WordPress Review 2023: Is WordPress a Good Website Builder?

WordPress is one of the most popular website builders on the internet and has been for over a decade. In this WordPress website builder review, we’ll dig in to see if it's still a capable option in 2023.

In this WordPress review, we'll be focusing on WordPress.org, which is the self-hosted version of WordPress. We'll take a closer look at the features, ease of use, and overall performance to help you decide if it's the right website builder for your needs.

Of course, we’ll also make sure to compare WordPress.org with Wordpress.com in terms of pricing and features as well.

WordPress review 2023: is WordPress a good website builder?

If you’re wondering, “how good is WordPress in 2023,” we have the answer here. After writing this detailed WordPress.org review, we can safely say that it remains an exceptional website and page builder even in 2023. Its flexibility and performance make it a reliable choice for building a website. 

WordPress offers a wide range of themes and plugins to customize your website's design and functionality. This flexibility has made it a favorite among bloggers, small business owners, and even large corporations. 

Another factor that makes WordPress.org a popular choice is its SEO-friendly nature. It has built-in SEO tools and add-ons that help improve your website's search engine rankings. This can be a huge advantage in today's competitive online landscape.

While WordPress.org may have a steeper learning curve than other website builders, there are plenty of tutorials and resources available online to help you get started.

When it comes to performance, WordPress.org is a solid choice. It's a self-hosted platform, which means that you have more control over your website's speed and security. Additionally, the platform is constantly updated to improve performance and address any security issues.

Overall, if you're looking for a website builder that offers a lot of customization options and excellent performance, WordPress.org is definitely worth considering. Whether you need to build an ecommerce store, a professional portfolio, or a simple home page for your company, WordPress can be a top-notch website maker for small business. 

Review of WordPress website builder pricing plans

First of all, how much does WordPress cost? Let's jump into our WordPress plans review.

It’s important to note that although the WordPress.org platform itself is completely free to install, use, update, and customize, there are additional costs associated with running a website that extend beyond just the website builder.

These costs include web hosting, domain name, themes, plugins, and potentially hiring a developer. It's important to consider these costs and factor them into your budget when planning to launch a WordPress website.

To compare, WordPress.com, which is the fully-hosted version that manages your hosting for you, has a few monthly pricing plans you choose from. There are five paid plans, in addition to a free version, ranging from $4/month to $45+ per month. 

The table below shows some of the associated costs of running a website on Wordpress.org:

Which WordPress plan is best? Let’s also quickly review WordPress.com pricing plans so that you can decide which WordPress plan is best for your business needs. 

How much does WordPress website creator cost for nonprofits?

The cost of using WordPress website creator for nonprofits is the same as it is for all other businesses. WordPress itself is a free and open-source CMS, which means that anyone can use it to create a website without having to pay any licensing fees. However, keep in mind there are still some costs associated with running a website on WordPress.

Are there any WordPress coupon codes or promo discount vouchers?

We did the research, and it seems there are no WordPress coupon codes or discount vouchers at this time.

WordPress free vs paid: what’s the difference?

WordPress.org is a self-hosted platform, and as such, it's completely free to use. However, you will be responsible for finding your own WordPress hosting provider and installing the software.

This gives you complete control over your website and allows for greater customization. But it also means that you need to have some technical knowledge to manage your website effectively.

There are some costs associated with running a website on WordPress. You’ll need to pay for hosting, domain names, themes, and plugins. Please refer to the table above to get a clearer idea of the average costs associated with building and maintaining a WordPress.org website. 

Overall, if you want complete control over your website and have some technical knowledge, WordPress.org is the better option. However, if you prefer a fully-hosted version that manages your hosting for you, then WordPress.com is the way to go. 

Just keep in mind that while WordPress.org is free, there are some costs associated with it, whereas WordPress.com requires a monthly fee but comes with hosting and other features included, depending on the monthly plan. 

WordPress features list

The main features of WordPress are:

• WordPress templates library

• Plugins

• SEO optimization 

• Media management

• Publishing tools

• User management

• Multi-language support

• WordPress dashboard
   

1. WordPress templates library

WordPress offers a vast selection of theme templates, both free and paid. While free themes are suitable for those on a budget, they may have coding errors and lack customer service support. Paid WordPress themes, on the other hand, provide more reliable support options and a wider range of customization features.

Developers have created thousands of paid themes for WordPress over the years. These themes can be purchased with a one-time payment or a yearly subscription. One-time payment themes usually offer a fixed support period of 6-12 months, while yearly subscriptions provide ongoing support and access to customer service.

Yearly subscriptions are popular among website owners who frequently change their website designs and need continued customer support. If you want to configure your theme, some coding may be required. The cheapest themes can cost you a few dollars, while premium themes can go as high as $200+. 

If you can’t find what you need through pre-made themes, you can always hire a WordPress developer to build you a custom theme.
 

2. Plugins

WordPress provides you with access to thousands of plugins that can enhance the functionality of your website. These plugins can be found in the WordPress dashboard and are available in both free and paid versions.

WordPress plugins offer a wide range of features, from SEO tools to payment acceptance and drag-and-drop editing. For example, if you have an online store, you can use the WooCommerce plugin to add a shop, collect payments, and organize your products. Or let’s imagine you want to collect email addresses from your visitors. In this case, you can use the Constant Contact plugin to add a pop-up form to your site.

Another useful plugin is Elementor, which replaces the basic WordPress editor with a live frontend editor. This enables users to create complex layouts visually and design their websites in real-time.
 

3. SEO optimization 

WordPress offers numerous SEO-friendly features that can help improve your website's visibility on search engines. Its streamlined and clean code is particularly beneficial as it's what search engines prefer.

In addition, WordPress allows you to make your website visible to search engines like Google. You can easily set up categories and tags to sort your content, making it easier for search engines to understand and index your website's content.

WordPress also offers the option to create SEO-friendly URLs that are descriptive and help Google identify the relevance of your pages to specific searches. Additionally, you can use HTML tags when writing content in the text editor to give weight to keywords and include them in page titles and subtitles.

To further boost your website's SEO, you can use plugins such as Yoast. Yoast is a popular SEO plugin that enables you to add meta titles and descriptions to your pages. It also provides insights into your keyword usage and offers suggestions on how to optimize your content.
 

4. Media management 

The Media Library in WordPress offers a convenient location to store all your images, videos, files, and other media. You can upload media from the post or page editor or directly from the Media Library. Additionally, each media file can have alternative text, title, caption, and description, making it easier to organize and locate specific media files.

In addition, the Media Library provides an image editor that allows you to crop, rotate, and flip images with ease. You can also adjust the size of the image to save space. However, if you want to optimize your images for speed, you may need to install an additional plugin.
 

5. Publishing tools

WordPress provides a user-friendly platform for creating, editing, and publishing pages and posts. Its bulk editing feature allows you to easily manage multiple posts at once by placing them in a specific category or moving them to the trash.

With its flexible user management system, WordPress enables you to assign different roles to users, such as contributors, editors, and administrators. Posts can be set as private or public, and there's a revision history for all posts and pages. You can also turn commenting on and off as per your preference.

There are two types of content editors you can choose from: the Classic editor and the Gutenberg editor. While the Classic editor is simple and familiar, it lacks flexibility. The Gutenberg editor, on the other hand, offers a more visual experience by allowing you to create blocks of content. Additionally, there is a range of formatting tools, including font colors, block quotes, numbered or bulleted lists, and headings.
 

6. User management 

WordPress provides a user management system that enables you to control access to your website's content. With Administrator access, users can manage the entire site, while Editors can manage the content. Authors and Contributors can write content that goes live, allowing for a diverse range of contributors to your website.
 

7. Multi-language support

With support for over 70 languages, WordPress can be easily adapted to meet your language preferences. Whether you or the intended user prefer a language other than English, WordPress offers a simple solution.
 

8. WordPress dashboard

The WordPress Dashboard provides access to the back end of your website, enabling you to add plugins, publish posts, change settings, add pages, edit navigation menus, and more.

The Dashboard is user-friendly and straightforward, even for those with limited website design experience. Navigation links are located on the left sidebar, so you’ll have easy access to various site management tools, such as comment monitoring and media uploading.

As you add plugins and theme frameworks to enhance your website's functionality, you'll see new options and tools appear on your Dashboard. Additionally, you can add Dashboard widgets to provide a quick overview of your website's social media integration, analytics, and more.

WordPress comes with several default Dashboard widgets, such as post activity, WordPress events and news, and QuickDraft tool, allowing you to add new posts quickly.

WordPress pros and cons

Here are the advantages and disadvantages of WordPress:
 

WordPress advantages

Some of the most notable benefits of WordPress include: 

Highly customizable: WordPress is highly regarded for its extensive customization options that let you create unique websites that are specifically tailored to your needs. With full access to the WordPress code, you can make use of pre-made themes and designs, as well as customize them to suit your preferences.

Complete control: WordPress gives you complete control over your website, including access to the site's backend and the ability to edit and manage content, as well as the option to choose your own hosting provider.

Free to use: WordPress is an open-source platform that is free to use, making it accessible to users on a tight budget. There are no hidden fees or subscription costs associated with the use of the platform, although you’ll need to pay for web hosting and other associated costs.

Monetization: Creating your website with WordPress means there are no restrictions on how you decide to monetize your website. You can create an affiliate marketing site or sell products or services. The platform offers a range of plugins and tools to support monetization efforts, including ecommerce plugins like WooCommerce.
 

WordPress disadvantages

Here are some of the cons of WordPress:

Steep learning curve: While WordPress is a user-friendly platform, there is still a learning curve associated with using the platform, particularly if you have limited website design experience. If you’re a beginner, you may need to spend time learning how to use various tools and plugins, as well as how to troubleshoot issues that may arise. 

What’s more, if you want to change the design of your website, you’ll have to do some coding. Even if you want to make the simplest changes to a template, you must know how to use and edit HTML/CSS/PHP or hire a developer who will do it for you.  

Lack of customer support: While WordPress provides an extensive knowledge base and community forum, there’s no direct customer support available. This can be frustrating in times when you are experiencing technical difficulties and can’t find help in the community forum or knowledge base.

Expenses can add up: While WordPress is free to use, expenses can add up quickly, particularly if you choose to invest in premium themes, plugins, and other tools to enhance website functionality. Additionally, you’ll need to pay for web hosting, domain names, and other associated costs.

No hosting services. While WordPress.org provides the software for free, it doesn't offer hosting services. This means that if you want to use WordPress.org, you'll need to find a hosting provider yourself. There are many hosting providers to choose from, but one great option is Bluehost. Bluehost is a popular web hosting provider that offers a variety of hosting plans to meet different needs and budgets.

Is WordPress good for websites according to users? (WordPress.com reviews from real customers)

According to real WordPress users, the software is highly regarded for its versatility and flexibility. More than one WordPress website review praises the extensive customization options that WordPress provides, allowing users to create unique and tailored websites to suit their specific needs. Additionally, users appreciate the user-friendly interface and the ease with which they can create and publish content.

Users also seem to be fans of the extensive plugin library, which offers a range of tools and features to enhance website functionality. They appreciate the ability to add new plugins and features as their website grows and changes.

In addition to its customization options, WordPress is also praised for its search engine optimization (SEO) features. The platform's clean code and user-friendly URL structure make it easy for search engines to crawl and index websites, while plugins like Yoast SEO offer powerful tools for optimizing website content.

Negative WordPress reviews and ratings criticize the platform for a few reasons, one of which is the potential for security issues. As an open-source platform, WordPress is more susceptible to security vulnerabilities than closed-source platforms. However, many users argue that this risk can be mitigated by implementing proper security measures, such as strong passwords, regular updates, and the use of security plugins.

Another common criticism of WordPress is the potential for plugin conflicts and compatibility issues. With thousands of plugins available, it can be difficult to ensure that all plugins work seamlessly together. However, many users argue that this issue can be avoided by being selective with plugin choices and regularly updating plugins to ensure compatibility.

Finally, some users criticize WordPress for its potential for slow page loading times, particularly with larger websites or those with extensive customization. However, users argue that this issue can be mitigated by implementing proper caching and optimization techniques, as well as choosing a high-quality web hosting provider.

Review of WordPress website builder support

WordPress is a free, open-source platform that does not provide dedicated customer support. The good news is there is a wealth of free online tutorials available to help you learn the basics of WordPress. There’s also a very active WordPress community forum where you can search for answers to commonly asked questions or ask new ones yourself.

Is WordPress worth it? Our conclusion

After writing this extensive review, the main question still remains: Is WordPress.org website builder worth it? 

After considering all the pros and cons of using WordPress.org as a website builder, we can confidently say that it’s definitely worth it. WordPress.org offers a highly versatile and customizable platform for building any type of website, with a vast array of themes and plugins available to enhance functionality and design.

However, it’s important to note that using WordPress.org may present challenges for those without coding or website building experience. While the platform's user-friendly interface and extensive community support can help users navigate these challenges, it may still take time and effort to fully master the platform's capabilities.

Overall, we highly recommend WordPress.org as a website builder for those looking for a highly customizable and powerful platform for building their website. With its extensive customization options, vast plugin library, and powerful SEO features, WordPress.org offers a compelling option for website design and management.

If you are specifically looking for a drag-and-drop website builder, then you may want to consider WordPress alternatives like Wix, Squarespace, or Weebly. While WordPress does offer some visual editing capabilities, its primary focus is on customization through code and plugins. These other platforms may be better suited for those who prefer a more visual, hands-on approach to website design.

Our final WordPress rating

4/5

WordPress FAQs

Is WordPress the best website builder?

It's difficult to say whether WordPress is the best website builder, as different builders have different strengths and weaknesses. However, WordPress is a highly versatile and customizable platform with a vast array of themes and plugins available, making it a great option for building any type of website.
 

Is WordPress reliable?

Yes, WordPress is a reliable platform for building and managing websites. It has been around for 20+ years and is used by millions of websites around the world. However, as with any platform, it’s important to ensure that WordPress is kept up to date and secure to ensure optimal reliability.
 

Is WordPress still relevant?

Yes, WordPress is still relevant as a website builder. It remains one of the most popular and versatile platforms for building websites, with a vast array of themes, plugins, and customization options available. Additionally, its powerful SEO features and large support community make it a popular choice for website management.
 

Is WordPress safe from hackers?

Is WordPress secure? Yes, WordPress is generally a secure platform. WordPress is actively maintained and updated, with security patches regularly released to address any vulnerabilities that are discovered. By keeping WordPress up to date and implementing best security practices, website owners can minimize the risk of security breaches.
 

Is WordPress free to use?

Many users wonder, “is WordPress really free” and the answer is yes. The platform itself is open-source and free to download and install, with no ongoing fees required. However, there are associated costs with running a WordPress site, such as hosting, domain registration, premium themes and plugins, and developer fees. 

Additionally, there are free WordPress sites available, but they may come with limitations and ads.
 

Is WordPress easy to use?

Yes, WordPress is generally considered easy to use, but it requires some level of experience with website building and coding. The platform's user-friendly interface and extensive community support make it relatively straightforward for users with some technical knowledge to navigate, but beginners may find the learning curve to be steep.
 

Is WordPress good for small business?

Yes, WordPress is an excellent option for small businesses. It offers a cost-effective way to create a professional business website, with a vast array of customization options and powerful SEO features that can help small businesses to reach their target audience. Additionally, WordPress is user-friendly and offers ample support resources.