Reconciliation: Open-source content management system
WordPress or a managed website for an accounting firm: who carries the upkeep?
WordPress can run an excellent accounting firm site, if someone owns the updates, plugins, hosting, security and speed. That is the real question. If your firm has a developer or a trusted maintainer, WordPress gives you the most control. If nobody wants that job, a managed site with a 90+ PageSpeed guarantee, hosting and weekly content included is usually less work and less risk.
Our side of the ledger
Who does the work: we do. Hosting, domain and updates are inside the monthly fee.
The other optionOpen-source content management system
What you get with WordPress
WordPress is open-source publishing software used by a very large share of websites, from blogs to enterprise sites. You download it free from WordPress.org and run it on a hosting plan you choose, or use a hosted service built on it. Themes control the design and a large library of plugins adds features such as forms, SEO fields and booking. That flexibility is its strength, and it means someone has to choose, update and keep compatible every piece.
Facts about WordPress on this page were checked against its official pages; see the sources at the foot of the page.
WordPress vs GetAccountingWebsite, line by line
Twelve things that decide how an accounting firm's website performs and who carries the work, set side by side.
| What matters | WordPress | GetAccountingWebsite |
|---|---|---|
| Speed and Core Web Vitals | Can be fast with careful theme, plugin and hosting choices. Page builders and many plugins tend to add weight. | Custom-coded with almost no JavaScript, on Cloudflare's edge. 90+ PageSpeed guaranteed on pages we build and host. |
| SEO control | Very high control through plugins and code. | High control, exercised for you: architecture, titles, internal links and sitemaps planned by us. |
| Schema and JSON-LD | Usually added by an SEO plugin, configured by whoever runs the site. | Generated from the site's data files on every build, so the markup always matches the page. |
| AEO and GEO readiness | Possible, but answer-first writing and llms.txt are extra work someone has to do. | Built in: answer-first copy, FAQ blocks, llms.txt and llms-full.txt, consistent entity data. Citation is more likely, never guaranteed. |
| Hosting and security | You choose and pay for hosting. Security depends on keeping core, themes and plugins updated. | Cloudflare hosting with SSL, CDN, DDoS protection and unmetered bandwidth. No plugins to patch. |
| Maintenance burden | Ongoing: core, theme and plugin updates, backups, compatibility checks. | None on your side. You never log in to the site. |
| Who does the work | You, a developer, or a maintenance contractor. | Our team. 5 revisions a month, each done within 2 to 5 working days. |
| Content and blog | Excellent blogging tools. Someone still has to write. | 2 to 3 researched, cited articles a week, 2,500 to 3,200 words, written for you. |
| Design quality | Anything is possible. Quality depends on the theme and the designer. | A design system built for accounting practices, the same polish for a solo EA and a multi-partner CPA firm. |
| Accessibility and compliance pages | Plugins exist for consent banners and policies; setup is yours. | Privacy policy, terms, cookie consent that really gates scripts, accessibility statement and no-advice disclaimers, included. |
| Cost model | Software is free. Hosting, premium themes and plugins, and maintenance time are separate costs. | Single Entry at $137, Double Entry at $297 plus AI usage, or Full Ledger at $747 a month. $797 build fee after launch. Domain and hosting included. |
| Lock-in and ownership | Very portable. You can move a WordPress site between hosts. | Your domain is in your name and transferred free if you leave. Your content is yours. |
Be honest about it
When WordPress is the better fit
- You have an in-house developer or a trusted contractor who maintains WordPress sites for a living.
- You need a specific plugin, such as a membership area or a complex calculator, and want to manage it yourself.
- You want to edit every page yourself at any hour and accept the maintenance that comes with it.
For an accounting practice
When our managed site wins
- Nobody at the firm wants to be the person who updates plugins in the middle of filing season.
- You want speed guaranteed in writing: 90+ PageSpeed on pages we build and host, fixed at no charge if it slips because of our work.
- You want one monthly fee covering hosting, domain, updates, revisions and articles, not five separate bills.
- You are tired of a site that looks the same as the day it launched because every change needed a developer quote.
Switching04 steps
Moving off WordPress without losing what already ranks
We start from what your WordPress site already does well. Pages that bring in visits are identified and rebuilt with the same intent, their content kept or improved. Every old URL that changes is redirected to its closest new match, so a bookmarked page or a backlink never lands on an error. Your blog posts can be carried across. Once you approve the new site, we point your domain at it and you can cancel the old hosting and plugin licences.
See what each plan includes- 01
Step 01
Share your domain and current site in the onboarding form.
- 02
Step 02
We audit which WordPress pages carry search value.
- 03
Step 03
We rebuild those pages, plus the service and office pages the old site never had, in 7 days on Single Entry, 10 on Double Entry and 15 on Full Ledger.
- 04
Step 04
Old URLs are redirected, the domain is pointed at the new site, and you cancel old hosting when ready.
What firms say after moving to a managed site
- Sample review
Tax, audit and advisory used to share one paragraph. Now each has its own page and the intake form asks the questions we used to spend the first call on. By the time a prospect is on the phone, the partner already knows what kind of engagement it is.
Marcus WhitfieldManaging partner, CPA firm, three partnersDallas, TX · Double Entry Separate tax, audit and advisory pages, partner bios and an intake form
- Sample review
Splitting monthly bookkeeping from catch-up work was the change I did not know I needed. People with two years of unreconciled books now land on a page written for them, and they arrive already knowing which software we work in.
Elena RuizOwner, Bookkeeping practiceTampa, FL · Single Entry Monthly and catch-up bookkeeping pages, plus a software section
Sample reviews. These are illustrative examples of the kind of result clients describe, not statements from real, named clients. Verified client reviews will replace them.
Still deciding? See the site you would get
A live 30-minute walk-through for your practice type. Plans from $137 a month, the $797 build fee invoiced only after you approve the finished site.
Queries08 answers
Questions about WordPress for accounting firms
Is WordPress bad for an accounting firm?
No. WordPress can run a very good firm site. The question is who maintains it. If you have a developer, it is a strong choice. If you do not, updates, plugins and speed tend to become someone's unpaid job.
Will we lose rankings moving off WordPress?
A properly redirected migration, which is what we do, generally preserves the ranking value of pages that still exist in some form. New pages and faster load times typically help over the following months.
Can you move our existing blog posts?
Yes. Posts worth keeping are carried across and redirected from their old URLs. Posts that are out of date can be refreshed or retired as part of the plan.
Can I still log in and edit pages like I do in WordPress?
No, and that is deliberate. You request changes through the client portal and we make them within 2 to 5 working days. 5 revisions a month are included, of any size.
Do you use plugins?
No. Pages are custom coded, so there are no plugins to update, conflict or be exploited.
What about the forms and integrations my WordPress site has?
Every form on the new site routes into your CRM by direct API, Zapier or Make. We configure it during onboarding so nothing is re-entered by hand.
Is WordPress cheaper?
The software is free, but hosting, premium themes, plugins and maintenance time are real costs. Our plans are Single Entry at $137, Double Entry at $297 plus AI usage, or Full Ledger at $747 a month, with hosting and domain included.
Who owns the site content?
You do. The domain is registered in your name and transferred free if you leave.
Other comparisons worth reading
You are probably weighing a page builder, WordPress, a freelancer, an agency or a GoHighLevel setup. Each has a fair, side-by-side comparison written for accounting practices, including when the other option is the better fit.
- GHL funnels vs GetAccountingWebsiteUse a GHL funnel for a single campaign or offer. Use a managed site for the firm itself, and route its enquiries into GHL.
- GHL websites vs GetAccountingWebsiteGHL websites suit a firm with an in-house builder. We suit a firm that wants the site written, run and kept fast for it.
- GHL AI vs GetAccountingWebsiteHighLevel's AI suits a firm that will configure its own agents. Our AI Engine is set up, scripted and kept advice-free for you.
- Wix vs GetAccountingWebsiteWix suits a new solo practice on a tight budget that enjoys DIY. We suit a practice whose hours are better spent billing.
WordPress is a trademark of its owner. GetAccountingWebsite is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, WordPress. Comparisons reflect our reading of public information on the date shown and describe general capabilities, not every plan or configuration.
Sources
- WordPress.org: About, checked 2026-09-18
- Learn WordPress: What is open source?, checked 2026-09-18
Closing entry
Let us carry the website so your firm does not have to
Live in 7 days on Single Entry. Book a demo, or email hello@getaccountingwebsite.com and a person replies within one working day.