The question comes in almost every initial conversation: "Why not just WordPress? We know it, it's cheaper, and it can do everything."
Short answer: WordPress is fantastic – for blogs and marketing websites. For database-driven B2B customer portals? Not so much.
This article isn't a Microsoft sales pitch. It honestly shows when WordPress fits – and when it doesn't.
TL;DR – The Summary
Choose WordPress for:
- ✓ Content-heavy marketing websites
- ✓ Blogs with high publishing frequency
- ✓ Public company websites
- ✓ Small budgets (<€20,000)
- ✓ Teams with WordPress expertise
Choose Power Pages for:
- ✓ B2B customer portals with login
- ✓ Database integration (ERP/CRM)
- ✓ Role-based access
- ✓ Case management & ticketing
- ✓ GDPR-critical applications
1. Architecture: Content vs Data
WordPress
Concept: Content Management System (CMS)
Strength: Managing articles, pages, media
- • Originally developed as blogging platform
- • Optimised for content creation and management
- • Plugin ecosystem for additional features
- • Database model for posts & pages
Power Pages
Concept: Enterprise Portal Platform
Strength: Database interaction, business logic
- • Developed for database-driven portals
- • Native integration with Dataverse (enterprise database)
- • Low-code business logic
- • Relational data model with relationships
🎯 Conclusion: Do you primarily need content (text, images, videos)? → WordPress. Do you need database interaction (orders, tickets, customer data)? → Power Pages.
2. Security: Open Source vs Enterprise
⚠️ WordPress: The Security Problem
new vulnerabilities in 2024 (+34% vs 2023)[1]
infected WordPress websites in 2024[2]
plugins removed for security in 2024[3]
Main risks:
- • Plugin vulnerabilities: Each plugin = potential security gap
- • Update chaos: Core, theme, 29 plugins must be regularly updated
- • No enterprise auth: SSO/MFA integration requires plugins
- • Self-responsible: Security monitoring, backups, patches lie with you
✅ Power Pages: Enterprise Security
- • Managed security: Microsoft handles patches, updates, monitoring
- • Enterprise authentication: Native Entra ID (internal) & External ID (external), MFA, SSO
- • ISO 27001 certified: Enterprise compliance out-of-the-box
- • Role-based access rights: Granular permissions at table/field level
- • EU hosting guaranteed: Data stays in Europe (GDPR-compliant)
💡 Reality: A hacked WordPress portal with customer data can cost you €50,000-500,000 GDPR fine – plus reputational damage.
3. Integration: APIs vs Native
| Integration | WordPress | Power Pages |
|---|---|---|
| CRM (Dynamics 365) | Custom API development (€8k-17k) | ✓ Native integration |
| ERP (SAP, Navision) | Custom connector (€13k-26k) | ✓ Power Automate (low-code) |
| SSO / Enterprise auth | Plugin (ca. €170/year) + config | ✓ Native Entra ID, 5 min setup |
| Microsoft 365 | Plugins + API keys | ✓ Native (SharePoint, Teams, etc.) |
| Custom database | PHP development required | ✓ Low-code Dataverse views |
🎯 Conclusion: WordPress requires custom development for every integration. Power Pages has native Microsoft integration – saves €17,000-43,000 development costs.
4. Maintenance Overhead: Self-Managed vs Managed
WordPress: Maintenance Overhead
MONTHLY TASKS:
- □ Check & install core update
- □ Update 29 plugins (test individually!)
- □ Theme updates
- □ Security scans (malware, vulnerabilities)
- □ Check & test backups
- □ Performance optimisation (caching, DB cleanup)
⏱️ Time effort:
8-12 hours/month = 96-144 hrs/year
At €70/hr = €6,720-10,080/year
Power Pages: Managed Platform
WHAT MICROSOFT MANAGES:
- ✓ Platform updates (automatic)
- ✓ Security patches (automatic)
- ✓ Infrastructure monitoring
- ✓ Backups & disaster recovery
- ✓ Performance optimisation
- ✓ Uptime guarantee (99.9% SLA)
⏱️ Your effort:
Only: Maintain content & business logic
Ca. 2-4 hours/month
5. Total Cost of Ownership: 3-Year Comparison
| Cost position | WordPress (3 years) | Power Pages (3 years) |
|---|---|---|
| Initial development | €35,000-70,000 | €48,000 |
| • Theme development / templates | €13,000-22,000 | Included in base |
| • Plugin setup & configuration | €8,700-13,000 | Low-code configuration |
| • Security hardening | €4,300-8,700 | Enterprise security incl. |
| • ERP/CRM integration | €8,700-26,000 | Included in base |
| Hosting (36 months) | €3,100-6,300 | Included in licence |
| Licences (36 months) | €2,600-5,200 | €18,900 |
| • Premium plugins | €1,700-3,500 | — |
| • Power Pages licences | — | €18,900 (€525/month) |
| Maintenance & updates (36 months) | €20,160-30,240 | €0 (managed) |
| Security monitoring (36 months) | €6,300-9,450 | €0 (incl.) |
| Total Cost of Ownership (3 years) | €67,160-121,190 | €66,900 |
💡 Surprise: WordPress is NOT cheaper. With honest TCO calculation (including maintenance, security, integration) WordPress often costs more than Power Pages.
Decision Guide: What Suits You?
WordPress is right when...
- ✓ You need a content website (blog, news, marketing)
- ✓ No login area required
- ✓ No ERP/CRM integration needed
- ✓ You already have WordPress developers in team
- ✓ Budget <€20,000 (simple website)
- ✓ You're willing to manage maintenance & security yourself
Power Pages is right when...
- ✓ You need a B2B customer portal with login
- ✓ Database integration (ERP, CRM, custom DB) required
- ✓ Role-based access rights needed
- ✓ GDPR-critical customer data processed
- ✓ You already use Microsoft 365 / Dynamics 365
- ✓ Prefer managed platform (less IT overhead)
Unsure which technology fits?
In a free 30-minute call we'll analyse your requirements and give you an honest recommendation – even if it's WordPress.
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