A comparison without
sugar-coating.
We're not here to talk you into anything. Here you see in black and white what the usual routes give you — and where they cost you later. Including the cases where the others are perfectly sufficient.
Comparison: WordPress, site builder, btlabs Core.
The honest line: a site builder is set up quickly, WordPress can do almost anything. Both have their place. But on “found by AI” both sit at ✗ — and that's exactly what decides in the AI era.
Collective, not agency.
Most people only compare tools. The bigger difference is the model behind them.
You buy the house, you don't rent it. You talk to the person who builds it.
The move is no drama.
Content moves over, risk goes away
We take over your content and set up clean redirects. Your Google rankings stay intact, the plugin risk is gone.
Finally out of the cage
Exporting from there is often painful. We get out what we can and build you a clean foundation that you own.
The house, not a lease
You get the house, not the next lease. Full data sovereignty, direct contact, no overhead.
Straight talk goes both ways.
Just a simple business card
If you want a 3-page business-card site and nothing else — a site builder is enough, honestly.
Never multilingual, never growing
If your site never needs to be multilingual, never findable, never growing — then we're oversized for you.
As soon as speed, findability (for people and AI), data sovereignty or multilingual content matter to you: then let's talk.
Common questions about the comparison.
Ownership & price
What does it cost?
A one-time investment instead of a subscription for the core system — as a ballpark €€-€€€, depending on scope. After that the system is yours; what remains is a fair flat rate for your own dedicated hosting — and updates if needed. We'll sort out the concrete range in a straight-talk conversation.
Isn't a drag-and-drop site builder cheaper?
In the short term, yes, no question. But over time you pay a subscription that grows with every new feature, and you stay technically locked into the provider — switching means rebuilding almost everything from scratch. Core, by contrast, is a one-time investment: you pay for the build, not for using your own website.
Am I tied to you?
No. No rental lock-in for the core system, full data export at any time.
Do I own the code?
Yes. Foundation, content and data belong to you — built on open, open-source standards. You get full access and can move on with everything at any time.
What if you're no longer around someday?
Your foundation, your data and your content belong to you. It runs on open standards and keeps working independently — no cage.
Comparison done.
Convinced?
Let's talk straight — we'll also tell you honestly whether we're a fit for you.
- Honest assessment, no pitch
- Even a “not a fit” is an answer
- Reply usually within 24 hours
Everything you need —
at a glance.
What btlabs Core can do, how to reach us directly, what it costs, and why you can trust us — the hard facts, compact and ready to expand.