The verdict in three sentences
For a mid-size company that publishes a lot with many contributors, a Next.js website with a headless Sanity CMS costs a 2026 ballpark of 20,000 to 55,000 EUR (about 30,000 to 80,000 SGD in Singapore) and 10 to 14 weeks, against 15,000 to 40,000 EUR for a custom WordPress build. Over 3 years, total cost of ownership is close for both options, because the Sanity licence (0 to 15 USD per user per month) replaces premium plugins and part of the maintenance. The difference lies in editorial governance: roles, approvals and live preview often cut publishing time in half, with a Lighthouse score above 95.
Classic WordPress or Next.js with Sanity: the comparison that matters
A marketing director at a mid-size company is not buying a technology. She is buying a site that 8 to 15 contributors (marketing, HR, investor relations, subsidiaries) can update without breaking the brand, without waiting for the agency and without a security issue every quarter. The 2026 market estimates below are indicative, not Kolonell prices.
| Criterion | Custom WordPress | Next.js with Sanity |
|---|---|---|
| Build budget | 15,000 to 40,000 EUR | 20,000 to 55,000 EUR |
| Delivery time | 8 to 12 weeks | 10 to 14 weeks |
| Licences | premium plugins 500 to 1,500 EUR a year | Sanity 0 to 15 USD per user per month |
| Maintenance and updates | about 150 EUR a month | 80 to 200 EUR a month |
| Typical mobile Lighthouse score | 55 to 80 | above 95 |
| Roles and approval workflow | via plugins | native and configurable |
| Attack surface | core, theme and 20 to 40 plugins | static front end, isolated CMS API |
WordPress remains an excellent choice for a 15-page site run by one person. Headless takes the lead as soon as there are several contributors, several languages or several sites (group and subsidiaries) fed from a single content source.
3-year total cost: a smaller gap than you think
Headless has a reputation for being expensive. On a comparable 40-page project with 10 contributors, the 3-year calculation shows a limited gap.
| 3-year item | WordPress | Next.js with Sanity |
|---|---|---|
| Build | 30,000 EUR | 36,000 EUR |
| Maintenance (150 or 100 EUR a month) | 5,400 EUR | 3,600 EUR |
| Licences (plugins or 10 Sanity seats) | 3,000 EUR | 5,040 EUR |
| Hosting (about 40 EUR a month) | 1,440 EUR | 1,440 EUR |
| Security fixes and incidents | 4,500 EUR | 1,500 EUR |
| 3-year total | 44,340 EUR | 47,580 EUR |
The gap of about 3,240 EUR over 3 years pays back very quickly if publishing time drops, which happens as soon as an approval circuit replaces email back-and-forth.
Editorial governance: where time is saved
Sanity lets you define precise roles (writer, approver, admin), lock brand blocks, preview a page before publishing and schedule a release. A financial announcement can require legal approval, while an HR news item needs only the HR director.
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| Publishing step | Before (classic CMS, emails) | After (Sanity with workflow) |
|---|---|---|
| Formatting in the CMS | 45 min | 20 min |
| Sending for review and feedback | 60 min | 25 min |
| Layout corrections | 30 min | 10 min |
| Final approval and publishing | 45 min | 35 min |
| Total per item | 3 h | 1 h 30 |
These durations are orders of magnitude observed with teams of 8 to 15 contributors. They assume a well-designed content model upfront, which represents 1 to 2 weeks of scoping in a 10 to 14 week project.
Mini case study
Mei Ling, marketing director of a 600-employee industrial company in Singapore (illustrative scenario), publishes 25 items a month: news, job ads, product sheets, announcements. Each item takes 3 hours of cycle time, excluding writing.
With Sanity and an approval workflow, that cycle drops to 1 h 30, saving 37.5 hours a month and 450 hours a year. Valued at 55 EUR per loaded hour, that is 24,750 EUR a year, or 74,250 EUR over 3 years. Against a total extra cost of 3,240 EUR compared with WordPress, the headless choice pays back in under two months.
FAQ
Is Sanity free? The free plan covers small teams. Paid plans start around 15 USD per user per month in 2026; a team of 10 contributors costs about 1,800 USD a year.
Can marketing teams publish without a developer? Yes, if the content model is well designed: reusable blocks, live preview, required fields. Plan 1 to 2 days of training.
Is SEO better with headless? Performance helps: a Lighthouse score above 95 and pages served in under a second improve Core Web Vitals signals. Content and internal linking remain decisive.
Can we migrate from WordPress? Yes, posts and media are imported by script. Plan 1 to 3 weeks depending on volume, with a complete 301 redirect plan.
How long does a headless mid-size company site take? Between 10 and 14 weeks, including 2 weeks of content model scoping and 1 to 2 weeks of migration.
Let's scope your project. Tell us about your contributors, approval circuits and monthly publishing volume: we compare WordPress and headless on your case, 3-year total cost included. 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.
