Every few months we get a brief that starts with 'we want it in Next.js' — no context, no reason, just the stack. And every few months we get the opposite: 'we want WordPress because it's easier.' Neither is a real decision. Both are fashion.
After seven years shipping both, here's how we actually pick.
When WordPress wins
When the content changes every week and a non-developer has to change it. When there's an e-commerce with more than 30 SKUs. When the client needs to run promos, publish articles, add team members or translate pages without opening a ticket. WordPress with a well-picked stack (WooCommerce + Divi + a few curated plugins) solves ninety percent of what a small-to-medium business actually needs.
We use WP for editorial sites, corporate portals, e-learning platforms, e-commerce up to ~$2M annual GMV, and any site where the client's team has to live inside it daily.
When Next.js wins
One short email every few weeks. Like this note, but in your inbox.
When you're building a product, not a site. SaaS landings where the marketing page and the logged-in product need to share a design system. Interactive experiences with real motion, real state. Bespoke directories with search and filters. Anything that would fight WordPress from day one instead of leaning into it.
"Picking Next.js for a services site is like buying a forge when you needed a hammer. Expensive, overbuilt, and harder to hand off."
The grey zones
Editorial sites can go either way — we've shipped editorial in both stacks. Multilingual is easier on Next.js but not always cheaper. Blogs barely ever justify Next.js alone. Our rule: if the client can't describe a specific thing WordPress can't do for them, WordPress wins.
Our 2026 split
- —WordPress — corporate, e-commerce, e-learning, editorial, community
- —Next.js — SaaS landings, product UIs, custom apps, motion-heavy experiences
- —Either — portfolios, multilingual editorial, sites with a blog + shop
Stack isn't taste. It's a lever you pull because of a real constraint. The best sites we've shipped started with 'what does this team need to do three months after launch' — not 'which stack do we like?'