When you're building a website, one of the first decisions you'll face is: should I use a template or go custom? Both approaches have their place, and the right choice depends on your specific situation.

Let's break down the pros and cons honestly.

The Case for Templates

Templates (WordPress themes, Wix, Squarespace) offer some clear advantages:

• Lower upfront cost — You can get a decent-looking site for ₹5,000–₹15,000
• Faster launch — Templates can be set up in days, not weeks
• No technical knowledge needed — Drag-and-drop builders make it accessible
• Built-in features — Many templates come with pre-built functionality

For a personal blog or a simple informational page, a template can work perfectly fine.

The Case for Custom Development

Custom development shines when your website needs to work for your business, not just exist:

• Unique brand identity — Your site looks like no one else's. It's designed specifically for your brand, your audience, and your goals.
• Superior performance — Custom code is lean and optimized. No bloated plugins, no unnecessary scripts. Pages load in milliseconds.
• Better SEO — Clean, semantic code gives you an edge in search rankings. Google rewards fast, well-structured sites.
• Scalability — Custom sites grow with your business. Need a new feature? It can be built to fit perfectly, not shoe-horned in.
• Security — No vulnerable plugins or shared codebases that hackers target. Custom code with proper security practices is significantly harder to exploit.

The Hidden Costs of Templates

Templates look cheap upfront, but the hidden costs add up:

• Plugin subscriptions — Premium plugins for SEO, forms, security, and backups can cost ₹10,000–₹30,000/year
• Performance issues — Slow sites lose customers and rank lower on Google
• Customization limits — The moment you need something the template doesn't support, you're stuck
• Security vulnerabilities — WordPress sites are the #1 target for hackers due to plugin vulnerabilities
• Ongoing "fixes" — Plugin conflicts, broken updates, and compatibility issues create recurring costs

When to Choose What

Go with a template if:

• You have a very limited budget (under ₹5,000)
• You need a site live within 48 hours
• It's a temporary or experimental project
• You don't need the site to generate business

Go custom if:

• Your website is a key part of your business growth
• You need to stand out from competitors
• Performance and SEO matter to you
• You want a site that scales with your business
• You care about security and reliability

The ThinkBuild Approach

We build every project custom — because we believe your business deserves more than a cookie-cutter template. But we've structured our pricing to make custom development accessible, starting at just ₹2,000.

You get the quality of custom development without the enterprise-level price tag.

"A template gives you a website. Custom development gives you a competitive advantage."