We compare the two most popular options for building business websites: performance, SEO, cost and when to use each.
WordPress powers 43% of the entire web. It is the most widely used system for building sites, managing blogs and launching stores. Its popularity comes with a price: it requires active maintenance, good security practices and constant optimisation to perform at the level Google demands in 2026. The good news is that with the right configuration — or the right technical team — WordPress remains a solid option for many projects.
Next.js goes the other direction. Companies like Netflix, TikTok and Twitch use it for their interfaces. And since the ecosystem democratised, we use it in projects for SMEs too.
WordPress: where it makes sense
The ecosystem is huge: 60,000 plugins, millions of themes, documentation for almost any problem. If you have a blog with 500 historical posts or a team that already manages it without issues, it makes complete sense to stick with it.
WordPress: the real problem
In 2026, with current speed expectations, WordPress needs optimisation to hit green on Core Web Vitals. It is not impossible — with good hosting, the right plugins and regular maintenance, Lighthouse scores of 85-95 are achievable. The challenge is that this optimisation requires technical knowledge or a team to manage it for you. Most WordPress security issues come from outdated plugins, not the core — something that a good maintenance service eliminates completely.
Next.js: what changes
The LCP of a Next.js website on Vercel typically sits below 1 second. Not magic — the architecture is right from the start: no exposed database, no plugins adding 300ms each, with server-side rendering or static generation depending on what each page needs.
The downside is real: you need developers who know what they are doing. There are no €30 templates that work well. The entry cost is higher.
The numbers from a real migration
In WordPress → Next.js migrations we have done this year: LCP from 5-8s to under 1.2s, Lighthouse from 40-55 to 95+, hosting cost reduced. Not isolated cases — it is the usual pattern when the source site has the typical WordPress problem (heavy plugins, unoptimised images, slow hosting).
When to use each
WordPress makes sense if you have been using it for years, have a blog with lots of historical content, or need something very specific from the WP ecosystem. Next.js makes sense if SEO and conversion are critical, you are going to scale the project, or you want a website that does not give you problems in 5 years.
Have a project in mind?
Tell us what you want to achieve.