Last Updated on March 8, 2021 by Filip Poutintsev
To begin, WordPress is a content management system (CMS), with a basic skill related to web technology and web design, you can build and run a website in a matter of an hour or so.
WordPress alone, hosts about one-third of the world’s websites. It is relatively more popular because of how it does not require in-depth technical knowledge to get started. 
WordPress is one of several CMS available on the market with a lot of advantages and disadvantages. The pros and cons of WordPress are discussed below in detail.
Pros of WordPress
There are many advantages of using WordPress as a CMS or Site builder platform. Below we have a few of them listed.
1. User-Friendly
WordPress is extremely easy to use CMS based on PHP programming language. If you are worried about not knowing how to run a site on your own, WordPress is a great choice. It helps you install and run the site instantly.
All you need to do is get a domain name and a web hosting account. On WordPress, there is a dashboard that can help you set up your website and even create posts right as you start (bluehost.com, 2018).
2. Inexpensive
Unlike other website builders like Wix, Weebly or Squarespace, WordPress is actually free. There are a ton of free themes to be used. When you need to make upgrades or get more templates, you have do have to pay but even the total cost of all of that is lesser than what other builders take.
3. Mobile Friendly
The problem with some websites is that when you try to access them via a mobile phone, the website doesn’t appear the way it should. When you create a website on WordPress, it is created such that it appears the same on a mobile phone and on a bigger screen. This might not seem like a big deal but a website being user-friendly is always a positive.
4. Range of Themes
A good looking website is key to attracting more viewers. WordPress offers a variety of themes; both free and premium. These themes can be applied to the website at any time to change the look of your website.
5. SEO Friendly
WordPress is equipped with plugins that are designed with SEO purposes in mind. Not everyone understands what Meta tags are and/or what descriptions are.
Luckily, WordPress suggests which words and phrases to use for a better SEO (blog.tbwhs.com, 2018). This makes it extremely easy for anyone to write content and for other people to find your website.
6. Blogging
If creating a total website is not for you and you love writing, WordPress should be your choice. Instead of having to develop a website from scratch just for you to have a place to express your thoughts, WordPress gives you a place to do it. Bonus, you can also earn from your blogging!
Cons of WordPress
Like any CMS on the market, WordPress also has few disadvantages. The cons of using WordPress to develop a website is discussed below.
1. Takes Some Time to Learn
WordPress is relatively easy to learn but it still takes some practice to make use of everything that it provides its clients. You have an upper hand if you know some kind of web development, design, and marketing. If you don’t have this knowledge, it will certainly be challenging to find your way around the service.
2. Frequent Updates
After you build your website, it is your responsibility to do maintenance. The website runs on your server so the updates are going to happen very frequently. Your core WordPress files, plugins, and themes are going to need an update a couple of times every month. This could be annoying for someone who is new to this.
3. Planning
Creating a website isn’t enough for a business to run. You need to have a plan, and a backup plan even, just to ensure that everything happens as it needs to.
When you use WordPress, the website is easy to create but you have to have a blueprint to doing that to make sure that it comes out the way you imagined. This can be quite tedious since what is in your head might not look good in real life, sometimes.
4. Prone to Threats
So you’ve created a website, now what? The next step is securing it, which is not an easy task. Every website is prone to be hacked. Since WordPress uses plugins and themes developed by third parties, a malware or virus could easily slip through to your website.
It is your responsibility to check all these things because if a virus causes confidential information from your website to leak, you will be held responsible for it. It might even cause a legal case.
5. Difficult Navigation
As mentioned before, WordPress comes with custom themes and layouts. The idea of a customized layout sounds great but navigating through this layout could be a problem because these are very tricky.
Conclusion
WordPress is an extremely popular content management system with relatively easier and cheaper options to choose for a website. It has its advantages and disadvantages but so far, its advantages seem to outweigh its disadvantages. It seems worth it to take that little risk.
