance. If you want to have an HTML website you’ll need to pay a developer, making it more expensive than a WordPress one.
So Which Should I Choose?
Choosing whether to use HTML or WordPress to build your website depends on
what you want it to do. If it’s a small website that requires no new content, HTML will do the job. However, WordPress makes the most sense if you are a total beginner and add new content on a regular basis.
