Questions first, tools second.
At the studio we build sites in Framer, in WordPress and with custom code. None of them always wins: what decides is how the site will be used the day after launch. That's why every project starts with four questions.
1. Who will edit it?
If you'll be changing copy, photos or news yourself, you need a simple visual editor. Framer is the friendliest for that; WordPress works too, with a bit more of a learning curve. With custom code, content changes go through a CMS that needs to be connected.
2. What does it need to do besides showing things?
- Show services, projects and a form → any option works; Framer is usually the fastest.
- Specific features (bookings, private areas, particular plugins) → WordPress has almost everything covered.
- Custom logic, integrations with other systems or a very particular experience → code.
3. How much will the content grow?
A ten-page site is not the same as one with hundreds of articles, categories and filters. For a lot of content, WordPress or code with a good CMS scale better.
4. How much maintenance do you want?
- Framer: almost none; hosting and security are included in the plan.
- WordPress: updates, backups and plugins to review every so often.
- Code: very stable, but any structural change needs whoever built it.
In short
- Launch fast and look great: Framer.
- Publish a lot or add features with plugins: WordPress.
- Performance, integrations and something unique: custom code.