Buy a WordPress theme or develop from the scratch?

Updated on 26 July 2023 3 min Read

Acquiring a WordPress theme or develop from scratch within the platform? This is something that everyone looking forward to built a website thinks about. Well, many designers scream “phew” when they see a site that uses a WordPress theme. Like any internet themes also evolve, today there is a wide variety of sites that sell templates with clean, beautiful and optimized design, developed by companies and qualified and skilled professionals.

Still, there are a lot of people creating controversy surrounding this subject. On the one hand, the class of those who defend the idea that the web development should always be customized with a turnkey solution, end up “hiring” the professional. On the other, the gang that claims to use a template in website development actually saves the development time and reach customers with better savings.

Develop or use a WordPress theme? Purely depends on you!

Develop or buy a WordPress theme is definitely a decision that each takes depending on the need. However, there are some “pirates” using templates unethically and with bigger risks.

To begin, downloading a paid WordPress theme illegally is a crime, not to mention the risks and security gaps you need to think about.

Just as dupe the customer who thinks that the template is a unique creation, made especially for him, when it was actually downloaded unethically. And there are people who do both and call themselves professionals.

Can you develop a website from the theme?

Some do it with the knowledge and consent of the client, of course. In this case, we say that the   template is used only as a structural basis for the work, and the end result acquires the characteristics of a pre-defined project. Thus, the customer knows that the site will be based on a ready template and will be tailored to his needs. The one who opts for this kind of development, most often are the small business owners who cannot afford the costs of custom development. In other cases, the choice of WordPress themes is to save time, choosing a template whose functionality is exactly what the customer is looking for his project can be a wise decision.

Anyway, there are customers who opt for complete customization. They are one of those who needs the better combination for corporate communication and their brand.

But what are the advantages of developing the theme from scratch or buy WordPress themes?

It is better to understand when you need a WordPress theme for your site or when it is best to develop from scratch for the most common needs.

When should I buy a theme?

  • When the time is too short or when you cannot customize.
  • When you do not have the financial resources for the customization, there are themes that can correspond to your needs, and in some cases with much lower price.

What are the advantages?

  • Very low cost
  • Agility, shortest delivery

What are the disadvantages?

  • Use features that do not fit in your requirement
  • Licenses
  • Without much support and no customization
  • In some subjects, there are no translations
  • Cannot update or edit the theme

When should I develop a website from the scratch?

What are the advantages?

  • Greater flexibility in development
  • Full control of the code
  • Can enable or disable libraries
  • Full support for the theme

What are the disadvantages?

  • The greater delivery time

Well, there is a better way, but the one that best applies should be chosen, according to the type of your profile and the needs, deadline, budget, and scope.

The Author

I am an experienced technical content writer with a proven ability to translate complex information into clear, concise prose. I have extensive experience writing for various technical audiences, including software engineers, IT professionals, and product managers. I approaches each writing project with a customer-centric mindset, focusing on understanding the audience's needs and pain points.