Is there a grant for a website in Malta?
Micro Invest, Digitalise your SME and the smaller schemes, and the rules that catch people out.
Websites · Comparison
WordPress, Wix
or custom?
Choosing well.
Wix and similar builders suit a simple site you want to edit yourself with little technical work. WordPress suits content-heavy sites and businesses that want many plugins, but it needs regular updates and care. A custom-built website suits businesses that want the fastest, most reliable site built around how they sell, without plugin upkeep. The right choice depends on who will maintain it.
By Malta Digital · Published · Updated · 4 min read
In this article
- The main options in plain terms.
- When Wix or a builder is enough.
- When WordPress makes sense.
- When a custom site is the better choice.
- How they compare.
- What they cost.
- Security, backups and hosting.
- Switching from your current site.
- Questions to ask before you choose.
- Mistakes to avoid with any platform.
- Notes for Malta businesses.
The options
The main options
in plain terms.
Wix, Squarespace and similar builders
Hosted website builders with templates and drag-and-drop editing. You pay a monthly plan, and the platform handles hosting and updates.
WordPress
Open-source software that runs a large share of the web. You choose hosting, a theme and plugins. Flexible, but you are responsible for updates and security.
Webflow
A visual builder with more design control than most, popular with designers. Hosted, on a monthly plan.
Shopify
A hosted platform built for online shops, with payments, stock and orders included.
Custom-built
A website coded for your business. Fast and lean, with no theme or plugin upkeep. Changes are usually made by your developer.
Builders
When Wix or a builder
is enough.
- You want to edit text and photos yourself, often.
- You need a few pages and a contact form.
- Your budget is small and you have time to do it.
- Speed and design detail are less important than doing it quickly.
The limits: you rent the platform, moving the site elsewhere later usually means rebuilding it, and very custom features can be hard.
WordPress
When WordPress
makes sense.
- You publish a lot of content, such as articles or listings.
- You need features available as plugins, such as memberships or events.
- You have someone to keep it updated and backed up.
- You want to be able to change hosting providers.
The trade-off is upkeep. WordPress itself, the theme and each plugin need updates. Sites with many plugins can become slow and are a common target for attacks if updates are missed.
Custom
When a custom site
is the better choice.
- Speed and reliability matter, for ads, search and mobile visitors.
- The site is central to how you get enquiries or bookings.
- You want a design that is yours, not a template.
- You need it connected to a booking system, CRM or other software.
- You would rather not manage plugins and updates.
Our own website is hand-built for these reasons. Fewer moving parts means less to break and faster pages.
Comparison
How they compare.
Speed
Custom sites are usually fastest. Builders and WordPress can be fast, but themes, apps and plugins often slow them down.
Editing
Builders are easiest to edit yourself. WordPress is moderate. Custom sites can include simple editing for the parts that change often.
Maintenance
Builders handle it. WordPress needs regular updates. Custom static sites need very little.
Search visibility
All can rank well. What matters more is useful content, speed, clear structure and correct technical setup.
Ownership
With builders you rent. With WordPress and custom sites, you can own the files and move hosting.
Cost
What they cost.
Builders have a low starting cost but ongoing monthly plans and paid apps. WordPress costs depend on hosting, premium themes and plugins, and maintenance time. Custom sites cost more upfront and little to run.
Our websites start from €990 for a focused Professional Website, €2,490 for a Business Website and €4,900 for a Growth Website, all excluding VAT.
Security
Security, backups
and hosting.
Builders
The platform handles security and hosting. Use a strong password and two-factor login.
WordPress
Keep the core, theme and plugins updated, remove unused plugins, and use good hosting with daily backups.
Custom static sites
Very little to attack, because there is no admin login or database on the public site. Keep the code in version control.
All options
An SSL certificate, backups you have tested, and the logins kept by your business.
Switching
Switching from
your current site.
Keep your addresses
Redirect old page addresses to the new ones, so search rankings and links are not lost.
Move the content
Copy the text and images that work. Rewrite what does not.
Check tracking
Install analytics, the Meta Pixel and conversion tracking before launch, not after.
Own the domain
Make sure the domain is registered in your business’s name and you have the login.
Questions
Questions to ask
before you choose.
- Who will update the site, and how often?
- What must the site do: enquiries, bookings, online sales?
- Does it need to connect to other systems?
- Who owns the domain, hosting and files?
- What happens if the person who built it is no longer available?
- How fast does it load on a phone?
Common mistakes
Mistakes to avoid
with any platform.
- Choosing a platform before deciding what the site must do.
- Installing many plugins or apps for small features.
- Large, uncompressed images that slow the site on phones.
- No backups, or backups nobody has tested.
- The domain or hosting registered in a former supplier’s name.
- No clear way to enquire on every page.
Malta notes
Notes for Malta
businesses.
Mobile first
Most visitors from local ads and social media arrive on a phone. Test the site on one before anything else.
WhatsApp and calls
Make it easy to call or message, because many people in Malta prefer it to forms.
Languages
English is usually enough. Tourism businesses may need other languages for key pages.
Grants
Micro Invest names websites among eligible development costs, as a tax credit. Check the timing rules before starting.
A few straight answers
What you might be wondering.
Is WordPress better than Wix?
For content-heavy sites and plugin needs, WordPress is more flexible. For a simple site you edit yourself, Wix is easier. WordPress needs more maintenance.
Is a custom website better for SEO?
Not automatically. Custom sites are often faster, which helps, but useful content, clear structure and correct setup matter most on any platform.
Can I move a Wix site to WordPress later?
Not directly. Builders do not let you move the site’s files to another host, so moving usually means rebuilding.
Do I need to maintain a custom website?
Much less than WordPress. A custom static site has no plugins to update. Content changes are made by your developer or through simple editing built in.
How much does a website cost in Malta?
Our websites start from €990 for a focused site, €2,490 for a Business Website and €4,900 for a Growth Website, excluding VAT.
Keep reading
Related guides.
Custom software vs off-the-shelf
How to compare cost, fit, risk and ownership, and when a mix of both makes most sense.
Facebook ads for online shops
Tracking, catalogue ads, new customers, retargeting and what to measure for an online shop.
A practical first step
Tell us about
your website.
Share your current site and what you need it to do. We’ll tell you which option makes sense, even if it is not us.