The No-Bullshit Guide to Website Development Platforms
Straight to the point information about which platform, language, or stack is right for your business website.
Cutting Through the Noise
With countless website development options available, choosing the right one can be overwhelming. We're here to provide clear, unbiased information to help you make the best decision for your business.
This guide focuses on key metrics that actually matter:
- Time to Market: How quickly you can get your site live
- Total Cost: Initial and ongoing expenses
- Scalability: How well the solution grows with your business
- Technical Requirements: Developer expertise needed
- Flexibility: Customization capabilities
How to Use This Guide
You can read through our detailed comparisons or jump straight to our interactive recommendation wizard to get a personalized suggestion.
Pro Tip: The best platform isn't always the most complex or expensive one. Focus on what aligns with your specific goals and resources.
Website Development Platforms
These are complete solutions that provide hosting, design tools, and functionality in one package. They differ in flexibility, ease of use, and cost.
WordPress
Market LeaderPowers ~40% of all websites. Highly flexible with thousands of themes and plugins.
Pros:
- • Enormous ecosystem of plugins & themes
- • Highly customizable
- • SEO-friendly architecture
- • Huge community support
Cons:
- • Requires regular maintenance
- • Can become slow without optimization
- • Security concerns if not properly maintained
- • Learning curve for advanced customization
$3-$30/month
Blogs, Small-Medium Businesses
Shopify
E-commerce LeaderPurpose-built for online stores with integrated payment processing and inventory management.
Pros:
- • All-in-one e-commerce solution
- • Excellent payment gateway integration
- • Mobile responsive themes
- • Comprehensive analytics
Cons:
- • Transaction fees unless using Shopify Payments
- • Limited customization without coding
- • Can get expensive with add-ons
- • Not ideal for non-ecommerce sites
$29-$299/month
E-commerce Businesses
Wix
Beginner FriendlyDrag-and-drop website builder with visually appealing templates and no coding required.
Pros:
- • True visual drag-and-drop editor
- • Large template library
- • No technical knowledge required
- • Integrated apps marketplace
Cons:
- • Limited advanced functionality
- • SEO limitations
- • Difficult to migrate away from
- • Can be slower than alternatives
$14-$49/month
Small Business, Portfolios
Webflow
Designer FriendlyVisual development platform that bridges the gap between design and code with powerful CMS capabilities.
Pros:
- • Pixel-perfect design control
- • Clean, fast code output
- • Powerful CMS for dynamic content
- • Advanced animations and interactions
Cons:
- • Steeper learning curve
- • Higher pricing for business features
- • Limited plugin ecosystem compared to WordPress
- • More complex for simple websites
$12-$212/month
Designers, Agencies
Squarespace
Design ExcellenceBeautiful templates with integrated blogging, e-commerce, and content management capabilities.
Pros:
- • Premium, responsive design templates
- • Built-in SEO and marketing tools
- • Integrated e-commerce
- • Excellent image management
Cons:
- • Limited third-party integrations
- • Less flexibility than WordPress
- • Editor can be frustrating at times
- • Some advanced features require coding
$16-$49/month
Creatives, Small Businesses
Ghost
Publishing FocusModern publishing platform for bloggers, journalists, and content creators with membership capabilities.
Pros:
- • Clean, distraction-free writing interface
- • Built-in subscription and membership features
- • Fast performance
- • Modern tech stack (Node.js)
Cons:
- • Limited plugin ecosystem
- • Primarily focused on publishing
- • More technical to self-host
- • Less suitable for complex websites
$9-$199/month
Bloggers, Publications
Platform Selection Key Takeaways
E-commerce Focus
If your primary goal is selling products, Shopify provides the most comprehensive solution with the lowest technical barriers. For more customization with e-commerce, WooCommerce on WordPress is a strong alternative.
Content Publishing
WordPress remains the dominant platform for content-heavy sites, while Ghost offers a more streamlined, modern approach for serious publishers and subscription businesses.
Speed to Market
Wix and Squarespace offer the fastest path to a professional-looking site with minimal technical knowledge. They're ideal for small businesses and freelancers who need a quality web presence quickly.
Design Precision
Webflow provides the most design control without coding, making it ideal for agencies and businesses that need pixel-perfect designs with dynamic content capabilities.
Programming Languages for Web Development
If you're building a custom website or web application, the programming language you choose will impact development speed, performance, and maintenance costs. Here's a straightforward comparison of popular options:
| Language | Best For | Learning Curve | Performance | Market Demand | Key Advantages | Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JavaScript | Interactive websites, SPAs, Web apps | Universal browser support, rich ecosystem, versatile | Browser inconsistencies, can get messy in large projects | |||
| Python | Backend development, Data-driven sites | Easy to learn, powerful libraries, clean syntax | Slower execution speed, GIL limitations | |||
| PHP | Dynamic websites, CMS, E-commerce | Widespread hosting support, powers WordPress, Laravel framework | Inconsistent function naming, legacy code issues | |||
| Ruby | Rapid development, Startups, MVPs | Developer happiness, Rails framework, fast prototyping | Performance at scale, resource usage | |||
| TypeScript | Large-scale applications, Enterprise projects | Type safety, better tooling, improved maintainability | More verbose, additional build step | |||
| Java | Enterprise applications, High-security sites | Platform independence, strong ecosystem, mature frameworks | Verbose, slower development speed, resource heavy | |||
| Go | High-performance backend, Microservices | Fast compilation, excellent performance, built-in concurrency | Less mature web frameworks, fewer libraries |
Language Selection Key Considerations
Team Expertise
The most important factor is often your team's existing expertise. Leveraging what your developers already know will significantly reduce time to market and errors.
Project Complexity
For simple websites, PHP or JavaScript may be sufficient. For complex applications with many business rules, TypeScript or Java could provide better structure and reliability.
Future Maintenance
Consider not just who will build it, but who will maintain it. Languages with strong typing (TypeScript, Java) are often easier to maintain in large teams.
Performance Requirements
If raw performance is critical, Go or optimized JavaScript frameworks can provide significant advantages in response times and server efficiency.
Tech Stacks for Business Websites
A tech stack combines specific technologies to create a complete solution. Here are popular stacks with their strengths and ideal use cases:
LAMP Stack
TraditionalComponents: Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP
Best For:
Content-driven sites, traditional web applications, CMS-based websites
Key Strengths:
- Mature, battle-tested technologies
- Wide hosting availability
- Powers WordPress, Drupal, and other popular CMS platforms
- Large community and extensive documentation
Limitations:
- Less suitable for real-time applications
- Can require more server resources at scale
- Typically follows traditional request-response pattern
Real-world Examples:
WordPress-powered business sites, traditional e-commerce stores, university websites
MERN Stack
ModernComponents: MongoDB, Express.js, React, Node.js
Best For:
Single-page applications, interactive user interfaces, real-time features
Key Strengths:
- JavaScript throughout the entire stack
- Component-based UI development with React
- NoSQL database for flexible data structures
- Good for rapid prototyping and iteration
Limitations:
- Potential SEO challenges with client-side rendering
- MongoDB may not be ideal for highly relational data
- Higher JavaScript expertise required
Real-world Examples:
Modern web applications, dashboards, social media platforms, collaborative tools
Next.js Full Stack
TrendingComponents: Next.js, Tailwind CSS, Prisma, PostgreSQL
Best For:
Modern marketing sites, SaaS applications, content-driven applications with SEO needs
Key Strengths:
- Server-side rendering for SEO and performance
- Static site generation capabilities
- Type-safe database operations with Prisma
- Rapid UI development with Tailwind CSS
Limitations:
- React knowledge required
- Relatively newer ecosystem
- Learning curve for TypeScript if used
Real-world Examples:
Modern business websites, SaaS dashboards, e-commerce with custom functionality
Laravel + Vue
BalancedComponents: Laravel, Vue.js, MySQL/PostgreSQL, Tailwind/Bootstrap
Best For:
Complex web applications, enterprise solutions, data-heavy websites
Key Strengths:
- Laravel's elegant syntax and powerful features
- Vue's progressive approach to frontend development
- Strong ORM with Eloquent
- Balanced backend and frontend capabilities
Limitations:
- Requires knowledge of both PHP and JavaScript
- Can be overkill for simple websites
- Higher resource usage compared to lighter stacks
Real-world Examples:
Business management systems, custom CRMs, marketplace platforms
JAMstack
ModernComponents: JavaScript, APIs, Markup (Gatsby/Astro/11ty, Headless CMS)
Best For:
Content-focused websites, marketing sites, blogs with excellent performance needs
Key Strengths:
- Exceptional performance with pre-rendered content
- Strong security due to reduced attack surface
- Scalability with CDN-based hosting
- Decoupled architecture with headless CMS
Limitations:
- Dynamic functionality requires additional services
- Build process can become complex
- Content updates require rebuilds
Real-world Examples:
Corporate websites, documentation sites, high-performance blogs, marketing sites
Python Django
RobustComponents: Python, Django, PostgreSQL, HTML/CSS/JS
Best For:
Data-heavy applications, complex business logic, scientific or analytical websites
Key Strengths:
- Batteries-included framework with many built-in features
- Python's readability and vast ecosystem
- Excellent for data processing and integration
- Strong security practices by default
Limitations:
- Heavier framework compared to microframeworks
- Less real-time capabilities without additional services
- Not as performant as compiled languages for certain tasks
Real-world Examples:
Data visualization platforms, finance applications, enterprise management systems
Tech Stack Selection Key Takeaways
There's No "Best" Stack
The right tech stack depends on your business requirements, team expertise, timeline, and budget. Each stack has tradeoffs.
Consider Maintenance
Think not just about building but maintaining the site. Will you have in-house expertise or need to rely on external resources?
Future-Proofing
Choose technologies with active communities and ongoing development. Trendy solutions can become abandoned quickly.
Business Goals First
Let your business objectives drive technology decisions, not the other way around. The stack should serve your goals, not define them.
Website Platform Recommendation Wizard
Answer a few questions about your business needs and we'll recommend the best platform or tech stack for your website.
Platform Selector
What is the primary purpose of your website?
Your Recommendation
Based on your needs, here's what we recommend:
Alternative Options to Consider
Making Your Final Decision
While our wizard provides personalized recommendations, remember that your unique business context may require additional considerations. Here are some final tips to guide your decision:
- Start with clear goals and requirements before selecting any technology
- Consider future growth and how your chosen platform can adapt
- Balance technical ideals with practical business constraints
- Test multiple platforms before committing to one if possible
- Remember that the "perfect" solution often doesn't exist - focus on what meets your key needs
Whatever platform or stack you choose, the most important factor is ensuring it aligns with your business objectives and provides a strong foundation for growth.
Next Steps After Platform Selection
- 1. Create a detailed implementation plan with timelines and responsibilities
- 2. Set up a staging environment to test your website before going live
- 3. Establish content and design guidelines to maintain consistency
- 4. Implement analytics to measure performance against business goals
- 5. Plan for regular maintenance and updates to keep your site secure and current