Cost of Sitecore to WordPress: How Large Enterprises Can Save Big on CMS Costs

Sitecore is a great content management system (CMS) for enterprises. It offers enterprise-grade security and high performance, even for heavy websites at peak loads.

However, limitations like licensing costs, lack of customizability, and steeper learning curve are turning organizations away from this legacy CMS. In fact, Sitecore costs enterprises millions of dollars in licensing and maintenance fees within just three years!

When comparing cms platforms, WordPress appears as a viable alternative that doesn’t have any of the above limitations while delivering exceptional performance and enterprise-grade data security. The open-source CMS makes it easy for large organizations to expand their website in any direction easily. For many enterprises, WordPress is considered a cost effective solution due to its lower licensing fees and flexibility.

Of course, migrating from Sitecore to WordPress is a critical decision, especially for enterprises with established digital ecosystems. Websites often sit at the center of a company’s digital presence, adding to the overall complexity.

Teams considering a transition to WordPress for the benefits mentioned earlier should conduct an in-depth financial analysis. A cost comparison between Sitecore and WordPress is essential to understand the financial implications of migration. It involves estimating the return on investment (ROI) of migrating to WordPress.

In this article, let’s look at the key cost factors and considerations involved in migrating from Sitecore to WordPress for large enterprises.

1. Set up costs: Sitecore vs WordPress

This is the foundational investment brands need to make. It can also be a recurring fee as it includes licensing and infrastructure costs.

Enterprises can compare the setup costs of Sitecore vs WordPress in three aspects:

Licensing fees: Sitecore is a proprietary platform and this can run into tens of thousands of dollars annually. On the other hand, WordPress, being a free and open-source platform, costs nothing. This alone can reduce the overhead costs of businesses significantly.

Infrastructure requirements: Sitecore has particular server and hosting needs, which must be met for optimal performance, driving up the costs. With WordPress, enterprises can choose from shared to dedicated hosting based on their needs, but it's important to select a reliable hosting provider to ensure security and performance. It does save a few bucks in the long term.

Development and customization: WordPress has a broader talent pool which incurs lower development costs due to its widespread adoption. Moreover, site customization is pretty straightforward with WordPress, reducing the dependency on specialized developers even further.

In addition to these, other factors such as project complexity, agency expertise, and expected traffic levels can also influence the total setup costs.

2. Migration costs: Sitecore to WordPress

The migration costs refer to the expenses related to transferring existing content, files, features, and integrations from Sitecore or any other platform to WordPress. As you can imagine, this is a complex and multilayered process that requires careful planning.

It can be broken down into three areas:

Data migration: Teams need to audit their Sitecore website’s content and start moving files methodically. It includes content, assets, databases, and meta details. Manual migration from Sitecore or any other platform can be resource intensive, especially for large and complex websites, requiring significant time and effort. Custom scripts and specialized automation can expedite this process. After the data transfer is complete, enterprises should conduct thorough testing on the new WordPress site to ensure all content and functionality are properly migrated. Additionally, managing old urls is crucial—setting up 301 redirects helps prevent broken links and preserves SEO rankings.

Plugin and module replacement: Sitecore’s custom-built modules may not have direct equivalents on WordPress. However, there may be plugins (free or premium) that offer the same functionality. In some cases, you may have to manually develop certain features, which is a one-time investment.

Third-party integration: These are the connections from your CMS to other business systems like CRM or ERP. Enterprises can easily recreate them through custom API development on WordPress. This will incur additional costs but will result in a more agile setup down the line.

3. Maintenance costs: Sitecore vs WordPress

Maintenance costs are the expenses associated with keeping your site functional and up to date. The key areas of consideration while evaluating Sitecore to WordPress migration include:

Hosting and infrastructure: The servers and services run on monthly or annual subscriptions. Due to the wider range of hosting options available, WordPress can be cost-effective compared to Sitecore. Choosing the right host for your WordPress site is crucial for performance and reliability. WP Engine is a reliable and secure hosting solution for WordPress, offering global security, scalability, and efficient content management, making it a trusted partner for high-traffic or enterprise sites.

Development and support: Development costs are typically higher with Sitecore, considering there are limited engineers specializing in it. Enterprises can also expect great support from Sitecore. Fortunately, WordPress users can get affordable support from its vast developer pool and a thriving global community.

Plugin and theme update: Keeping the additional website functionalities or third-party tools up to date may require developers’ assistance with Sitecore. Most WordPress plugins and themes benefit from automatic updates, streamlining the overall process.

Security management: Enterprise teams can protect their online presence and customers’ data easily with WordPress plugins (free and premium). Sitecore’s enterprise-grade security is best-in-class but can put a dent in your wallet.

Design and Integration: Ensuring a Seamless Transition

A successful Sitecore to WordPress migration hinges on more than just moving data—it’s about delivering a seamless user experience from day one. To achieve this, enterprises must carefully design and integrate their new WordPress site to mirror the look, feel, and functionality of their existing Sitecore website. This process starts with a thorough analysis of the current content structure, custom functionalities, and technical requirements.

WordPress offers a vast ecosystem of plugins and the flexibility for custom development, making it possible to replicate even the most complex Sitecore features. Whether your website relies on advanced web forms, e-commerce integrations, or marketing automation, there are WordPress plugins and custom solutions available to match these needs. By leveraging these tools, businesses can ensure that essential functionalities are preserved or even enhanced during the migration.

Attention to detail is critical—mapping out the content structure, identifying custom functionalities, and planning for technical integrations will help prevent issues like broken links or missing meta descriptions. This not only protects your search engine rankings but also ensures a smooth experience for users navigating the new WordPress site. By prioritizing a seamless transition, enterprises can minimize downtime, maintain brand consistency, and set the stage for future growth on a more flexible and cost-effective platform.

Content Strategy: Maximizing Value from Your Migration

Migrating from Sitecore to WordPress is the perfect opportunity to rethink and optimize your content strategy. Start by conducting a comprehensive audit of your current Sitecore website’s content inventory, identifying key areas for improvement and opportunities to enhance your digital presence. With the WordPress CMS, you gain access to extensive customization options and a wide range of free plugins—such as Yoast SEO—that make content management and search engine optimization more accessible and effective.

A strategic approach to content migration involves more than just transferring text and images. Work with experienced WordPress developers to refine your content structure, implement custom code where needed, and ensure all meta descriptions and SEO elements are properly migrated. Creating a detailed checklist for the migration process helps guarantee that nothing is overlooked, from fixing broken links to optimizing new and existing content for search engines.

By leveraging the power of WordPress plugins and the platform’s open source nature, enterprises can manage content more efficiently, unlock significant cost savings, and improve their website’s performance. A well-executed content strategy not only streamlines the migration process but also positions your new WordPress site for greater visibility, engagement, and long-term success.

Sitecore to WordPress: Is it worth the cost?

Enterprises can quickly determine whether moving to WordPress from Sitecore is worth it by estimating the full cost of running their website with both CMS options. The typical numbers for a website handling about a million visitors a month look like this:

Sitecore is a closed-source platform that requires paid license holders, which can restrict flexibility and customization. Even license holders face limitations in modifying Sitecore due to its proprietary nature, making it less adaptable compared to open source alternatives.

Regardless of whether the existing Sitecore website is hosted on-premise or the cloud, WordPress will save enterprises millions of dollars within a span of three years!

Even if teams factor in the cost of Sitecore to WordPress migration costs, the savings will be a few hundred thousand dollars, and that’s putting it lightly.

In the long term, WordPress saves enterprises a ton through considerably lower licensing and maintenance costs. Moreover, the widespread availability of WordPress developers and the platform’s intuitive user interface add to the affordability.

Choosing one platform is not inherently better; success depends on proper management and security practices to mitigate risks and maintain SEO performance.

Furthermore, scaling up is quite easy with WordPress. Bringing in new functionalities to your WordPress website can be done in seconds with plugins. Teams can also bolster their platform’s security with various specialized plugins without needing any developers’ assistance.

Making WordPress your CMS offers flexibility, scalability, and cost savings, making it a strong choice for enterprise-level website development and management. WordPress also supports content management in different languages, making it suitable for global enterprises with international teams and complex content approval processes.

The biggest advantage of WordPress that makes the transition from Sitecore worth it for enterprises is performance. A well-optimized WordPress site can outperform a Sitecore site on various benchmarks such as speed, responsiveness, and security.

Looking forward: Future-proof your enterprise with WordPress

When it comes to choosing a CMS, enterprises should prioritize one that can grow with them easily. WordPress offers exactly that — a scalable, secure, and cost-effective platform. 

It beats Sitecore in many areas such as plugin availability, simplicity, and a supportive community. Even non-technical stakeholders can quickly learn how to manage content on WordPress within minutes!

That said, migrating from Sitecore to WordPress is a complex and multilayered process. Doing this in-house requires significant time and cost investment. It requires enterprises to hire specialized professionals, buy the relevant tools, and deal with operational disruptions.

Instead, partnering with an experienced WordPress development agency can simplify things massively. 

Multidots, a WordPress VIP Gold Agency Partner, has migrated many heavy enterprise websites from Sitecore successfully with minimal downtime. Our team of experts ensures you reap all the benefits of WordPress while remaining stress-free during the migration process.

We also keep you updated every step of the way and provide continued support well after the migration to help your team get up to speed.

Ready to future-proof your enterprise website? Contact us today for a consultation.

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