WordPress isn't bad—it's just not always right
WordPress is mature, well-documented, and has a plugin for everything. For many businesses, it's still a solid choice. But for NZ SMEs who want fast, secure, low-maintenance websites, modern alternatives often deliver better results for less money.
Here's the honest comparison from working with both approaches for dozens of NZ businesses.
When WordPress still makes sense
- ✓ You need a blog with multiple authors and complex workflows
- ✓ You want a large e-commerce store (100+ products with inventory management)
- ✓ You have in-house technical staff to maintain it
- ✓ You need very specific plugins that only exist for WordPress
- ✓ Your team is already trained on WordPress editing
The problems with WordPress for small businesses
1. Security vulnerabilities
WordPress sites get hacked constantly—not because WordPress core is insecure, but because most users run outdated plugins, weak passwords, and don't maintain their sites properly. If you're a small business owner, you shouldn't need to be a security expert.
Real example: A Taranaki cafe had their WordPress site hacked 3 times in 2023. Each time cost $400-$800 to clean up and restore. They rebuilt with JAMstack and haven't had a single security issue since.
2. Performance overhead
Every WordPress page load triggers database queries, PHP execution, and plugin processing. Even with caching, you're doing more work than necessary. Modern alternatives serve pre-rendered HTML that loads instantly.
Typical difference: WordPress site: 3-5 seconds. JAMstack alternative: 0.8-1.2 seconds.
3. Maintenance burden
WordPress needs constant updates—core updates, plugin updates, theme updates. Miss an update and you're vulnerable. Update something and another plugin breaks. It's an ongoing time sink.
Time cost: 2-4 hours per month managing updates, or $50-$150/month paying someone else to do it.
4. Plugin bloat
WordPress makes it easy to add functionality with plugins. Too easy. Most small business sites we audit have 25-40 plugins, many doing redundant things or adding features nobody uses.
Impact: Slow page loads, security risks, compatibility conflicts, and ongoing maintenance headaches.
5. Hosting costs add up
Cheap WordPress hosting is slow and unreliable. Good WordPress hosting costs $30-$100/month. That's $360-$1,200/year, every year, forever.
Alternative: Modern static sites can be hosted free or for $0-$20/month with better performance.
Modern alternatives explained
JAMstack (JavaScript, APIs, Markup)
Best for: Small business websites, portfolios, landing pages, simple e-commerce
JAMstack sites are pre-rendered as static HTML and served from a global CDN. No database, no server-side processing, just instant page loads. Content can be managed through various headless CMS options or simple markdown files.
Advantages
- ✓ 10x faster than WordPress
- ✓ Near-zero security vulnerabilities
- ✓ Free or very cheap hosting
- ✓ No maintenance required
- ✓ Perfect PageSpeed scores
Limitations
- — Less flexible for complex workflows
- — Fewer pre-built themes
- — Requires developer for setup
- — Not ideal for 50+ page sites
Popular tools: Astro (what we use), Next.js, Gatsby, Hugo, 11ty
Our experience: 95% of NZ small business websites work better as JAMstack. Faster, cheaper, zero headaches.
Headless CMS + Frontend
Best for: Content-heavy sites, marketing teams, multi-channel publishing
Separate your content management (backend) from your website display (frontend). Edit content in a user-friendly CMS, but serve it through a fast, modern frontend. Best of both worlds—easy editing plus performance.
Advantages
- ✓ User-friendly content editing
- ✓ Fast frontend performance
- ✓ Content reusable across platforms
- ✓ Modern developer experience
Limitations
- — More complex setup
- — Additional CMS costs possible
- — Requires frontend development
Popular options: Sanity, Contentful, Strapi, Payload CMS
When to use: You need frequent content updates by non-technical team members, or you're publishing to web, mobile app, and other channels.
Webflow / Framer
Best for: Marketing sites, agencies, teams that want visual editing
Visual website builders that generate clean, performant code. No coding required for basic sites, but you can add custom code when needed. More expensive than JAMstack but easier for non-technical teams.
Advantages
- ✓ Visual editing interface
- ✓ Fast performance
- ✓ Good templates available
- ✓ Hosting included
Limitations
- — $20-$50/month subscription
- — Vendor lock-in
- — Limited backend flexibility
- — Can get expensive at scale
When to use: You want visual editing, don't mind paying monthly, and your site doesn't need complex backend logic.
Shopify (for E-commerce)
Best for: Product-focused businesses, online stores, physical goods
Purpose-built for e-commerce. If you're selling products, Shopify is often better than WordPress + WooCommerce—easier to manage, better performance, fewer headaches.
Advantages
- ✓ Built for selling products
- ✓ Payments, shipping, inventory
- ✓ Reliable and secure
- ✓ Good mobile experience
Limitations
- — $39-$399 USD/month
- — Transaction fees on lower tiers
- — Less flexible for non-commerce
When to use: E-commerce is your primary business model. For 5-10 products, JAMstack with Stripe is cheaper.
Cost comparison (real numbers for NZ businesses)
Initial build: $2,000-$8,000 | Ongoing: $50-$150/month
5-year cost: $5,000-$17,000
Initial build: $699-$2,499 | Ongoing: $0-$20/month
5-year cost: $699-$3,699
Initial build: $1,500-$5,000 | Ongoing: $25-$50/month
5-year cost: $3,000-$8,000
Initial build: $2,000-$6,000 | Ongoing: $39-$399 USD/month
5-year cost: $4,500-$30,000
Note: These are real costs we see with NZ small businesses. Your specific needs may vary, but the relative cost differences are consistent.
Should you migrate from WordPress?
Not everyone needs to migrate. Here's our honest assessment:
Migrate if:
- ✓ Your WordPress site is slow (PageSpeed score under 50)
- ✓ You're paying $50+/month for hosting and maintenance
- ✓ You've been hacked or have security concerns
- ✓ Your site is simple (under 20 pages, no complex functionality)
- ✓ You rarely update content (less than weekly)
- ✓ Your current site is 3+ years old and needs a refresh anyway
Stay on WordPress if:
- ✓ Your site is fast and well-maintained
- ✓ You update content daily with complex workflows
- ✓ You have custom functionality that can't be replicated elsewhere
- ✓ Your team is trained on WordPress and editing works well
- ✓ You have reliable technical support managing everything
Migration cost: Most small business WordPress sites can be migrated to JAMstack for $1,000-$2,000, often paying for itself within 12-18 months through eliminated hosting and maintenance costs.
Our recommendation for most NZ SMEs
For 90% of NZ small businesses, JAMstack delivers better results for less money:
- • 10x faster page loads = better user experience and SEO
- • Zero security vulnerabilities = peace of mind
- • No ongoing maintenance = your time back
- • Lower total cost = better ROI
- • Perfect for NZ business types: trades, cafes, consultants, retailers
WordPress isn't going away, and for certain use cases it's still the right choice. But if you're a small business owner who wants a fast, secure website without ongoing headaches, modern alternatives are worth serious consideration.