The verdict in three sentences
A WordPress bloated by plugins becomes slow, vulnerable and costly to maintain: headless (Next.js + CMS) replaces it with a fast, scalable site. For a B2B site in Dublin, budget 55,000 to 150,000 EUR over 8 to 14 weeks, with speed multiplied by 2 to 3 and TTFB cut by four. Over 3 years, headless TCO ends up lower than a well-secured managed WordPress.
What a headless migration costs in 2026
Budget depends on content volume, number of integrations and design level. Here are 2026 ranges for Dublin.
| Scope | Budget (EUR) | Timeline | Speed gain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing site 15-25 pages | 55,000 - 85,000 | 8 - 10 wk | 2x |
| B2B site + blog + multilingual | 85,000 - 120,000 | 10 - 12 wk | 2.5x |
| Complex site + CRM/ERP integrations | 120,000 - 150,000 | 12 - 14 wk | 3x |
| Headless CMS (annual licence) | 0 - 24,000/yr | - | - |
| Annual maintenance | 11,000 - 28,000/yr | - | - |
Going headless also removes the attack surface of WordPress plugins, the main source of security incidents: fewer plugins to update, fewer exposed vulnerabilities.
3-year TCO and migration scope
Let us compare total cost of ownership over 3 years, then detail what must be migrated to lose nothing.
| Item over 3 years | Managed WordPress | Headless (Next.js + CMS) |
|---|---|---|
| Initial build | 42,000 EUR | 100,000 EUR |
| Hosting + CDN | 50,000 EUR | 19,000 EUR |
| Maintenance/security | 67,000 EUR | 42,000 EUR |
| Plugin incidents (average) | 28,000 EUR | 3,000 EUR |
| 3-year total | 187,000 EUR | 164,000 EUR |
The migration scope to secure, point by point:
| Element to migrate | Risk if missed | Safeguard |
|---|---|---|
| Content (pages, articles) | Traffic loss | Structured export + QA |
| Indexed URLs | 404 errors | Exhaustive 301 redirect plan |
| Media (images, PDFs) | Broken links | Migration + path rewrite |
| Forms and integrations | Lost leads | Reconnect CRM before switch |
| On-page SEO (title, meta) | Ranking drop | 1:1 transfer + comparative crawl |
Mini case study
Declan, IT director of an industrial SME in Dublin, runs an 8-year-old WordPress with 34 plugins and two security incidents a year. He migrates to Next.js + headless CMS for 108,000 EUR over 11 weeks. Result: TTFB from 1,100 ms to 260 ms, Lighthouse score from 51 to 94, and zero plugin incident over the following 12 months. Over 3 years, savings on maintenance and hosting (around 20,000 EUR) plus higher conversion make the operation clearly profitable.
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FAQ
Is headless always faster than WordPress?
In almost all B2B cases, yes: static or pre-rendered output plus a CDN cut TTFB by four. A heavily optimised WordPress can approach it, rarely match it.
Will my editors still publish easily?
Yes: a headless CMS (Sanity, Strapi, etc.) offers a friendly editing interface. Content is simply decoupled from display, which does not affect editorial comfort.
How long does a migration take?
Between 8 and 14 weeks depending on complexity. The 301 redirect plan and SEO QA are the steps you must never compress.
What happens to my WordPress plugins?
Their functions are replaced by dedicated services (forms, search, analytics). This drastically reduces the attack surface and update debt.
Is headless TCO really lower?
Over 3 years, yes for a high-traffic site: hosting and plugin incidents cost far less, offsetting the higher initial build.
Let's scope your project. Share your page volume, integrations (CRM, ERP) and target timeline, and we will cost a safe headless migration with a redirect plan. 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.
