Choosing the right platform for your business website is a decision that affects performance, security, maintenance costs, and scalability for years to come. This guide compares Next.js and WordPress across the dimensions that matter most to Belgian businesses.
WordPress: The Familiar Choice
WordPress powers over 40% of the web and remains the go-to choice for many businesses. Its strengths are well known: a massive plugin ecosystem, visual page builders, and a large pool of developers who can maintain it. For brochure sites and content-heavy blogs with modest traffic, WordPress can be a practical and cost-effective option.
However, WordPress comes with trade-offs that become more significant as your business grows:
- Security exposure — WordPress is the most targeted CMS on the web. Plugins, themes, and the core itself require constant updates to prevent breaches. Regular penetration testing is essential for any WordPress site handling customer data.
- Performance ceiling — dynamic page generation and heavy plugins slow load times. Caching plugins help but add complexity.
- Hosting dependency — WordPress requires PHP hosting with a database, which limits your infrastructure choices and adds ongoing costs.
- Maintenance burden — plugin updates, compatibility issues, and security patches demand regular attention.
Next.js: The Modern Alternative
Next.js is a React-based framework that generates fast, secure websites with modern development practices built in. It supports static generation, server-side rendering, and incremental static regeneration — giving you the best performance for each type of content.
Key advantages for business websites:
- Performance by default — static pages load instantly from a CDN. No database queries, no PHP processing. Core Web Vitals scores are consistently high.
- Smaller attack surface — no admin panel to exploit, no plugin vulnerabilities, no database to breach. Security is simpler by architecture. This aligns with web application security best practices.
- Scalability — static sites handle traffic spikes without breaking a sweat. No need to scale servers or add caching layers.
- Developer experience — React components, TypeScript, and modern tooling make development faster and code more maintainable.
- Flexible hosting — deploy to Vercel, Netlify, AWS, or any cloud infrastructure platform with minimal configuration.
When to Choose WordPress
WordPress remains a reasonable choice when:
- You need non-technical staff to edit content frequently through a visual editor
- You rely on specific WordPress plugins that have no equivalent
- Budget is very limited and you need a quick launch with a pre-built theme
- You already have a WordPress site that works well and rewriting is not justified
When to Choose Next.js
Next.js is the stronger choice when:
- Performance and page speed directly impact your business (SEO, conversions, user experience)
- Security is a priority — especially for organizations subject to NIS2 or GDPR requirements
- You want to integrate with modern APIs, headless CMS platforms, or build custom functionality
- You plan to scale and want a platform that grows without architectural rewrites
- You value long-term maintainability and lower total cost of ownership
The Headless CMS Middle Ground
You do not have to choose between developer experience and content editing. A headless CMS (Contentful, Sanity, Strapi, or even headless WordPress) gives content editors a familiar interface while Next.js handles the frontend. This hybrid approach delivers the performance and security of Next.js with the editorial workflow your team needs.
How ICTLAB Can Help
ICTLAB builds high-performance business websites and web applications with Next.js, React, and modern web development practices. Whether you are building a new site, migrating from WordPress, or need a headless CMS architecture, our Brussels-based team delivers fast, secure, and maintainable solutions tailored to your business needs.