Title: Child Theme vs. Custom CSS
Last modified: August 21, 2016

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# Child Theme vs. Custom CSS

 *  [ma3ry](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ma3ry/)
 * (@ma3ry)
 * [11 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/child-theme-vs-custom-css/)
 * I started building sites using child theme to avoid issues when the theme was
   updated but lately I have found that Custom CSS is a really nice and easy way
   to make changes.
 * Is it satisfactory to just use Custom CSS or should I still be building on child
   themes?
 * Thank you.

Viewing 8 replies - 1 through 8 (of 8 total)

 *  [John7022](https://wordpress.org/support/users/john7022/)
 * (@john7022)
 * [11 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/child-theme-vs-custom-css/#post-5005281)
 * Hello ma3ry,
 * John7022 here. Keep building the child themes and put a custom css file in them.
   if you use just the custom css in the theme itself when that theme gets updated
   you loose all your customization and have to start all over, where as a child
   theme will hold the customization.
 * thank You John7022
 *  Moderator [Jose Castaneda](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jcastaneda/)
 * (@jcastaneda)
 * THEME COFFEE MONKEY
 * [11 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/child-theme-vs-custom-css/#post-5005283)
 * It really all depends on you and how much you want to modify the theme. If you
   just want simple CSS changes then yes a custom CSS plugin is the way to go; if
   you are wanting to change the HTML and the way it behaves then best route really
   is child theme. 🙂
 *  [WP Libra](https://wordpress.org/support/users/wpbum/)
 * (@wpbum)
 * [11 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/child-theme-vs-custom-css/#post-5005310)
 * I’ve never used a child theme for anything and always used custom CSS.
 * But then again I have never updated a theme before since updates rarely happen
   for good reasons.
 *  [esmi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/esmi/)
 * (@esmi)
 * [11 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/child-theme-vs-custom-css/#post-5005313)
 * > updates rarely happen for good reasons.
 * Why do you say that? What if there is a security patch added? Is that not a good
   reason? I strongly recommend reading [http://blog.sucuri.net/2012/03/wordpress-understanding-its-true-vulnerability.html](http://blog.sucuri.net/2012/03/wordpress-understanding-its-true-vulnerability.html)
 *  [WP Libra](https://wordpress.org/support/users/wpbum/)
 * (@wpbum)
 * [11 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/child-theme-vs-custom-css/#post-5005316)
 * > Why do you say that? What if there is a security patch added? Is that not a
   > good reason?
 * I will re-phrase since I can see how you can misinterpret that sentence.
 * Out of the 100’s of free and paid themes I have used a majority of them never
   get any updates at all let alone any security update. Most theme creators make
   a theme and run.
 * There are exceptions to the rule of course.
 * Then with the remaining themes I have used I have never been hacked due to a 
   security flaw in the theme. So my comment is based off of personal experience
   only and there are plenty of people who sit on both sides of the fence on this
   one.
 *  [Thea](https://wordpress.org/support/users/dorothy1508/)
 * (@dorothy1508)
 * [11 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/child-theme-vs-custom-css/#post-5005318)
 * Aaron, I have to disagree with you. I’ve had themes which have broken when a 
   new version of WordPress was released, for instance. Also if new functionality
   is included in WordPress, you want your theme to be updated to take advantage
   of that.
 * A developer who designs a theme and then walks away isn’t doing his job, IMO.
 *  [esmi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/esmi/)
 * (@esmi)
 * [11 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/child-theme-vs-custom-css/#post-5005319)
 * Agree 100% with Thea. Also, having done some work with the WPORG theme review
   team, I can assure you that many theme developers update their themes multiple
   times. One of my own WPORG themes has had 32 updates over the years.
 *  Thread Starter [ma3ry](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ma3ry/)
 * (@ma3ry)
 * [11 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/child-theme-vs-custom-css/#post-5005354)
 * Many thanks everyone for your input. I do tend to make major changes so will 
   continue to use both.

Viewing 8 replies - 1 through 8 (of 8 total)

The topic ‘Child Theme vs. Custom CSS’ is closed to new replies.

## Tags

 * [child theme](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/child-theme/)

 * 8 replies
 * 6 participants
 * Last reply from: [ma3ry](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ma3ry/)
 * Last activity: [11 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/child-theme-vs-custom-css/#post-5005354)
 * Status: not resolved

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