Custom Website vs Template

Choosing between a ready-made template and a custom-coded website isn’t simple. As Qualix Software, I help companies make data-driven decisions: based on goals, constraints, and real user needs. Below you’ll find practical criteria and a brief case study from my projects.

If you want to see what my process looks like from discovery workshops to implementation – also read the article: How I code websites for real client needs – my process.

When to Choose a Template?

A template makes sense when:

• budget and time are very limited (minimum viable product, landing page for campaign),
• functionality is standard (business card, few subpages, simple form),
• you plan major redesign soon and don’t want to invest in custom solution now,
• you accept limitations in performance and scalability.

Template Pros

• quick start (1–3 days),
• low entry price,
• many ready sections.

Template Cons

• limited flexibility and harder development,
• more “unnecessary code bloat” and worse Core Web Vitals metrics,
• harder SEO (poor heading hierarchy, unnecessary scripts),
• similar appearance to hundreds of other sites.

When to Code from Scratch (Custom)?

Custom solution I recommend when:

• you want to focus on SEO and speed (Astro + lightweight front-end),
• you have specific UX/CRO requirements, e.g., non-standard contact paths,
• the site needs to grow (blog, knowledge base, multilingual, case studies section),
• business results matter, not just “appearance”.

What You Gain with Astro

• minimal JS on client = better Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) and Interaction to Next Paint (INP) metrics,
• full control over DOM structure and headings (SEO-first),
• content-focused components – easier to develop and iterate,
• lower maintenance costs (no heavy plugins, simple infrastructure).

Mini Case Study (Anonymized)

• B2B industry, Silesia. Migration from heavy theme to Astro. Results after 6 weeks:
  • Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) from ~4.1s → ~1.6s,
  • CTR from organic results +38%,
  • contact form completions +26%.
• Local service industry (Bytom). Instead of template – lightweight landing page + blog on collections:
  • mobile inquiries growth +22%,
  • PageSpeed Mobile from 54 → 92.

Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) – Where You Really Pay?

• Template: low start, high “debt” during development (modifications, plugins, performance fixes).
• Custom: higher start, lower total cost of ownership with iterations (modular components, no vendor dependency).

Decision Checklist

Answer “yes/no” and count the advantage:

1. SEO and Google visibility are a priority.
2. Speed and Core Web Vitals directly impact leads.
3. You have non-standard user paths or forms.
4. You want to publish (blog/FAQ/case studies) and grow content-wise.
5. You need component designs for content, not content for theme.

4–5 x “yes”? You’ll probably benefit from custom code. 0–2 x “yes”? Consider template as transitional stage.

FAQ

Does custom always mean more expensive?

No. Well-designed scope and reusable components often cost less over 6–12 months.

What about content panel?

In many projects, simple Markdown + collections workflow is enough. If needed – I integrate headless CMS.

Can I start with small scope?

Yes. I propose “Lean Website” approach: small, measurable scope in 2–3 weeks, then iterations.

Have a dilemma about what to choose? Let’s do brief discovery and calculate total cost of ownership for both options. Schedule a free consultation, call +48 697 433 120 or write to kontakt@qualixsoftware.com. You can also browse service offerings to see ready packages.