For those unfamiliar with the world of CMS, it’s slightly tough to realize that applying zero coding skills, each one can build a professionally-looking website on his own. Thanks to a large range of open-source CMS solutions, now it’s absolutely free and easy. When trying to decide on one and only option within plenty possible online, it’s quite confusing to make the right decision. Once digged into the topic deeper, you inevitably find that except of pre-built CMS, there are also custom ones. To not be led by misconceptions, let’s figure out the differences between these two.
Exploring custom and pre-built CMS options, what we really need to clarify is that the choice here is not that easy. There are benefits to both, so we can’t just make a few measurements and simply decide which of the two is better. What you have to consider is a certain set of factors before landing on a particular software. Therefore, let’s delve into 3 critical points to help you make the right decision:
Limits
Generally, the process of creating websites can be perfectly compared to building houses. We can buy a stunning house that has been built before by someone else, and it can do the job, be really gorgeous. Though, never as perfect as the personally designed one from the scratch.
Needless to say that pre-built CMS options are very customizable. Though, we can’t be pushing them forever. Sure, it’s possible to create amazing things with their help, especially if to find a good developer and web designer. However, sooner or later, even with the best team possible, it’s inevitable to avoid limits. Conversely, with custom CMS the only bounds you meet are the imagination and the tech skills implemented. Whatever you invent it’s possible to make here happen. Though, it demands really huge investments not just to make your site look as you desire, but also to modify each slight transformation. Believe it or not, the practice proves that 80% of non-tech users cannot moderate their own website by themselves with custom CMS. If you are ready to coowork with developers all of the time, the custom web solution is the right choice. Though, in case you want to edit and change your content by your own, and to do it easily and quickly – pre built CMS is definitely the way to go.
Flexibility
The point you have to make about flexibility of pre-built and custom 
CMS can be put this way: prepackaged sites could be compared to wooden sticks. We can flex them but as a result they break. Conversely, the custom ones like plasticine – tear it, push it, flex it, whatever you desire – they will never break.
As long as pre-built sites are restrained by already created codes, naturally, they can flex only to a certain point. Therefore, once this line is reached, the site cannot be pushed further. Consequently, it means that you have to give up on some of the extra features you wanted to include.
In contrast, custom sites can be pushed and flexed as much as desired. Here, it is always possible to add new lacking features and to change design as often as required. But, nevertheless, it all delves again to the costs point and your initial requirements. In case you are ready to spend a considerable amount of money on custom CMSs – choose them and enjoy the flexibility. Though, if you are willing to expand your site with no external help and to do it easily and quickly with the abundant choice of plugins and extensions – pre-built solutions would definitely be the best way to go.
Price
Comparing prebuilt and custom CMS solutions, the key deciding factor here is budget. Commonly, the average cost of pre-built CMS maintenance varies from $50 and end up to $1000. For instance, with WP CMS, the average hosting cost is around $11-75 per month, plus the price of a domain name registration ($1.99-50), the security services and assessments ($15), storage and backups ($5) and some additional costs on premium or commercial plugins if required. If Joomla! CMS is under review – the average expenses could be broken up to the following: domain name adjustment – $20, website maintenance – $50, hosting costs – $300, website design – $1000.
Summing the cost issue up, running a website powered by a pre-built CMS would be around $50-1000. Conversely, if to compare the featured pre-built expenses with a custom CMS – just multiply the price 4-5 times to see the approximate prediction.
In any rate, define your priorities and scopes. Delve into the possibilities of pre-built CMSs and try to forecast whether you need to go further than it’s offered. Think about your website in perspective, as a long-term place your business be showcased. Once estimated the workflow, make up your choice.
Bottom Line
As you could see, when it comes to the choice between custom and pre-built types of CMS, there is no one-fits-all way out. It all dives to what you particularly require. Think about your business, what image do you want people have about it? What is its scope? Commonly, if you’ve got a small project or just launching a new one, not sure that your idea is 100% shinning, don’t really care about custom functions and design, just aim to get going and to have something to show for your customers – be sure to choose pre-build CMS solution.
What blurs the lines, is the desire to incorporate some complex custom features and graphical design. They get even more confusing when you want to integrate the site with back-office apps and systems. To reach here the admired – give your site the exact touch you want and proceed it with a custom CMS.
In case, you already have your site and decided to switch from custom CMS to a pre-built one – aisite online migration tool provides a free trial chance to accomplish this right now.
