My development partner and I created a car selling website using WordPress with custom programming. The backend includes user login systems, phone and email checks, security features, map integration with location services, background image processing, over 20 search filters, and more functionality. Everything runs smoothly right now.
We only use FacetWP for the search results section, which works well for that specific purpose.
Now my partner thinks we should rebuild most of the site using Bricks Builder combined with various plugins like JetEngine, JetSmartFilters, and JetFormBuilder. He wants to replace our custom code with these tools wherever we can, keeping our original programming only when there’s no other choice.
I’m worried about how this might affect site speed, security issues, and making fixes later. Has anyone here built a complex marketplace using Bricks plus plugins for the main features? Would you recommend letting him go ahead with this plan or should I push back?
I rebuilt a similar automotive marketplace two years ago and can share some perspective. The Bricks + Jet ecosystem approach does offer maintainability benefits, particularly when team members need to make updates without diving into custom code. However, performance can become problematic with complex filtering systems - we experienced significant database query overhead when handling multiple simultaneous search parameters through JetSmartFilters compared to our previous custom implementation. Security-wise, the plugin dependency chain introduces more potential vulnerabilities that require constant monitoring. If your current system handles your traffic load effectively and you have documentation for the custom code, the migration risks may outweigh the benefits. Consider whether your partner’s motivation stems from genuine technical necessity or preference for visual builders. A hybrid approach might work better - keeping your core custom functionality while selectively implementing Bricks for simpler content areas.
honestly sounds like your partner wants to fix something that aint broken. if your current setup is working smooth why mess with it? switching to bricks + all those jet plugins could create more headaches than solutions, especially for something as complex as vehicle trading. those plugin chains can get messy real quick when you need custom fixes.
what’s driving your partner’s push for this change though? is he finding the custom code hard to maintain or does he just prefer working with visual builders? curious about your current site’s performance metrics too - how many simultaneous users and searches are you handling without issues?