The verdict in three sentences
A WordPress to Next.js migration for a mid-market firm runs between 15,000 and 45,000 EUR depending on site size and the volume of content to port. The real win is not cosmetic: LCP cut in half, a smaller security attack surface, and maintenance dropping from 900 to 400 EUR/month. Budget 8 to 14 weeks and a rigorous redirect plan so you never sacrifice the SEO you have earned.
What you actually pay for
A migration budget is not just development. It must fold in the audit of the existing site, content porting, editorial training and the first year of operation. Here are the 2026 ballpark figures for a Berlin mid-market company.
| Line item | 30-60 page site | 100-250 page site |
|---|---|---|
| Technical audit + URL mapping | 2,000 - 3,500 EUR | 3,500 - 6,000 EUR |
| Design system + integration | 6,000 - 12,000 EUR | 10,000 - 20,000 EUR |
| Next.js build + headless CMS | 5,000 - 10,000 EUR | 9,000 - 18,000 EUR |
| Content porting and migration | 1,500 - 4,000 EUR | 4,000 - 9,000 EUR |
| 301 redirect plan + testing | 1,000 - 2,500 EUR | 2,500 - 5,000 EUR |
| Project total | 15,000 - 32,000 EUR | 29,000 - 45,000 EUR |
A headless CMS (Sanity, Strapi or Directus) replaces the WordPress admin: your editors keep a simple interface, but the front end becomes a static or hybrid render that is far faster and safer.
The measurable return
Gains show up on three axes: performance, running cost and organic acquisition. Here is the typical before/after seen in 2026.
| Metric | Legacy WordPress | Migrated Next.js |
|---|---|---|
| LCP (mobile 4G) | 3.8 - 5.2 s | 1.4 - 2.1 s |
| Lighthouse perf score | 45 - 65 | 92 - 99 |
| Monthly hosting | 80 - 180 EUR/month | 100 - 400 EUR/month |
| Maintenance + security | 700 - 900 EUR/month | 350 - 500 EUR/month |
| Security incidents / year | 3 - 8 | 0 - 1 |
| Organic traffic at 12 months | baseline | +15 to +30 % |
Be warned: hosting can rise (edge, CDN, serverless functions), but maintenance drops sharply because there are no weekly plugins to patch and no WordPress holes to plug.
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Mini case study
Stefan, IT director of a 220-employee industrial mid-market firm in Berlin, runs a 140-page WordPress site with 22 plugins. He absorbs two security incidents a year and 850 EUR/month of maintenance. Migration quote to Next.js: 34,000 EUR, 12-week timeline. New maintenance: 430 EUR/month, a saving of 420 EUR per month (5,040 EUR/year). Add a 22 % organic traffic gain generating 8 extra qualified leads a month at 1,100 EUR average value. The investment pays back in under 14 months, before counting the reputational damage avoided on incidents.
FAQ
How long does the migration take? Budget 8 to 14 weeks for a mid-market firm, with 2 to 3 weeks just for the audit and redirect plan. A site over 250 pages can reach 16 weeks.
Will I lose my rankings? No, if the 301 redirect plan is exhaustive: tolerable loss stays under 5 % for 4 to 8 weeks, then traffic rises 15 to 30 % thanks to performance.
Will my editors be lost? The headless CMS offers an editing interface close to WordPress. Budget one training day (700 - 1,200 EUR) with dedicated documentation included.
Does hosting cost more? Often yes: 100 to 400 EUR/month versus 80 to 180 EUR. But maintenance falls 400 to 500 EUR/month, so total running cost drops.
Can we migrate in batches? Yes, a progressive page-by-page or section-by-section migration is possible for a critical site, using a reverse proxy during the transition.
Let's scope your project. Give us your page count, critical plugins and target date, and we will quote the Next.js migration and 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.
