WordPress isn't cheaper—it's just hidden better. Here's what you'll actually spend over 5 years.
| Expense Category | WordPress (Template) | WordPress (Custom) | PropertyWebBuilder |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Setup | $500 | $100,000 | $0 |
| Hosting (5 years) | $1,200 | $3,000 | $600 |
| Premium Plugins (5 years) | $1,500 | $2,500 | $0 |
| Premium Theme | $300 | $0 (custom) | $0 |
| Security Plugins (5 years) | $500 | $500 | $0 (built-in) |
| MLS/IDX Integration (5 years) | $1,200 | $3,000 | $0 (DIY) |
| Developer Hours (updates, fixes) | $2,000 | $5,000 | $500 |
| Lost Revenue (downtime/hacks) | $1,000 | $500 | $0 |
| 5-YEAR TOTAL | $8,200 | $114,500 | $1,100 |
WordPress Template
7.5x more expensive
WordPress Custom
104x more expensive
PropertyWebBuilder
Just hosting costs
WordPress's "easy" setup hides a massive time sink. Every hour spent troubleshooting is money lost.
Plugin Conflicts
Testing combinations, reading forums, downgrading versions
Theme Customization
CSS overrides, child themes, layout fixes
Security Hardening
Configuring firewalls, hiding wp-admin, backup setup
Annual Maintenance
Plugin updates, compatibility testing, emergency fixes
28+ hours/year
At $50/hr developer rate = $1,400/year
Initial Setup
Deploy to Heroku/Railway, configure environment
Plugin Shopping
Everything built-in from day one
Security Setup
Rails defaults handle CSRF, XSS, SQL injection
Annual Maintenance
Git pull, deploy. Version controlled updates.
3 hours/year
At $50/hr rate = $150/year
→ 90% time savings
WordPress plugins and themes lock you in. Switching has a steep price.
PropertyWebBuilder saves you $7,100 over 5 years compared to WordPress templates. And you actually own your code.