The verdict in three sentences
A 200-page WordPress with 25 plugins turns into a technical liability: slow loads, recurring vulnerabilities and creeping maintenance costs. Migrating to Next.js + a headless CMS (Sanity, Strapi or Storyblok) costs 14,000 to 30,000 EUR depending on volume, but halves load time and removes 80 % of the attack surface. For an Amsterdam mid-sized company that generates leads through its site, the return on investment lands within 12 to 18 months.
What the migration really costs in 2026
Budget depends on three variables: the number of pages to migrate, template complexity and the level of design rework. Here are the 2026 orders of magnitude seen on the EU market for a B2B corporate site.
| Line item | 2026 range (EUR) | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Scoping + technical audit | 1,500 - 3,000 | Page, plugin and debt inventory |
| Next.js + headless CMS setup | 4,000 - 8,000 | Architecture, templates, i18n |
| Migrating 200 pages | 3,500 - 4,500 | Content + media migration |
| Design / UI integration | 3,000 - 9,000 | Light to full redesign |
| Technical SEO + 301 redirects | 1,500 - 3,000 | Ranking preservation |
| QA + go-live | 800 - 2,500 | Testing, DNS, monitoring |
| Total | 14,300 - 30,000 | By scope |
Content migration is often underestimated: budget about 20 EUR per page for a structured, proofread import, i.e. 4,000 EUR for 200 pages. An automated import without proofing costs less but degrades editorial quality.
The measured gains after the switch
Headless separates the back office from the front end: the site becomes static or pre-rendered, served over a CDN. The effects are measurable from go-live.
| Metric | WordPress before | Headless after | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| LCP (home, mobile) | 4.2 s | 1.9 s | -55 % |
| Monthly hosting | 120 EUR | 45 EUR | -62 % |
| Security incidents / year | 6 to 9 | 0 to 1 | -85 % |
| Plugin update time | 3 h/month | 0 h | removed |
| Lighthouse perf score | 48 | 96 | +100 % |
| Maintenance cost / year | 3,600 EUR | 1,200 EUR | -67 % |
Less maintenance, fewer emergency security patches, and a stable base for three to five years: that is the real saving, beyond the hosting bill.
Mini case study
Sophie, marketing director of an industrial mid-cap in Amsterdam (85 staff), runs a 210-page WordPress that generates 40 qualified leads a month. The site drags (LCP 4.2 s) and was hacked twice in 18 months. Headless migration quote: 22,000 EUR.
With LCP cut in half, visitor conversion rises from 1.4 % to 1.9 % (order of magnitude observed on this type of rebuild). On 8,000 visits/month, that means 40 extra leads per quarter. At an average value of 350 EUR per inbound lead, the annual gain is around 56,000 EUR. Adding the maintenance and hosting saving (~3,000 EUR/year), the 22,000 EUR investment is paid back in under 5 months on the extra lead value alone.
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FAQ
How long does a WordPress-to-headless migration take?
Budget 8 to 14 weeks for 200 pages: 2 weeks scoping, 4 to 8 development, 2 to 4 content migration and QA. A simpler site (50 pages) can wrap in 6 weeks.
Will I lose my Google ranking?
No, provided the 301 redirect plan is complete and URLs are preserved. Done right, SEO holds or improves thanks to the speed gain: Google has weighted LCP in Core Web Vitals since 2021.
Can I keep WordPress as the back office?
Yes, that is "headless WordPress": WordPress serves as an API via WPGraphQL and the front end is Next.js. It is a cheaper option (saving 3,000 to 5,000 EUR) but keeps part of the PHP debt.
Which headless CMS should I pick in 2026?
Sanity and Storyblok for rich editorial and multilingual, Strapi if you want to self-host the CMS (data sovereignty). The choice affects licence cost: open-source Strapi is free, Sanity charges beyond a quota (around 15 EUR/month for an SME).
Is headless justified for a small brochure site?
Below 30 pages with no strong performance constraint, an optimized WordPress or a simple static site is often enough. Headless makes sense once speed, security and content volume become strategic.
Let's scope your project. Send us your page count, your critical plugins and your speed target: we will scope the work and an indicative budget between 14,000 and 30,000 EUR. 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.
