The verdict in three sentences
For a 120-page corporate site, WordPress costs EUR 12,000 to 20,000 to build and a headless CMS with Next.js + Strapi EUR 18,000 to 30,000 (about GBP 15,500 to 26,000). Over 5 years, once WordPress updates and security are included, the TCO gap falls to a few thousand euros, roughly EUR 1,000 a year or less. Choose headless if you have multichannel needs, strong performance requirements or an in-house tech team; stay on WordPress if you have many non-technical contributors and the site remains an editorial site.
Build cost: what each option covers
2026 orders of magnitude for a 450-employee company, FR/EN site of 120 pages, 15 templates.
| Item | WordPress (excl. tax) | Next.js + Strapi (excl. tax) |
|---|---|---|
| Scoping, UX, mockups | EUR 3,000 to 4,500 | EUR 3,000 to 4,500 |
| Template development | EUR 5,000 to 8,000 | EUR 8,000 to 13,000 |
| Content modelling and back office | EUR 1,000 to 2,000 (Gutenberg, ACF) | EUR 3,000 to 5,000 (Strapi) |
| Migration of 120 pages | EUR 1,500 to 2,500 | EUR 2,000 to 3,500 |
| Multilingual FR/EN | EUR 800 to 1,500 (WPML, Polylang) | EUR 1,000 to 2,000 (native i18n) |
| Testing, performance, launch | EUR 700 to 1,500 | EUR 1,000 to 2,000 |
| Total | EUR 12,000 to 20,000 | EUR 18,000 to 30,000 |
The gap comes mainly from the fact that, in headless, the front end and back office are two separate applications to build and connect.
5-year TCO: the real comparison
Take the midpoint of each range. Recurring costs change the picture.
| 5-year item | WordPress | Next.js + Strapi |
|---|---|---|
| Build | EUR 16,000 | EUR 24,000 |
| Hosting (EUR 60 and EUR 100 per month) | EUR 3,600 | EUR 6,000 |
| Updates, security, plugins (EUR 2,250 and EUR 1,000 per year) | EUR 11,250 | EUR 5,000 |
| Premium plugin licences (EUR 300 per year) | EUR 1,500 | EUR 0 |
| Likely security incident (1 in 5 years, estimate) | EUR 2,500 | EUR 500 |
| Template changes (2 per year) | EUR 4,000 | EUR 5,000 |
| 5-year TCO | EUR 38,850 | EUR 40,500 |
In this scenario, the gap is only EUR 1,650 over 5 years. If your WordPress runs many plugins or your IT department requires quarterly security audits, headless even becomes cheaper. Conversely, if you host WordPress on EUR 15-a-month shared hosting with few plugins, WordPress keeps a EUR 6,000 to 8,000 advantage.
Performance, security and use: the deciding criteria
| Criterion | WordPress | Next.js + Strapi |
|---|---|---|
| Typical mobile Lighthouse score | 60 to 85 (90+ with dedicated work) | 90 to 100 |
| Attack surface | High (plugins, public wp-admin) | Low (static front end, isolated back office) |
| Usability for non-technical contributors | Excellent, widely known | Good, needs 2 h of training |
| Content reuse (app, intranet, kiosks) | Limited (REST API possible) | Native (API) |
| Availability of agencies in Manchester | Very wide | Narrower, higher rates |
| Vendor dependency | Low | Medium, offset by documentation |
For a mid-sized company site, a Lighthouse score above 90 is achievable on both options, but it is structural in headless and requires ongoing discipline on WordPress (caching, images, limited plugins).
Mini case study
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Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
James, CIO of a 450-employee manufacturer in Manchester, must rebuild a 120-page site fed by 12 contributors from HR, communications and sales. He compares two quotes: WordPress at EUR 16,000 and Next.js + Strapi at EUR 24,000. Including his current WordPress security maintenance of EUR 2,800 a year and a 2024 hack that cost EUR 3,500, his 5-year TCO is EUR 42,600 for WordPress versus EUR 40,500 for headless. He picks headless, budgets 2 h of training per contributor and requires technical documentation to limit vendor dependency.
FAQ
Is Strapi free?
The Strapi community edition is open source and free. Paid editions, with SSO or advanced review workflows, start at about EUR 9 per user per month; hosted Strapi Cloud starts around EUR 15 a month.
Is WordPress really less secure?
WordPress core is secure; plugins account for most published vulnerabilities. With 25 plugins, plan EUR 1,500 to 3,000 a year for updates and monitoring.
Can our contributors use Strapi without help?
Yes after a 2-hour training session and an illustrated guide. Live page preview can be configured, which reassures teams used to WordPress.
Can WordPress be used headless?
Yes, WordPress can serve as the back office for a Next.js front end. This combines a familiar interface with performance, at a cost close to headless, EUR 18,000 to 26,000, but keeps WordPress maintenance.
How long does each option take?
Allow 10 to 12 weeks for WordPress and 12 to 16 weeks for a 120-page headless build, including migration and training.
Let's scope your project. The WordPress versus headless decision can be settled in one workshop on your contributors, channels and TCO: indicative budget EUR 16,000 to 30,000, delivery in 10 to 16 weeks. 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.
