WordPress vs Next.js: when to pick which

We build on both. We've watched too many engineering teams pick a stack out of identity rather than fit, so we wrote down the framework we use ourselves.

Pick WordPress when

• Editorial team owns content and updates daily.
• Design is template-driven and rarely changes.
• The site doesn't have meaningful application logic.

Pick Next.js when

• Pages are dynamic, personalized, or behind auth.
• Performance budgets are tight (LCP <1.5s).
• The site is part of a larger TypeScript engineering org.

The middle ground we keep coming back to

Headless WordPress with a Next.js frontend. Editors get their CMS, engineers get their stack. Costs more in months 1–2 than picking either pure path; pays back within 6.