WordPress or a modern website (Next.js)? What's right for a small business
An honest comparison of WordPress and a statically generated Next.js site: speed, security, cost, content editing and when each one makes sense.
Online business · · 2 min read
We worked with WordPress for years and still recommend it in some situations. Yet we moved our own site to Next.js. Here's why, and how to choose for your business.
In short: how each one works
WordPress builds every page when someone requests it: it runs PHP, reads the database, applies the theme and plugins, then sends the result. With a caching plugin, some pages are served pre-built.
A modern statically generated site (Next.js, Astro and others) builds every page once, at publish time. Visitors get ready-made files straight from a network of servers (CDN) close to them. Dynamic features, like forms or our website scanner, run separately, only when needed.
Comparison
| WordPress | Modern site (Next.js) | |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | good with serious optimization, often average with heavy themes | very high by default |
| Security | needs constant updates for core, theme and plugins | very small attack surface, no public admin panel |
| Content editing | full panel included | via an integrated CMS or the technical team |
| Ready-made features | tens of thousands of plugins | built or integrated as needed |
| Design | often starts from a theme | usually unique, from scratch |
| Maintenance | monthly (updates, backups, checks) | minimal |
| Online store | WooCommerce, mature and flexible | headless setups or Shopify, suited to larger projects |
When we recommend WordPress
- You publish articles or change content often and want to do it yourself.
- You need complex features available as plugins (bookings, memberships, courses).
- You run a small or medium online store where WooCommerce covers everything.
- The initial budget is very small and a good theme is enough.
A well-built WordPress site with a light theme, few plugins and good hosting can be fast. The problem isn't WordPress itself; it's all-in-one themes, heavy page builders and plugins piling up over time.
When we recommend a modern site
- A business website or landing page whose content changes rarely.
- Mobile speed and Core Web Vitals matter a lot.
- You want a unique design that doesn't look like a thousand other sites.
- You don't want to think about plugin updates and security holes anymore.
- You need custom features (calculators, configurators, integrations) that would be built from scratch anyway.
What we chose and why
Our old site ran on WordPress with a popular theme and two slider plugins. Its mobile performance score was 59 and the main element appeared after 5.5 seconds. The new site is built with Next.js, has its own design, is statically generated and includes a website scanner, something that's hard to do elegantly inside a WordPress theme.
Scan your website to see where you stand. If you're torn, write to us: we'll tell you honestly which option makes sense, even if the answer is "keep WordPress and optimize it."
FAQ
Is a Next.js site more expensive than a WordPress one?
The build can cost about the same or slightly more, since the design is made from scratch. Hosting and maintenance costs are usually lower, though, because there are no plugins to update and no database to secure.
Can I edit the text myself on a Next.js site?
Yes, if a CMS (an editing panel) such as Sanity, Decap or even WordPress used only as a panel is integrated. For sites that rarely change, it's often simpler to have the technical team make updates.
Will I lose my Google rankings moving from WordPress to Next.js?
Not if the migration is done right: keep the URLs of important pages, add 301 redirects for the rest, carry over titles and descriptions and submit the new sitemap to Google Search Console.
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