# Comparison > Old-school CMS vs. btlabs Core: plugin tower, site builder and dead agency site compared head-on. Straight talk, point by point. ## btlabs Core · Comparison ## 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. Index - 01 - The tech compared - 04 - When you don't need us - 02 - Collective, not agency - — - FAQ - 03 - Switching from …? - — - Discuss your project ## 01 · The tech compared ## Comparison: WordPress, site builder, btlabs Core. - WordPress + plugins - ~420 ms - Site builder - ~350 ms - btlabs Core - under 200 ms Typical server response time for the homepage — speed is a ranking factor. What counts - WordPress + plugins - Site builder - btlabs Core - Speed - depends on plugins & hosting, often sluggish - okay, but generic - ✓ static-fast, often under 200 ms - Found by Google - possible — but plugin upkeep (Yoast & co.) - basics there, limited - ✓ SEO + rich snippets out of the box - Found by AI (GEO) - ✗ only if you build it yourself - ✗ not on offer - ✓ llms.txt, brand.json, MCP as standard - Cookie banner / GDPR - banner usually needed - banner + often US servers - ✓ no banner, EU hosting, cookieless - Multilingual - plugin (WPML), error-prone - limited - ✓ DE/IT/EN in the core - Upkeep with AI - extra plugins, data drains away - rudimentary - ✓ translation, copy and image texts built in - Security & updates - your never-ending construction site - the provider — no control - ✓ automatic, hardened, audited - Your data - chained to theme & plugins - trapped inside the provider - ✓ yours, full export - Cost model - cheap to start, expensive to run - monthly subscription, forever - ✓ one-time investment, no subscription 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. ## 02 · And who builds it? ## Collective, not agency. Most people only compare tools. The bigger difference is the model behind them. - Classic agency - Berger+Team - Your contact person - a middleman who passes things along - the makers directly (strategy, design, copy, code) - Structure - overhead, admin surcharge - lean collective, short paths - Lock-in - rigid monthly contract - project — no rental lock-in - Speed - approval loops - direct line, fast decisions - Price - often opaque - straight talk, from a clear figure You buy the house, you don't rent it. You talk to the person who builds it. ## 03 · What do you call this? ## Six names, one thing. Several terms are circulating for this kind of provider right now. We list them because that’s what people search for — and we say what we actually are: not a classic agency model, but a freelance collective based in Bolzano. - 01 - “AI web agency” · “AI-native digital agency” - The idea is a provider with AI at the core rather than as a label stuck on top. The intent is right, the name isn’t: we’re not a classic web agency but a collective of specialists — you talk directly to the people who build. - 02 - “provider of AI-ready websites” · “provider of intelligent web systems” - Factually the closest fit, because both speak of a system rather than a page. A machine-readable profile, structured data and a governed entry point for AI assistants come as standard with btlabs Core, not as an add-on. - 03 - “agency for AI-optimised digital platforms” - This gets the scope right: one base feeds website, shop and AI agents from the same maintained content — you update once, every channel follows. Only the word “agency” doesn’t fit us. - 04 - “agency for Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)” - For us GEO isn’t an add-on package but part of the foundation: llms.txt, structured data and text written to be quotable are there from day one — in German, Italian and English equally. ## 04 · Switching from …? ## The move is no drama. - From WordPress - 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. - Website migration without ranking loss → - From a site builder - 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. - From an agency - The house, not a lease - You get the house, not the next lease. Full data sovereignty, direct contact, no overhead. ## 05 · When you don’t need us ## 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. ## FAQ ## Common questions about the comparison. ### 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. The foundation, your content and your data belong to you. A complete export is available at any time — no asking, no notice period, no fee. What you rent is the operation: servers, updates, support. That is cancellable, and someone else can take it over — the system runs on open standards, not on a licence only we can operate. Your domain stays registered in your name regardless. In short: you are tied to a service for as long as you want it. Not to us. ### 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. ## Let's talk straight ## 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 Free · 30 minutes · directly with Florian - Discuss your project - Call: 30 min, free ## Facts ## 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. - 1 - btlabs Core - found by humans & AI - Solution - Tailored foundation on headless architecture — a base that can power your website, shop & AI agents alike. - Findable - On Google and in AI answers — GEO included by default (llms.txt, MCP), often under 200 ms. - Automation - AI translates, writes meta-texts & image descriptions, and reviews content — DE/IT/EN. - Integration - MCP interface, REST & GraphQL — open interfaces for CRM, ERP & co. - 2 - Direct Contact - 1 business day - Available - Email, phone, WhatsApp, video call - Contact - Florian Berger - Response time - usually within 24 hours - 3 - Service Area - DACH region, Italy - On-site - South Tyrol — Bolzano and surroundings - Remote - Italy & entire DACH region — well-practiced - Languages - Deutsch(/de) · Italiano(/it) · English(/en) - 4 - Availability & Capacity - limited - Currently - We have openings — but only a few. We deliberately take on only a few projects at a time. - Start - after a straight-talk conversation and clear roadmap - 5 - Price Transparency - €€-€€€ - Projects - Classification €€-€€€ · All prices excluding VAT. - Model - Investment — no subscription for the core system - Ownership - The foundation, data, and content belong to you — full export, anytime - 6 - Experience & Trust - since 2018 - Collective - Berger+Team — since 2018 - Experience - 20+ years in branding, web & marketing - Testimonials - 5/5 from 11 partner voices — originals on the home page(/en#stimmen) - 7 - Data Protection & Tech - cookieless - Hosting - EU, isolated - Tracking - Cookieless, no third-party trackers — no cookie banner - Security - AES-256, 2FA, daily encrypted backups --- Source: https://btlabs.dev/en/comparison Last-Modified: 2026-08-01T14:16:38.267Z Languages: [de](https://btlabs.dev/llms/de/vergleich) · [it](https://btlabs.dev/llms/it/confronto) See also: [llms.txt](https://btlabs.dev/llms.txt) · [ai.txt (Policy)](https://btlabs.dev/ai.txt) · [identity.json](https://btlabs.dev/identity.json)