Templates add unnecessary coding to the wikitext for the same information. Templated citations are almost always longer and more complex. Compare
 AP (May 4, 2008). "Sean Combs receives Walk of Fame star". today.msnbc.msn.com. Retrieved 2011-06-30.
 
There is a difference, but visually, these look pretty much the same. If you've already got
 AP (May 4, 2008). [http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/24456438/ns/today-entertainment/t/sean-combs-receives-walk-fame-star/ "Sean Combs receives Walk of Fame star"]. today.msnbc.msn.com. Retrieved 2011-06-30.
then
 {{cite web |author=AP |url=http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/24456438/ns/today-entertainment/t/sean-combs-receives-walk-fame-star/ |title=Sean Combs receives Walk of Fame star |publisher=today.msnbc.msn.com |date=May 4, 2008 |accessdate=2011-06-30}}
adds the clutter of field identifiers (author=, url=, title=, date=). (Templated text also typically takes longer to load/render in a browser.)