Platform Function Limits | What Does a Website Cost?

A complete capability matrix — what each platform can and can't do.

The Master Functional Capability Matrix

Comprehensive capability matrix across platforms. No platform excels at everything. Most projects face a trade-off: ease-of-use vs. capability.
Capability	Wix	Squarespace	WordPress	Webflow	Shopify	Bubble	Custom
Publishing	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent	Limited	Good	Full
E-Commerce	Basic	Basic	With plugin	Limited	Excellent	Medium	Full
User Accounts	Limited	Limited	Limited	No native	Good	Excellent	Full
Custom Database	No	No	Limited	Limited	Yes	Excellent	Full
API Access	Very Limited	Very Limited	Excellent	Good	Excellent	Good	Full
Custom Code	No	No	PHP	JavaScript	Liquid	Yes	Full
Integrations	Wix App Market	Limited	Plugins	Zapier/native	Shopify Apps	Plugins	Full
Search Functionality	Basic	Basic	Plugin	Client-side	Basic	Good	Full
Personalization	No	No	Limited	Limited	Limited	Yes	Full
Analytics	Built-in	Built-in	Plugin	Limited	Built-in	Limited	Full
SEO Control	Limited	Good	Excellent	Excellent	Good	Medium	Full
Performance Optimization	Limited	Good	Depends	Excellent	Good	Depends	Full
Scalability Limit	~1000 visitors/day	~5000 visitors/day	Depends	Unlimited	~10k orders/mo	~500 concurrent	Unlimited
Monthly Cost (basic)	$30	$20	$0-100	$20-100	$30-300	$0-900	$5000+

How to Read This Matrix

Green (Excellent)

Platform natively supports this. Works well. No extra cost.

Yellow (Good)

Platform supports this with plugins, extensions, or workarounds. May add $100-1000/year.

Red (Limited/No)

Platform doesn't support this well. Would require significant workaround or custom code.

The Escape Valve Problem

When you hit platform limits, you have four options—the "escape valves":

1. Use Plugins/Extensions

WordPress has 50,000+ plugins. Wix has ~300. More plugins = more features but also more complexity, slower site, more maintenance.

2. Embed Third-Party Tools

Embed search engine (Algolia), CRM (HubSpot), chat (Intercom). Works but feels bolted-on. Users may need to leave your site.

3. Add Custom Code

JavaScript, CSS, snippets. Some platforms allow this (WordPress, Webflow); others don't (Wix). Increases technical debt.

4. Rebuild on Custom Stack

Start from scratch with custom development. Full flexibility. Costs $50k-500k+ depending on complexity. Highest escape cost.

Discovering Limitations Too Late

The worst scenario: you discover in month 12 that your platform can't do something critical. By then you've invested time and built on assumptions. Plan for scale now. If you think you might need custom functionality later, choose a platform with escape valves (WordPress, Webflow, custom) not dead ends (Wix, Squarespace).

Platform Choice Decision Tree

Simple blog/portfolio? → Squarespace (easiest) or WordPress (more powerful)

E-commerce store? → Shopify (easiest) or WooCommerce (cheapest)

Need custom look and feel? → Webflow (best designer experience) or custom

Complex integrations or custom logic? → WordPress (plugins) or custom build

Rapid prototype with no code? → Bubble, Webflow, or Framer

Web application with user accounts? → Custom build or low-code (Bubble)

Enterprise scale with custom requirements? → Custom build only