The latest articles on DEV Community by Hugo Calmels (@hugo_calmels_cadf5da60d26). https://dev.to/hugo_calmels_cadf5da60d26 https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F3691539%2F91ab15f7-6996-4166-a3e4-f4696df42962.png https://dev.to/hugo_calmels_cadf5da60d26 en Hugo Calmels Sat, 03 Jan 2026 15:58:33 +0000 https://dev.to/hugo_calmels_cadf5da60d26/why-i-chose-custom-code-over-cms-as-a-freelance-dev-starting-from-scratch-1d34 https://dev.to/hugo_calmels_cadf5da60d26/why-i-chose-custom-code-over-cms-as-a-freelance-dev-starting-from-scratch-1d34 <p>When I started freelancing, I had zero agency experience, no professional network, and no client base.</p> <p>But I did have something: time, grind, and curiosity.</p> <p>And while everyone was building websites with WordPress, I went the opposite way — I stuck to <strong>React, Next.js, Spring Boot</strong>, and code.</p> <h2> The CMS Curve Is Flattening </h2> <p>I spent months digging into the CMS landscape — especially WordPress. It dominates the web, no doubt.</p> <p>But something interesting happens around <strong>2022–2023</strong> — the growth curve plateaus. Around the same time… <strong>AI explodes</strong>.</p> <p><strong>What I realized:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Generating static sites with tools like ChatGPT has become insanely easy</li> <li>You no longer need to browse Bootstrap for a simple carousel → just prompt ChatGPT, refine, and boom.</li> <li>Building a simple CRUD with auth? I can spin it up in <strong>Spring Boot + React</strong> in a few hours — no CMS needed.</li> </ul> <p>Yes, I rely on ChatGPT heavily. No shame. It speeds things up. You still need to know your tools.</p> <h2> Code Is Getting More Accessible. CMS Is Still... CMS. </h2> <p>I noticed a trend: non-tech clients using CMS like WordPress or Wix often end up looking for devs to fix or customize things.</p> <ul> <li>Pages slow to load</li> <li>Plugins breaking</li> <li>SEO nightmares</li> <li>Hard-to-scale setups</li> </ul> <p>At the same time, devs (even solo) can now build cleaner, faster, SEO-friendly sites in less time — thanks to better tools, AI, and frameworks.</p> <h2> What I Build </h2> <p>I mostly offer:</p> <ul> <li>Custom websites (static or dynamic)</li> <li>Custom web apps (dashboards, internal tools, etc.)</li> </ul> <p>My stack:</p> <ul> <li>Frontend: Next.js / React</li> <li>Backend: Spring Boot (Java)</li> <li>Hosting: Vercel, Netlify, or VPS depending on the client</li> </ul> <p><strong>Check my portfolio :</strong><br> <a href="https://hugo-calmels.fr/fr" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://hugo-calmels.fr/fr</a></p> <h2> Why Not Learn WordPress? </h2> <p>Simple: I’ve already invested in mastering multiple stacks (React, Angular, Java, etc.). Learning a CMS <strong>from scratch</strong>, with different paradigms, felt like a bad ROI.</p> <p>Especially when I could start earning with what I already knew.</p> <h2> What Now? </h2> <p>I'm testing the market — trying to see if <strong>small businesses</strong> and freelance clients are open to <strong>custom-coded</strong> <strong>alternatives</strong> to WordPress.</p> <p>If you’re a dev doing the same, or a business tired of bloated CMS platforms, I’d love to hear from you.</p> career chatgpt react webdev