The verdict in three sentences
For a B2B site, WordPress stays cheaper upfront (8,000-18,000 EUR excl. VAT) but costs more in maintenance, security and performance over 3 years. Headless (Sanity/Strapi + Next.js) starts higher (15,000-40,000 EUR excl. VAT) but delivers better CWV performance, security and scalability. The decision comes down to 3-year TCO and desired editorial autonomy, not the headline price of the initial quote.
Initial cost + 3-year TCO comparison
| Item | WordPress | Headless (Sanity + Next.js) |
|---|---|---|
| Initial setup | 8,000-18,000 EUR | 15,000-40,000 EUR |
| Hosting / month | 80-150 EUR | 100-250 EUR (API + CDN) |
| Maintenance / year | 2,500-5,000 EUR | 2,000-4,000 EUR |
| Security / updates | high (plugins) | low (reduced surface) |
| 3-year TCO (estimate) | 22,000-42,000 EUR | 28,000-58,000 EUR |
WordPress TCO climbs with premium plugins, security patches and regressions on updates. Headless front-loads the cost but stays stable afterward.
Decision criteria
| Criterion | WordPress | Headless |
|---|---|---|
| Performance (Core Web Vitals) | average | excellent |
| Security | wide attack surface | reduced surface |
| Scalability / traffic | fair | very high |
| Editorial autonomy | excellent (ecosystem) | good (dedicated studio) |
| Startup cost | low | high |
| Custom integrations | via plugins | native (API) |
| Multilingual / i18n | plugins (WPML) | native (next-intl) |
Hidden costs to anticipate
| Hidden cost | WordPress | Headless |
|---|---|---|
| Premium plugins (SEO, security, i18n) | 300-800 EUR/yr | included / native |
| Post-update fixes | 1-3 d/yr | rare |
| Migration on rebuild | moderate | low (structured content) |
| Editor training | low | 0.5-1 d |
| Developer dependency | moderate | higher at first |
Recommended use case
Choose WordPress if: brochure site or blog of 10-30 pages, autonomous editorial team, tight budget, few integrations, moderate traffic.
Choose headless if: performance and SEO are critical, heavy ERP/CRM integrations, demanding multilingual, high or spiky traffic, a 3-5 year product vision, stronger security requirements.
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Mini case study
Mark, CIO of a mid-market B2B firm in Toronto (450 staff, industrial manufacturing), decides on a 40-page site with a press room, FR/EN multilingual and CRM integration.
- WordPress: 14,000 EUR setup + 3-year TCO ~34,000 EUR, but average CWV performance and 4 critical plugins to maintain.
- Headless: 28,000 EUR setup + 3-year TCO ~46,000 EUR, CWV > 90, hardened security, native CRM integration.
- TCO gap: ~12,000 EUR over 3 years, i.e. ~4,000 EUR/yr.
Given his SEO performance and CRM integration requirements, Mark picks headless: the 4,000 EUR/yr gap is covered by organic traffic gains and the absence of security rework. For a simple brochure site, he would have chosen WordPress.
FAQ
Is headless always better? No. For a simple brochure site with no integrations, WordPress offers better cost/value. Headless shines on performance, security and integrations.
Is WordPress less secure? Its attack surface is wider (plugins, themes). Well maintained, it stays safe, but security maintenance is a recurring line item to budget.
Does headless make editors dependent on developers? At first, a little. A well-configured Sanity studio then makes editors largely autonomous for day-to-day content.
What is the real 3-year TCO gap? 2026 ballpark: headless costs 6,000 to 16,000 EUR more over 3 years, offset by performance and lower security costs.
Can we migrate from WordPress to headless later? Yes, but migration has a cost. If you expect strong growth, starting headless avoids a rebuild in 2-3 years.
Let's scope your project. Describe your integrations, page volume and performance requirements, and we hand you a costed 3-year TCO comparison of WordPress vs headless. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
