Migrating from WordPress to Payload CMS - 10 Reasons to Switch

Contents

Introduction

1. Modern technology stack

2. Better performance

3. Headless-first approach

4. More flexible data structures

5. Easier development with JavaScript/TypeScript

6. More control over security

7. No unnecessary plugins

8. Better scalability

9. Intuitive API for front-end development

10. Future-proof & actively developed

Conclusion

Introduction

Over the past few years, we've implemented many websites with WordPress. For a long time, it was our standard tool – flexible, well-known, and usable everywhere. But at some point, we reached a point where we realized that WordPress also brings with it many limitations in modern projects.

Especially when it comes to performance, security, custom data structures, or connecting to modern frontends (e.g., with React or Next.js), you quickly reach your limits with WordPress. That's why we started looking for alternatives – and landed on Payload CMS.

We now implement our new projects almost exclusively with Payload. The difference is clearly noticeable – for us as developers, but also for our customers. There's a dedicated article on the official Payload website that describes the technical migration process. In this post, we'll show you 10 good reasons why switching from WordPress to Payload is worthwhile – without any technical jargon and based on real-life experience.

1. Modern Technology Stack

WordPress sometimes feels like a tech flea market. Officially, it's based on PHP – but as you delve deeper, you suddenly stumble across jQuery, a bit of React here, a few AJAX scripts there… and the occasional plugin that feels like it's from 2009. The result: a mix of old and new technologies that's often difficult to navigate – even for experienced developers.

Payload, on the other hand, relies on a modern, clear stack from the start: Node.js, TypeScript, MongoDB, REST & GraphQL. Everything feels tidy, consistent, and contemporary. For us as developers, this isn't just more convenient – ​​it also saves time and nerves.

And honestly: If you're already using React on the frontend, why not use a system that speaks the same language on the backend?

2. Better Performance

One of the biggest differences you'll immediately notice: Payload is fast. Really fast. While WordPress often starts to sweat when more than a few dozen requests come in simultaneously, Payload remains stable and performs well even under higher loads.

A simple practical example:

We migrated a website from WordPress to Payload – without any content changes, but with a new frontend based on Next.js. The homepage loading time dropped from 3.2 seconds to under 0.8 seconds. This isn't just a win for users, but also for Google: better performance means better SEO rankings.

Why is this?

• WordPress generates a lot of content dynamically with each page view – often including content that isn't even needed.
• Payload stores content as lightweight JSON objects in a MongoDB and delivers it via a clear API – without unnecessary overhead.
• Payload also allows you to use serverless architectures or static page generation—things that are only possible with WordPress through indirect means or additional plugins.

A CMS that accelerates your page speed rather than slowing it down—that simply feels more modern.

3. Headless-first approach

WordPress was originally developed as a blogging system – and you can still see that today. Even though there are now headless-compatible plugins and REST or GraphQL extensions, the whole thing often remains a compromise. WordPress thinks in terms of pages and templates by default, not APIs and frontends.

Payload, on the other hand, is built from the ground up as a headless CMS. This means the focus is clearly on the data structure and the API – not on "how the page looks." You automatically get a clean REST API, LocalAPI, and GraphQL API that are perfectly suited to serving modern frontends like Next.js, Nuxt, Svelte, or even native apps.

One advantage we often notice:

If a client subsequently wants a mobile app or a second website in a different language, we can get started right away with Payload – because the data is already cleanly structured and available via API. With WordPress, we would first have to search for plugins, test them, and configure them – and hope that nothing breaks.

So why is the migration worthwhile?

Because Payload offers you a future-proof foundation. You're no longer building on a system designed for a completely different era, but on a tool designed from the ground up for modern web development. If you're going headless today, why not use a CMS built specifically for that?

4. More Flexible Data Structures

You know this: You need a custom content type structure in WordPress – for example, "projects" with images, categories, links, and a gallery field – and suddenly you're in the middle of a jungle of custom post types, ACF, CPT UI, metaboxes, taxonomies, and countless plugins that sometimes even get in each other's way. And heaven forbid you want to neatly map relationships between content…

In Payload, things work completely differently. You define your data models simply and clearly in JavaScript or TypeScript – as collections, global configs, or blocks. Do you need a field for an image? A repeatable field? A relationship to another collection? No problem – everything can be mapped exactly as you need it. No plugin clutter.

The big advantage of migration:

You get a customized CMS that's perfectly tailored to your content and requirements – without any compromises. Instead of adapting to WordPress structures, with Payload you build exactly what you really need. And that not only saves you time but also frustration in the long run.

5. Easier Development with JavaScript / TypeScript

Anyone building websites or web apps today can't avoid JavaScript – and increasingly, TypeScript as well. Modern frameworks like Next.js, Nuxt, or Svelte rely on this stack as a matter of course. This makes it all the more strange that WordPress requires you to grapple with PHP and legacy template systems – often with a feeling like, "I can do this, but I don't really want to."

Payload makes everything easier here. The entire CMS is written in Node.js – the configuration, the data models, middleware, hooks, everything happens in TypeScript. You don't have to switch languages, you don't have to build bridges between the PHP backend and the JavaScript frontend. Everything speaks the same language.

What does that mean specifically?

• Fewer context switches in your head
• Faster development thanks to autocomplete, type checking, and a modern development workflow
• Easy integration into existing toolchains and CI/CD processes

Once you work entirely in one stack – from data model to UI – you'll quickly realize how much more efficient and convenient it is. And that's exactly what Payload offers out of the box.

6. More control over security

WordPress is one of the most widely used CMSs in the world – and that's precisely what makes it a popular target for attacks. The wide variety of plugins, frequent security vulnerabilities, and outdated installations often mean that WordPress websites pose an increased risk. Even if the core is up-to-date, sometimes a single outdated plugin is enough to open the door for attackers.

With Payload, things are completely different:

You have full control over the code, dependencies, and infrastructure. There's no vast ecosystem of third-party plugins of questionable quality, but rather a clearly structured codebase that you maintain yourself. Payload relies on modern security concepts, JWT authentication, granular permissions, and simple role systems.

Another advantage: Payload is self-hosted, so you decide where and how securely your application should run—whether on your own server, in a Docker environment, or in the cloud. No "black box," no external access that you can't control.

In short: If you want security not just on paper, but really want to understand and control it, Payload offers a much more transparent and reliable system.

7. No unnecessary plugins

In WordPress, it sometimes feels like you have to add a plugin to every little feature. A custom sitemap? Plugin. Multilingual? Plugin. Better backend UI? Plugin. And then you often need a plugin to help manage the other plugins...

This not only leads to an overloaded system, but also to many problems:

• Dependency on third-party developers who may not regularly maintain their plugins
• Compatibility issues after updates
• Security vulnerabilities due to outdated extensions
• And most importantly: you lose track

With Payload, you don't need all that. Everything you need – from user permissions to API access to custom fields – is already integrated or defined directly in the project code. You build your own functions, cleanly and transparently. No secret black boxes, no shortcuts with side effects.

Migrating to Payload means: You become more independent. You no longer rely on a plugin ecosystem that you don't control, but work with your own, maintainable code. This not only makes your project leaner – but also more future-proof.

8. Better Scalability

WordPress works well as long as the project remains small. A few pages, a blog, maybe even a contact form. But as soon as more complexity comes into play – for example, many different content types, multiple languages, user roles, or large amounts of data – it quickly becomes confusing and slow.

WordPress's architecture is based on a monolith. This means that the backend, database, admin interface, and presentation are tightly integrated. Changes in one part of the system can unintentionally affect other parts. In addition, many websites run on shared hosting, which quickly reaches its limits as traffic grows.

Payload was designed from the ground up to be easily scalable:

• The API is stateless and can be easily distributed across multiple servers.
• Content is stored as structured JSON data in a high-performance MongoDB.
• The separation of the backend (Payload) and frontend (e.g., Next.js) allows independent scaling as needed.

Whether you're building a small business website today or a large online service with thousands of users tomorrow, with Payload you lay a foundation that will grow with you. And you don't have to worry about the entire system collapsing with every expansion.

9. Intuitive API for Frontend Development

One of the most frustrating things about WordPress projects: trying to get clean data for your frontend and encountering REST endpoints that don't deliver exactly what you need. Or you have to upgrade GraphQL with an additional plugin. Then you add CORS, authentication, and a whole lot of chaos. Payload makes things really easy for you. You get an automatically generated API based on your content structures – both REST and GraphQL are available to you immediately. No additional effort, no fiddling.

For front-end development, this means:

• You can query content very specifically and efficiently
• You get clear, predictable structures with types and validations
• You're finally working with a system that delivers exactly what you need – and nothing more, nothing less

Especially if you're developing modern front ends with Next.js or similar frameworks, working with Payload feels like a real liberation. No workaround, no "plugin for it," just a direct, clean path to your data.

10. Future-proof & actively developed

WordPress is old. That's not necessarily a bad thing – but it also means: Many decisions in the core were made over 10 years ago and are difficult to change. Progress is slow, the code is complex, and major innovations often take years. If you want modern features, you often have to rely on plugins or your own hacks.

Payload, on the other hand, is young, modern, and actively developed. New features, bug fixes, and security updates are released regularly. The team behind it is open, the community is growing rapidly—and because Payload is based on current technologies, it's also much more pleasant for developers to work with the code.

Another point: Payload is open source, but at the same time, there's a clear roadmap, professional support, and a cloud version for those who don't want to host it themselves. This also makes it attractive for larger companies.

So, if you're starting a new project today or considering modernizing an existing one, Payload is an investment in the future—not a temporary solution that you'll have to replace in two years.

Conclusion

WordPress was the top dog among content management systems for a long time – and for many projects, it was exactly the right choice. But the requirements for modern websites and web applications have changed: more flexibility, better performance, a better developer experience, and clean APIs.

Payload offers exactly that – no baggage, no plugin dependencies, and no legacy issues.

Of course, switching initially requires some effort. But those who dare to do it will get a platform that is truly future-proof – technically, structurally, and conceptually.

This list can also be considered a small test. If you nodded several times while reading or thought to yourself, "Yeah, that's exactly what annoys me too" – then that's a pretty clear sign. If several of these points sounded familiar to you or resonated with you, then it's time to consider migrating.

Payload may not be the right choice for every project – but for many modern web projects, it's exactly what WordPress can no longer do today.

Ready to take the next step?

If you're considering making your website more modern, faster, and more flexible – or simply want to escape the WordPress plugin carousel – then please contact us.

We've made the switch ourselves, are familiar with the typical hurdles, and know what's important.

Whether consulting, migration, or a complete relaunch: We'll support you in moving your project to Payload cleanly and sustainably.

Just write to us – we look forward to hearing from you.