Why Migrate from WordPress to Astro? The Performance Case

You've heard the buzz about "going headless" and moving away from traditional WordPress. But is it worth it? Let's look at the real numbers—and why more teams are making the switch to Astro-powered frontends.

The WordPress Performance Problem

WordPress powers over 40% of the web. It's mature, flexible, and has an incredible ecosystem. But there's a cost:

This happens on every page view, even for content that hasn't changed in months.

How Astro Changes Everything

With a static Astro frontend, the flow is dramatically simpler:

Why? Because Astro generates static HTML at build time, not request time. When someone visits your site, they get a pre-built file instantly from the nearest CDN edge server.

Real Performance Comparisons

Here's data from actual WordPress to Astro migrations:

These aren't cherry-picked numbers—they're typical results from content-focused sites (blogs, docs, marketing pages).

Why Astro Specifically?

There are many static site generators. Here's why Astro stands out for WordPress migrations:

Zero JavaScript by Default

Most frameworks ship JavaScript whether you need it or not. Astro is different:

Islands Architecture

When you DO need JavaScript (a newsletter form, a search widget), Astro uses "islands"—isolated interactive components surrounded by static HTML:

---
// All of this runs at BUILD TIME
import Layout from '../layouts/Layout.astro';
import BlogPost from '../components/BlogPost.astro';
import Newsletter from '../components/Newsletter';  // React component

const posts = await fetchWordPressPosts();
---

<Layout>
  <!-- Static HTML - 0 bytes of JS -->
  <header>
    <h1>My Blog</h1>
    <nav>...</nav>
  </header>

  <!-- Static blog posts - 0 bytes of JS -->
  {posts.map(post => (
    <BlogPost {...post} />
  ))}

  <!-- Interactive island - only this loads JS -->
  <Newsletter client:visible />

  <!-- Static footer - 0 bytes of JS -->
  <footer>...</footer>
</Layout>

Your visitors only download JavaScript for the parts that actually need it.

The Cost Equation

Performance isn't the only reason to switch. The economics are compelling:

When NOT to Migrate

Being honest, Astro isn't right for everything. Keep WordPress if you need:

• User-generated content — Comments, forums, membership areas
• Real-time data — E-commerce with live inventory, booking systems
• Non-technical editors — Teams that rely on visual page builders
• Complex plugins — WooCommerce, LMS, etc. that modify frontend behavior

But for blogs, documentation, marketing sites, portfolios, and content-heavy sites? Astro is a clear win.

The Migration Challenge

If the benefits are so clear, why doesn't everyone switch? Because migration is hard:

Making the Decision

Ask yourself:

1. Is your site content-focused? (blog, docs, marketing, portfolio)
2. Do you care about performance? (SEO, user experience, conversions)
3. Would you like to save $500+/year on hosting and plugins?
4. Do you want better security with less maintenance?

If yes to any of these, Astro is worth exploring.

Start Building

Ready to see the difference?

1. Join the waitlist — Be the first to know when we launch
2. Connect your WordPress site — Takes 2 minutes
3. Preview your new Astro site — See it before committing
4. Deploy when ready — One click to go live

Your visitors will thank you for the faster site. Your wallet will thank you for the lower costs. And you'll thank yourself for the reduced maintenance headaches.

Notify me when you launch