I do not object to Tilda, WordPress or Bitrix as tools. I object to picking a tool before understanding the product. A template can launch a simple page quickly; it becomes a constraint when the brand needs its own visual language, a custom catalog, unusual forms or integrations.
For those projects I prefer to design the customer journey first, then choose the technology. The site follows the business instead of the business following a theme.
01 / COST
Compare the full cost, not just the launch price
WordPress itself is open source. Premium themes and plugins, hosting, updates, security and custom work may still add recurring costs. Tilda sells subscriptions; Bitrix sells licenses. A bespoke site has development and maintenance costs too, but you spend on features you actually need rather than working around a theme.
02 / TECHNOLOGY
Astro, React and Next.js let the brief lead
Astro can prebuild content pages as HTML and add interactivity only where needed. React and Next.js suit richer interfaces, applications and complex interactions. Next.js can render pages on the server and keep non-interactive components out of the client bundle. None of these tools guarantees a fast site or higher search rankings on its own; implementation and content still matter.
03 / REAL WORK
Different projects, different solutions
VNE SHABLONA is a comic-inspired landing page where the design would lose its character in a standard block layout. KEMZ is an industrial site with a product catalog and custom inquiry journeys, built with Nuxt. The principle is the same even though the framework differs.
04 / CONTENT
Custom does not mean hard to edit
A CMS can give editors control over pages, products and media without giving up the frontend design. Payload is an open-source option. OJ CMS is my own content-management project. The right choice depends on the team's workflow.
05 / DECISION
When should you build from scratch?
A temporary test page may be fastest on a builder. When design, content structure, integrations and long-term growth matter, compare a tailored build against the full cost of adapting and maintaining a template. Explore my landing pages, product catalogs and project cases.
Whatever platform you choose, review how forms and analytics handle personal data before launch.