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Migrate from Adobe AEM to 11ty

Complete guide to migrating your Adobe AEM website to 11ty. Leave Adobe AEM's most expensive cms on the market ($250k+/year) behind and get ships zero javascript to the browser by default. Free migration tool included.

1-3 hours
Advanced
100% Free
Start Free Migration

TL;DR

You can migrate from Adobe AEM to 11ty for free using LeaveWP. Enter your site URL, choose 11ty as the destination, and download your content — posts, pages, and media — in minutes. No API keys, passwords, or CLI tools required. Difficulty: Advanced. Estimated time: 1-3 hours.

Why Teams Leave Adobe AEM

Adobe's enterprise content management platform. Global enterprises in the Adobe ecosystem needing DAM integration, but these limitations push teams toward modern alternatives.

Most expensive CMS on the market ($250K+/year)

This is the most common reason teams migrate away from Adobe AEM. 11ty eliminates this issue entirely.

Requires specialized AEM developers (Java/OSGi expertise)

With 11ty, ships zero javascript to the browser by default — pure html.

Extremely complex architecture and steep learning curve

Modern architectures like 11ty are designed to avoid this from the ground up.

Over-engineered for anything below Fortune 1000 scale

After migrating, you'll no longer need to worry about this — 11ty takes a fundamentally different approach.

What 11ty Brings to the Table

Zero-config JavaScript SSG that ships zero client JS by default. Built with JavaScript (multiple template languages), it's performance-focused sites that need minimal client-side javascript.

Ships zero JavaScript to the browser by default — pure HTML

Supports 10+ template languages (Nunjucks, Liquid, Markdown, etc.)

Framework-independent — use any or no JS framework

Fast builds and simple mental model

11ty is open-source and free to use. You own your code and data with no vendor lock-in. Deploy to any host that supports JavaScript, or use managed platforms like Vercel and Netlify for zero-config deployments.

Adobe AEM vs 11ty at a Glance

Side-by-side comparison based on real platform characteristics

MetricAdobe AEM11ty
Ease of Use⭐⭐ 2/5⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5
Performance⭐⭐⭐ 3/5⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5
Flexibility⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5
Cost 1/5⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5
Scalability⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5
Ecosystem⭐⭐⭐ 3/5⭐⭐⭐ 3/5
LanguageJava (OSGi)JavaScript (multiple template languages)
PricingPaid ($250K+/year)Free (open-source)
Open SourceNoYes

Ratings are based on publicly available data, documentation, and community consensus as of 2026. Individual experience may vary.

What Gets Migrated

A detailed breakdown of how your Adobe AEM content maps to 11ty

Content Types from Adobe AEM

  • pages
  • content fragments
  • experience fragments
  • assets
  • forms

Technical Details

Export Method
Content Services API or AEM GraphQL
Source Language
Java (OSGi)
Destination Format
Markdown/MDX files with frontmatter, organized by content type
URL Handling
301 redirect map generated automatically to preserve SEO equity

What may need manual attention

Custom server-side logic, third-party integrations, and platform-specific plugins will need equivalent solutions in 11ty. The core content (text, images, metadata) transfers cleanly.

How It Works

Migrate your content in three simple steps

1

Connect

Enter your Adobe AEM site URL — LeaveWP connects automatically.

2

Configure

Select 11ty as destination and choose content options.

3

Export

Download your migrated content or preview it in your browser.

Is Adobe AEM to 11ty the Right Move for You?

Migrating from Adobe AEM to 11ty makes the most sense if you're experiencing most expensive cms on the market ($250k+/year) or outgrowing Adobe AEM's architecture. 11ty is best for performance-focused sites that need minimal client-side javascript.

You should migrate if: your Adobe AEM site is slow, your hosting costs are climbing, you need developer flexibility, or you want to adopt a modern JAMstack architecture.

You might want to stay if: your Adobe AEM site benefits from deep integration with the entire adobe creative cloud suite and you don't have JavaScript developers on your team.

The migration itself is straightforward with LeaveWP — enter your Adobe AEM URL, select 11ty, and download your content. The more important question is whether 11ty's architecture fits your team's skills and your project's long-term needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to migrate from Adobe AEM to 11ty?
Adobe AEM migrations are more complex due to its enterprise architecture. Expect 1-3 hours for a typical site. Simpler sites finish faster, while large sites with custom functionality may need additional configuration.
Will I lose my SEO rankings when migrating from Adobe AEM?
No. We help you set up proper 301 redirects from your old Adobe AEM URLs to preserve search rankings. 11ty actually tends to improve Core Web Vitals scores, which can boost rankings over time.
What Adobe AEM content can be migrated to 11ty?
Adobe AEM content types like pages, content fragments, experience fragments, assets are all migrated to 11ty. Content is converted to Markdown/MDX files or structured for your chosen headless CMS.
Do I need JavaScript experience to migrate?
No coding experience is required for the migration itself — LeaveWP handles the export and conversion automatically. However, customizing your 11ty site afterward will benefit from JavaScript (multiple template languages) knowledge. For teams without that expertise, the generated code is well-structured and documented, making it approachable for developers of any level.
How much does it cost to host a 11ty site after migrating from Adobe AEM?
11ty sites can be deployed to Vercel, Netlify, Cloudflare Pages, or any Node.js host — often on generous free tiers. Compared to Adobe AEM's Paid ($250K+/year) pricing, static 11ty sites can be hosted for free on Vercel or Netlify (up to generous bandwidth limits), which is significantly cheaper than running a Adobe AEM instance.
Can I migrate Adobe AEM custom fields and metadata to 11ty?
Yes. Custom fields, metadata, and taxonomies from Adobe AEM are preserved during migration. In 11ty, these become frontmatter fields in your Markdown/MDX files, which you can extend or restructure to fit your content model.

Related Migration Guides

Explore more migration paths from Adobe AEM or to 11ty

Adobe AEM to 11ty Guides

In-depth guides and tutorials to help with your migration

Ready to Migrate?

Start your free migration from Adobe AEM to 11ty today.

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