Verdict: For most Indian business websites, WordPress built for you is the right answer — unless you’re running a serious online store, where Shopify or WooCommerce wins, or you genuinely want to build it yourself this week, where Wix is fine.
The side-by-side
| WordPress | Wix / builders | Shopify | Custom-coded | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ease for you | Moderate — needs setup | Easiest | Easy for stores | Not applicable |
| Do you own it | Yes — files portable | No — you rent | Store is yours, platform is rented | Yes |
| Upfront cost | Build + domain + hosting | ₹0 to low | Build + setup | Highest |
| Recurring | Domain ₹700–1,200 + hosting a few thousand/yr | Monthly plan, indefinitely | Monthly plan + transaction fees | Hosting + developer retainer |
| Editing it yourself | Yes, with the admin login | Yes | Yes | Usually needs a developer |
| Search / SEO control | Full | Adequate | Good for products | Full |
| Portability if you leave | Full — back it up and move | Poor — usually a rebuild | Poor for the storefront | Full but developer-dependent |
| Upkeep needed | Monthly updates, or a plan | Handled by the platform | Handled by the platform | Developer-dependent |
| Best for | Most business websites | A simple page, fast, DIY | Serious online stores | Genuine complexity only |
The one row that decides most cases
Portability. It’s the least discussed and most consequential line in that table.
A WordPress site can be backed up, downloaded and handed to any developer in the country. A builder site largely can’t — content and design don’t transfer, so “moving” means rebuilding, and you’ll do it under time pressure at exactly the moment you’re least happy.
That’s the same reason the domain-in-your-own-account rule matters. Ownership isn’t ideology; it’s the ability to leave without starting over.
Choose WordPress if…
- You want a business website — brochure, services, portfolio, lead generation
- You want to change your own prices and photographs without paying per edit
- You want the option to move developer or host later without rebuilding
- You accept monthly software updates, either yourself after a backup or via a small plan
The catch, honestly: WordPress needs upkeep. Skipped updates are the usual route to a compromise, and cleanup in India typically runs ₹20,000–50,000 or more. Either do updates monthly after taking a backup, or budget ₹1,000–2,500 a month for a plan. What you should own on a WordPress build.
Choose Wix or a builder if…
- You need something live this week and can’t wait for a build
- Your requirement is genuinely simple — a page or two with your details
- You’re testing an idea before committing money
- You enjoy the work and have the hours
Honest recommendation: if that’s you, use it. It’s a legitimate choice and we’d rather say so. Two conditions: register your own domain separately (about ₹1,000 a year) and point the builder at it, and know that the free tier puts you on their subdomain with their branding — which won’t fill the website field on a vendor form, tender or payment gateway application. The three-year arithmetic on “free”.
Choose Shopify if…
- You’re running a real online store with more than a handful of products
- You want payments, stock, shipping and checkout handled reliably out of the box
- You’d rather pay monthly than manage infrastructure
- COD and UPI are handled through the gateways you plan to use
The catch: a recurring monthly platform fee for as long as the store exists, plus per-transaction costs, and poor portability. Compare it over three years against WooCommerce rather than at build price. The store cost comparison.
Choose custom-coded if…
- You have functionality no platform provides — a booking engine tied to your operations, an ERP integration, a genuine web application
- You have the budget for a developer relationship, not a one-off build
- You can name specifically what the custom part does
Honest warning: “custom” is used loosely in this market, sometimes meaning nothing more than an adapted template at a higher price. Ask exactly what is custom and what it does. If the answer is vague, you’re paying custom prices for a template.
What the platform doesn’t decide
Worth stating, because platform choice gets over-weighted:
- Whether you get customers. That’s traffic — a separate purchase on every platform.
- Whether the site looks good. A well-set-up template beats a badly-built custom site.
- Whether you own your domain. That’s the registrar account, independent of platform. Register it yourself first, always.
- Whether anyone answers in month eight. That’s your vendor’s economics, not the software.
The three-year cost comparison
| Over 3 years, small business site | WordPress (done for you) | Builder paid plan |
|---|---|---|
| Build | ₹15,000–40,000 | ₹0 + your two days |
| Platform fee | ₹0 | Monthly, ×36 |
| Domain + hosting | ~₹13,500 | Domain often included year one |
| Editing your own content | Included | Included |
| Portability at year 3 | Full | Rebuild |
Builders win year one on money and lose on portability. WordPress costs more upfront and leaves you with an asset you can move. Which matters more depends on whether you expect the site to still be running in three years — for a business, it usually will be.
What to do this week
- Decide whether you’re building a brochure site or a store — that answers most of it.
- Register your own domain in your own account, whatever the platform.
- If DIY: check your content is written and you have two clear days.
- If a store: compare Shopify’s three-year fees against a WooCommerce build.
- Ask any developer who holds the admin login and whether the theme licence is in your name.
If you want it done the certain way
We build on WordPress with the domain, hosting and admin login in your name and the theme licence yours — and we’ll tell you plainly when Wix or Shopify suits you better than anything we’d charge for. WhatsApp us; we reply in about five minutes between 9am and 7pm.
Related reading
- The complete guide to your first business website in Delhi NCR
- Hiring a WordPress developer in Delhi NCR
- Is WordPress free? Then why am I paying?
- Is a free website builder actually free?
- Ecommerce website development: cost and timeline
FAQ
Which is the best platform for a small business website in India?
WordPress built for you, for most business sites — you own it, you can edit it, and you can move it. Wix suits a simple page you want live this week; Shopify suits a serious online store.
Is WordPress better than Wix?
For a business you expect to still be running in three years, yes — mainly because a WordPress site is portable and a builder site usually isn’t. Wix is better if you want something live immediately and will build it yourself.
Should I use Shopify or WooCommerce for an Indian store?
Shopify is smoother with predictable monthly costs; WooCommerce is cheaper long-run and you own it, with more setup. Compare over three years, and check UPI and COD work through your chosen gateway either way.
Do I need a custom-coded website?
Only for functionality no platform provides — a booking engine tied to your operations, an ERP integration, a real application. Ask exactly what the custom part does; the word is often used for an adapted template at a higher price.
