Comparison · 2026

Next.js vs WordPress: what should your next website run on?

The short answer: WordPress is the quickest and often cheapest choice for a pure content site that you want to edit and extend with plugins yourself. Next.js is the better choice when the site has to be fast, secure and connected to booking, payments or your other systems, and when you want to own the code rather than rent a stack of plugins.

9 min read · Updated 29 September 2026

Let us be upfront: we build on Next.js, not on WordPress. Read this page with that in mind. We have tried to be honest about where WordPress genuinely wins, because there are projects where it is the right call, and we would rather say so than sell you something you do not need.

What is the difference between Next.js and WordPress?

WordPress is a ready-made CMS. You pick a theme, install plugins for forms, SEO, caching and security, and edit content in a familiar dashboard. Everything runs on one server with PHP and a database, and each page is usually assembled when it is requested. Next.js is a React framework. There is no theme and no plugin store. Every feature is code written for your project, and pages can be pre-built and served very quickly from a CDN. Content comes from a headless CMS, a database or an admin panel built into the solution.

Next.js vs WordPress compared point by point

The honest version. Both can be done well or badly; the table shows what is typical.

Factor	WordPress	Next.js
Speed and Core Web Vitals	Can be fast, but heavy themes and many plugins drag it down. Needs caching plugins and ongoing tuning.	Fast by default: pre-built pages, optimised images and only the code each page needs.
Security surface	Large and well known: the login page, the database and every plugin are possible holes. Updates are mandatory.	Small: no public admin page by default and no third-party plugins running on the server.
Plugins and extensions	Huge choice. Quick to get going, but plugins can conflict and stop being maintained.	No plugin store. Features are built for you, with no foreign code to keep patched.
Editing	Familiar dashboard, and with page builders you can rearrange layouts yourselves.	Structured fields in a CMS or admin panel. Less free-form, but the design holds.
Integrations	Depends on whether a plugin exists. Deep integrations quickly become custom code anyway.	Built straight against the API, such as e-conomic, MobilePay or your CRM, and can grow into a web app.
Three-year cost	Low entry price, but hosting, maintenance and plugin licences keep running.	Slightly higher entry. With us the monthly fee covers hosting, maintenance, updates and backups.

What does a WordPress or Next.js site cost over three years?

The build price is only half the sum. Typical market ranges in Denmark for a standard agency website are DKK 15,000–40,000, hosting at DKK 500–3,000 a year and a basic maintenance agreement at DKK 200–600 a month. Over three years a WordPress site therefore typically lands at roughly DKK 24,000–71,000, before premium plugins or fixing whatever an update broke. Our Next.js packages have a fixed price for both the build and the running. See the full picture in how much does a website cost and website maintenance cost.

WordPress figures are typical market ranges in Denmark. Next.js figures are our own package prices.

Option	Build	Ongoing	Three years total
WordPress via an agency	DKK 15,000–40,000	Hosting DKK 500–3,000/yr + maintenance DKK 200–600/mo	Roughly DKK 24,000–71,000 plus licences
Next.js, Small (12 features)	DKK 18,000	DKK 600/mo incl. hosting and maintenance	DKK 39,600
Next.js, Medium (24 features)	DKK 36,000	DKK 900/mo incl. hosting and maintenance	DKK 68,400

In fairness: at the cheap end, WordPress is often the cheapest. The difference shows up when the site has to do more than display text, and when someone has to answer for security and updates.

When is WordPress the right choice?

You run a content-heavy site or blog with many editors who already know WordPress.
The budget is very small and the site does not need to talk to other systems.
You want to build and change layouts yourselves with a theme or page builder, without involving a developer.
You need a specific plugin ecosystem quickly, such as a ready-made membership or course module, and can live with its limits.
You have someone in-house who looks after WordPress updates and security.

If that sounds like you, WordPress is probably the sensible choice, and we are happy to say so, even if it means you do not need us.

Why do we build on Next.js?

WordPress with plugins

Every new feature is another plugin
Updates can break other plugins
Integrations limited to what exists
Hard to turn into a real web app

Next.js built from scratch

Only the code you actually use
No foreign plugins to keep patched
Integrations straight against the API
Can grow into booking, a portal or an app

The difference shows most when the website needs to grow.

We build everything from scratch in React, Next.js and TypeScript, and you own both the code and the data. It is the same stack we use for web apps and for React Native mobile apps, so a website can grow into booking, a customer portal or an app without starting over. At Vaskekonerne eight solutions run as one circuit, from the website through booking to operations. That is hard to build on top of a theme. Read more about how we work as a Next.js agency, or see our websites and web apps.

Can you edit content yourself on a Next.js site?

Yes. Text, images, news, team members and cases are edited in a CMS or admin panel that we set up for your exact content. The difference is that you fill in fields instead of dragging blocks around. That sounds less free, and it is, but it means the site looks consistent no matter who edited it. If you want to design entirely new page types yourselves, a page builder is more flexible.

How to move from WordPress to Next.js

Week 1: Inventory

We go through pages, URLs, forms and plugins, and decide what comes along.

Weeks 2–3: Design

New structure and design, building on what works today.

Weeks 3–5: Build

The site is built, content moved and integrations connected.

Launch

301 redirects from old URLs so you keep your rankings in Google.

A typical path for a smaller site. Larger sites take longer.

See our fixed pricing, or send us a short brief. You get a written fixed-price proposal within 24 hours.

Questions about Next.js and WordPress

Is Next.js better than WordPress for SEO?

Both can rank well. Next.js has an edge on speed and Core Web Vitals because pages can be pre-built and contain only the code they use. WordPress can get far with good plugins and caching, but heavy themes and many plugins usually drag it down. Content and structure still matter most for your rankings.

Is WordPress insecure?

Not in itself. The core is maintained, but the surface is large: a well-known login page, a database on the same server and plugins from many different developers. When updates are not applied regularly, that is usually where the holes appear. A Next.js site with no public admin page and no third-party plugins simply has fewer doors to walk through.

Can we update text ourselves on a Next.js site?

Yes. We set up a CMS or admin panel where you edit text, images, news and cases in structured fields. It needs no technical knowledge. What you cannot do is design entirely new layouts yourselves with drag and drop. In return, the design holds no matter who edits it.

What does a Next.js website cost with you?

Our packages start with Small at DKK 18,000 plus DKK 600 a month, with 12 features and one integration. Medium is DKK 36,000 plus DKK 900 a month, Large DKK 54,000 plus DKK 1,200 a month. The monthly fee covers hosting, maintenance, updates, support, SSL and backups.

Will we lose our Google rankings if we leave WordPress?

Not if the move is done properly. We map your existing URLs, move the content and set up 301 redirects from the old addresses to the new ones. Titles and descriptions come along. A faster site usually helps over time, but expect Google to need a little while to re-read the new one.

Do you also build on WordPress?

No. We do not build on WordPress or page builders. Everything is built from scratch in React, Next.js and TypeScript, and you own the code and data. If WordPress suits your project best, we will tell you honestly so you can find a supplier who specialises in it.

Want us to build it for you?

You get a fixed-price proposal within 24 hours.

Get a fixed quote for a Next.js site