If you've been researching how to build a website for your business, you've probably been told WordPress is the only serious option. It powers 40% of the internet, the argument goes, so it must be the right choice.
As a full-stack developer who has worked with both platforms extensively, I'd push back on that. WordPress is powerful — but power isn't always what you need, and it comes with real costs that nobody tends to mention upfront.
What you're actually choosing between
Hostinger's Website Builder is an all-in-one platform — hosting, editor, and domain all under one roof, designed to be straightforward to use. WordPress is open-source software that you install on a hosting server and then manage yourself. That distinction matters more than most comparison articles admit.
| Hostinger Builder | WordPress | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | From ~£2–£8/mo all-in | Hosting + plugins + theme = £20–£60+/mo |
| Setup time | Hours | Days to weeks |
| Updates & maintenance | Handled for you | You manage plugins, core, themes |
| Security | Managed by Hostinger | Your responsibility |
| Flexibility | Good for most small businesses | Virtually unlimited |
| Ease of editing | Very easy | Moderate — depends on theme/builder |
| eCommerce | Built-in, basic to mid-range | WooCommerce (powerful but complex) |
The hidden cost of WordPress nobody talks about
WordPress is free to download. But running it properly is not free, and the real cost is often time rather than money. Every few weeks, WordPress will need updates — the core software, your theme, and any plugins you've installed. Skip those updates and your site becomes vulnerable to security exploits. Do them and occasionally something breaks, usually at the worst possible time.
Real talk: I've seen small business owners spend hours every month dealing with WordPress plugin conflicts, broken themes after updates, and spam contact form submissions. That's time they should be spending on their actual business.
When Hostinger is the right choice
Hostinger is the right choice if your main goal is a clean, professional website that you can maintain without becoming a part-time webmaster. It's particularly well-suited if you want to focus on running your business, not managing a website — or if you need a landing page, brochure site, or simple e-commerce store with predictable monthly costs.
- Simplicity and ease of use
- Total cost of ownership
- Security — managed for you
- Speed to launch
- No ongoing maintenance burden
- Deep customisation
- Complex plugin ecosystems
- Advanced membership or LMS sites
- Portability if you want to switch later
When WordPress is the right choice
WordPress genuinely is the better choice in specific situations — a content-heavy site with thousands of articles, a membership portal, a complex booking system, or a large-scale WooCommerce store. If you have a developer who manages the site for you, the maintenance overhead largely disappears and WordPress's flexibility becomes a genuine asset.
The honest verdict
For the vast majority of small businesses — a local service, a freelancer, a product brand, a restaurant — Hostinger is the pragmatic choice. It does what you need, it's cheaper to run, and it frees you from the ongoing technical overhead that trips up so many business owners.
Worth knowing: The sites in this portfolio — Think Out Loud and Ash & Quarry — are both Hostinger sites with custom code and interactive features built by hand. The platform doesn't have to limit you if you know what you're doing.