The verdict in three sentences
For an 11-lawyer firm in cross-border German and French business law, WordPress (EUR 4,000 to 7,000 excl. VAT) is enough if the site stays a bilingual showcase updated a few times a month. Custom (EUR 12,000 to 20,000) pays off once the firm wants rich lawyer profiles, truly synchronized DE/EN or DE/FR content, a client extranet or stronger security, knowing that 35% of WordPress vulnerabilities come from plugins. Over 5 years, the real gap shrinks to about 1.7 to 2.5 times, not 3.
The two options side by side
| Criterion | WordPress (premium theme + plugins) | Custom site (Next.js or equivalent + headless CMS) |
|---|---|---|
| Initial budget | EUR 4,000 to 7,000 | EUR 12,000 to 20,000 |
| Timeline | 4 to 6 weeks | 8 to 12 weeks |
| Bilingual content | Multilingual plugin, sync sometimes fragile | Native bilingual content model, linked fields |
| Lawyer profiles and practice areas | Theme templates, few filters | Filters by language, bar, practice area, sector |
| Mobile performance | 60 to 80 on PageSpeed depending on plugins | 90 to 100 typically |
| Attack surface | Third-party plugins, public admin | No exposed admin, separate CMS |
| Maintenance | EUR 80 per month | EUR 150 per month |
| Team autonomy | Very good, familiar interface | Good with a well-configured headless CMS |
WordPress remains an excellent choice for a firm that wants to publish fast, without integrations. The difference comes down to three topics: bilingual quality, security and the expectations of German corporate clients, used to fast and highly structured websites.
5-year total cost of ownership
| Item (2026 order of magnitude) | WordPress | Custom |
|---|---|---|
| Build | EUR 5,500 | EUR 16,000 |
| Maintenance (60 months) | EUR 4,800 | EUR 9,000 |
| Plugin and theme licenses | EUR 1,500 | EUR 0 to 600 (CMS) |
| Partial redesign at year 3 | EUR 2,500 | EUR 1,000 |
| Security incident (weighted probability) | EUR 1,000 | EUR 200 |
| Second-language updates (excl. translation fees) | EUR 1,200 | EUR 600 |
| 5-year total | EUR 16,500 | EUR 27,400 |
The ratio is no longer 1 to 3 as at purchase, but about 1 to 1.7. The gap is justified if the site brings at least 2 or 3 extra matters over 5 years, a low bar for a firm whose average fees exceed EUR 8,000 per cross-border business matter.
Security and professional rules: what matters for a firm
A law firm website handles contact forms that often contain sensitive information, covered by professional secrecy from the first exchange. In Germany, the Federal Lawyers' Act and the professional rules (BRAO, BORA) and the imprint obligation (Impressum) set mandatory disclosures and frame how firms communicate about specializations.
- WordPress: plan for a security plugin, weekly updates, no more than 10 to 15 plugins and a web application firewall.
- Custom: no admin reachable from the public site, encrypted forms, documented EU hosting for GDPR.
- In both cases: compliant Impressum, privacy policy, no client testimonials or comparisons that breach professional rules.
Mini case study
Dr. Keller, partner at an 11-lawyer firm in Frankfurt, gets 70% of her matters from French mid-sized companies investing in Hesse. Her 2019 WordPress site takes 6 seconds to load on mobile and the French version is outdated. She compares: rebuilt WordPress at EUR 16,500 over 5 years, custom at EUR 27,400, a EUR 10,900 gap. By choosing custom with synchronized DE/FR content and lawyer profiles filterable by practice area, she targets 1 extra matter a year at EUR 9,000 in fees. Over 5 years, that is EUR 45,000, more than 4 times the cost gap.
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FAQ
Is WordPress really less secure?
The WordPress core is solid, but 35% of recorded vulnerabilities come from plugins and most hacked sites are not up to date. A well-maintained WordPress at EUR 80 a month remains acceptable for a showcase.
Can we keep WordPress as the CMS with a custom site?
Yes, in headless mode: the team keeps the WordPress interface and the public site is built separately. This option usually costs EUR 10,000 to 15,000.
Do we need to translate the entire site?
Key pages (home, practice areas, lawyer profiles, contact) are often enough at first, 15 to 25 pages. Professional legal translation costs about EUR 0.15 to 0.20 per word.
How long does each option take?
Allow 4 to 6 weeks for WordPress and 8 to 12 weeks for custom, second language included if texts are approved on time.
Can the site include appointment booking?
Yes in both cases. On WordPress through a plugin at EUR 100 to 300 a year, on custom through an EUR 800 to 1,500 integration connected to the firm's calendar.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your practice areas, languages and tools: we will price both options, WordPress at EUR 4,000 to 7,000 or custom at EUR 12,000 to 20,000, with the 5-year cost. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
