The verdict in three sentences
Migrating an aging WordPress to headless Next.js costs EUR 15,000-35,000 depending on content volume, but drops LCP from 3.5 s to 1.2 s and removes the fragility of stacked plugins. Over three years, the TCO is often lower than a heavy WordPress once licences, maintenance and incidents are counted. The real trigger is not tech fashion, it is the maintenance cost and the performance dragging down your SEO and conversions.
What the migration costs in Berlin for 2026
Budget depends on page volume, content types and integrations (CRM, marketing automation). Here are the ranges we see.
| Item | Scope | Cost 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Scoping + architecture | Content modelling, headless CMS choice | EUR 2,000-4,500 |
| Next.js front-end build | Components, pages, design system | EUR 8,000-18,000 |
| Headless CMS integration | Strapi, Sanity or WordPress headless | EUR 3,000-7,000 |
| Content migration + redirects | Data reprise, 301 map | EUR 1,500-4,000 |
| QA + go-live | Testing, deployment | EUR 1,500-3,500 |
An enriched brochure project runs around EUR 15,000-22,000; a high-volume or multilingual site climbs to EUR 30,000-35,000.
Before / after: measured performance
Performance is not a nicety: Google makes it a ranking signal and every second saved improves conversion. Here are typical post-migration gaps.
| Metric | Heavy WordPress | Headless Next.js | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile LCP | 3.5 s | 1.2 s | +SEO, +conversion |
| INP | 320 ms | 90 ms | Smooth interactions |
| Page weight | 3.8 MB | 900 KB | -76% data |
| Mobile Lighthouse score | 42 | 96 | Thresholds green |
| Hosting cost | EUR 30-80/mo | EUR 20-150/mo | Elastic |
| Plugin incidents/year | 6-12 | 0-2 | -Maintenance |
Expected conversion gain sits at 10-25% on key journeys, which shifts the economics well beyond hosting cost.
Three-year TCO: WordPress vs Next.js
Total cost of ownership, not the initial quote, should drive the decision. Here is an illustrative comparison.
| Item (3 years) | Heavy WordPress | Headless Next.js |
|---|---|---|
| Premium plugin licences | EUR 1,500-6,000 | EUR 0-600 |
| Hosting | EUR 1,800-2,880 | EUR 720-5,400 |
| Maintenance + security | EUR 9,000-18,000 | EUR 6,300-12,600 |
| Incidents / fixes | EUR 3,000-6,000 | EUR 500-1,500 |
| Indicative total | EUR 15,300-32,880 | EUR 7,520-20,100 |
The upfront migration premium is repaid by lower maintenance (-30%) and the end of plugin licences, typically over 18-30 months.
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Mini case study
Sophie, CTO of a B2B software vendor in Berlin, runs a 220-page WordPress with 14 plugins and an EUR 850/month maintenance bill. Mobile LCP is 3.6 s. We scope a headless Next.js migration at EUR 28,000 over 12 weeks. Post-migration: maintenance down to EUR 590/month (EUR 260 saved/month), EUR 1,400/year of licences removed, and LCP at 1.2 s. Combined annual savings: around EUR 4,520. With a +15% conversion gain on 600 leads/year, the commercial impact far exceeds the technical saving, and the investment pays back in about 24 months on TCO alone.
FAQ
Can I keep WordPress as a headless back office?
Yes, and it is common. You keep the WordPress editing interface your team knows and plug a Next.js front end via the REST or GraphQL API. You keep editorial comfort while gaining decoupled front-end performance.
How long does a migration take in Berlin?
Budget 8-14 weeks depending on content volume and integrations. A 50-100 page site migrates in 8-10 weeks; beyond 200 pages or multilingual, expect 12-14 weeks.
Is Next.js hosting more expensive?
Not necessarily: from EUR 20/month on Vercel Hobby at modest usage up to EUR 150/month for sustained traffic. On Scaleway or self-hosted, you often stay under EUR 40/month. Dropping premium plugins more than compensates.
Will I lose my search rankings?
No, if the 301 redirect map is complete and high-performing URLs are kept. A well-run technical migration even improves SEO thanks to green Core Web Vitals. Loss usually stays under 5% and recovers in 6-8 weeks.
Is Next.js suitable for a small brochure site?
Yes, and it is often the best performance-to-cost ratio. A 10-20 page Next.js site stays fast, secure and cheap to host, without the WordPress plugin debt.
Let's scope your project. Send us your page count, current plugins and hosting budget, and we will price the Next.js migration and the three-year TCO. 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.
