# GHL vs. Custom Stacks: Why Complexity is Killing Your ROI
I’m going to start with a statement that usually gets me kicked out of digital marketing Facebook groups: Most Brisbane business owners are being sold a lie about 'all-in-one' software.
Every day, I see local tradies, real estate agents, and professional service firms in South East Queensland getting lured into the GoHighLevel (GHL) ecosystem with the promise that it will replace twenty different tools and save them thousands of dollars. On the flip side, I see tech-heavy startups building 'Frankenstein' stacks with Zapier automations that break the moment a developer sneezes.
Look, I get it. The lure of a single login is intoxicating. But after a decade in this game, I’ve seen more businesses crippled by "software bloat" than I have by actually having too few tools. If you’re sitting there in your office in Milton or Newstead wondering why your marketing tech feels like a second job, this is for you.
We’re going to cut through the vendor hype. No fluff, no affiliate links, just the cold hard truth about whether you should go all-in on GHL or build a best-of-breed custom stack.
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The Great Consolidation Myth: Why 'All-in-One' Isn't Always Better
The industry loves a pendulum swing. Five years ago, the advice was "find the best tool for every specific task." Today, the pendulum has swung violently toward consolidation. GHL is the poster child for this movement.
But here is the reality: When a tool tries to do everything, it rarely does anything exceptionally well.
GHL is a Swiss Army Knife. It’s got the blade, the scissors, the toothpick, and that weird hook thing no one uses. It’s great if you’re camping. But if you’re trying to prep a five-course meal for a wedding at Howard Smith Wharves, you want a dedicated chef’s knife, not a fold-out blade.
The 'Jack of All Trades' Trap
I’ve seen GHL users struggle with the email builder because it’s not as intuitive as Mailchimp. I’ve seen them pull their hair out over the funnel builder because it’s not as robust as ClickFunnels or a custom WordPress build.When you choose an all-in-one, you are accepting a "middle-of-the-road" experience for every feature. For some businesses, that’s a perfect trade-off. For others, it’s a tech stack stalling growth because the limitations of the platform become the limitations of your marketing strategy.
When GoHighLevel is the Right Call (The 'Quick Win' Scenario)
Don't get me wrong—I’m not a GHL hater. In fact, for about 60% of the small businesses we talk to in Brisbane, it’s exactly what they need.
1. You Need Speed to Lead, Not Sophistication
If you’re a local service provider—think a plumber in Chermside or a landscaper in Carindale—you don't need a complex multi-touch attribution model. You need the phone to ring, and you need an automated SMS to go out the second a lead hits your site. GHL is unbeatable for this. Its automation workflows (Workflows 2.0) are genuinely powerful for simple, linear sequences.2. You Are Overwhelmed by Tab Fatigue
If your morning involves logging into ActiveCampaign, then WordPress, then Calendly, then a separate SMS provider, and finally a reporting tool, you’re losing hours to context switching. Consolidating into GHL eliminates this friction.3. You’re Operating on a Tight Budget
If you add up the costs of a premium CRM, an email platform, a funnel builder, and a call tracking tool, you’re looking at $500+ AUD per month. GHL’s flat pricing is a massive win for lean operations. However, be careful—it can quickly become a data graveyard if you don't actually use the features you're paying for.The Case for the Custom Stack: Why the Big Players Don’t Use GHL
You’ll notice that mid-to-large scale Brisbane enterprises rarely use all-in-one platforms. There’s a reason for that. As your business grows, your requirements become more specific.
1. Data Ownership and Portability
This is my biggest gripe with all-in-one platforms. If you build your entire business—your website, your funnels, your CRM, and your courses—on GHL, you are effectively a tenant on their land. If you ever want to leave, migrating that data is a nightmare.With a custom stack (e.g., WordPress + HubSpot + Postmark), you own the architecture. You can swap out the email provider without losing your website. You can upgrade your CRM without rebuilding your funnels.
2. Best-of-Breed Performance
Let’s talk about email deliverability. GHL uses Mailgun or their own LeadConnector (which is just a white-labeled service) under the hood. It’s fine for basic stuff. But if you’re doing high-volume cold outreach or complex e-commerce segmentation, a dedicated tool like Klaviyo or Beehiiv will run circles around it.3. The 'Hidden Tax' of Complexity
Ironically, all-in-one tools often become more complex to manage than a few simple, dedicated tools. Because GHL has so many features, the UI is cluttered. I’ve seen business owners spend weeks trying to figure out how to do a simple trigger that would have taken five minutes in a dedicated automation tool. This is the hidden tax of all-in-one that nobody mentions in the sales webinars.The 2026 Reality: Hybrids are Winning
It’s now February 2026, and the landscape has shifted. AI has made integration much easier. You no longer need to be a coding wizard to make two different tools talk to each other.
Because of this, the "Hybrid Stack" is the real winner for QLD businesses this year.
What does a Hybrid Stack look like? - CRM/Core: GHL (Used for lead capture and SMS) - Email Marketing: Klaviyo (For high-converting, beautiful newsletters) - Website: WordPress (For SEO and total design control) - Integration: Make.com (The smarter, cheaper alternative to Zapier)
This approach gives you the "quick win" benefits of GHL for lead management while keeping your high-value assets (like your website and deep customer data) in specialized platforms.
Actionable Quick Wins: How to Decide Today
Stop overthinking it. Use this 3-step audit to decide your path in the next 10 minutes.
Step 1: The 'Feature Audit'
List the top 3 things that actually drive revenue in your business. - Is it SEO and content? (Go Custom/WordPress) - Is it fast lead follow-up? (Go GHL) - Is it complex recurring billing? (Go Custom/Stripe/Chargebee)Step 2: The 'Friction Test'
How many times a week do you say, "I wish these two tools talked to each other"? If it’s more than five, you have an integration problem. If you don't have the budget for a developer to fix it, consolidation (GHL) is your best friend.Step 3: The 'Exit Strategy'
Ask yourself: "If this platform doubled its prices tomorrow, how hard would it be for me to leave?" If the answer is "impossible," you’re at risk. Always keep your core website on a platform you own (like WordPress) regardless of which CRM you choose.My Opinionated Take: The Industry is Lazy
Most agencies in Brisbane push GHL because it’s easy for them, not because it’s best for you. They can spin up a snapshot, charge you a monthly fee, and walk away.
At Local Marketing Group, we take a different view. We believe the tool should serve the strategy, not the other way around. If GHL fits your 12-month growth plan, great. But don’t let an agency talk you into a bloated system that you only use 10% of.
Conclusion
There is no "perfect" tech stack, only the one that doesn't get in your way.
Choose GoHighLevel if: You are a small team, you need to launch fast, and your primary goal is lead conversion and simple automation.
Choose a Custom Stack if: You are scaling past $2M ARR, you rely heavily on SEO, or you have specific data requirements that a "templated" system can't handle.
Don't get caught in the trap of thinking a new piece of software will fix a broken sales process. Software only amplifies what you already have. If your process is a mess, GHL will just help you make a mess faster.
Need a hand auditing your current setup? We help Brisbane businesses strip away the fluff and build lean, high-performing marketing machines. Contact Local Marketing Group today and let’s stop the tech-spend leak.