WordPress or a custom build? A decision guide

This is not a religious question. It is a fit question.

WordPress is a good fit when

• Non-technical editors publish often and need full control of content.
• The site is mostly pages, posts and forms.
• You want a large ecosystem of themes and plugins to draw on.

A custom build wins when

• You need specific functionality that would mean fighting the CMS.
• Performance and security requirements are strict.
• The experience is closer to an app than a brochure.

Either way

Avoid page-builder bloat, keep plugins few and audited, and put a performance budget in the acceptance criteria.