Complete guide to migrating your DatoCMS website to Astro. Leave DatoCMS's graphql-only can be a barrier for teams unfamiliar with it behind and get ships zero js to the client by default (islands architecture). Free migration tool included.
You can migrate from DatoCMS to Astro for free using LeaveWP. Enter your site URL, choose Astro as the destination, and download your content — posts, pages, and media — in minutes. No API keys, passwords, or CLI tools required. Difficulty: Medium. Estimated time: 20-40 minutes.
Official docs: Astro Documentation
GraphQL headless CMS with image optimization built in. JAMstack teams wanting a GraphQL CMS with best-in-class image handling, but these limitations push teams toward modern alternatives.
GraphQL-only can be a barrier for teams unfamiliar with it
This is the most common reason teams migrate away from DatoCMS. Astro eliminates this issue entirely.
Free tier is limited; mid-tier pricing is expensive
With Astro, ships zero js to the client by default (islands architecture).
Smaller community compared to Contentful or Strapi
Modern architectures like Astro are designed to avoid this from the ground up.
Content migration to/from DatoCMS requires custom tooling
After migrating, you'll no longer need to worry about this — Astro takes a fundamentally different approach.
Content-focused framework that ships zero JavaScript by default. Built with JavaScript/TypeScript (framework-agnostic), it's content-heavy websites that need maximum performance with minimal javascript.
Ships zero JS to the client by default (Islands Architecture)
Use React, Vue, Svelte, or any framework in the same project
Content collections with type-safe Markdown/MDX
Purpose-built for content sites — blogs, docs, marketing pages
Astro 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/TypeScript, or use managed platforms like Vercel and Netlify for zero-config deployments.
Side-by-side comparison based on real platform characteristics
| Metric | DatoCMS | Astro |
|---|---|---|
| Ease of Use | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5 |
| Performance | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 |
| Flexibility | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5 |
| Cost | ⭐⭐ 2/5 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 |
| Scalability | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5 |
| Ecosystem | ⭐⭐⭐ 3/5 | ⭐⭐⭐ 3/5 |
| Language | API-based (GraphQL-first) | JavaScript/TypeScript (framework-agnostic) |
| Pricing | Free / $99+/month | Free (open-source) |
| Open Source | No | Yes |
Ratings are based on publicly available data, documentation, and community consensus as of 2026. Individual experience may vary.
A detailed breakdown of how your DatoCMS content maps to Astro
What may need manual attention
Custom server-side logic, third-party integrations, and platform-specific plugins will need equivalent solutions in Astro. The core content (text, images, metadata) transfers cleanly.
Migrate your content in three simple steps
Enter your DatoCMS site URL — LeaveWP connects automatically.
Select Astro as destination and choose content options.
Download your migrated content or preview it in your browser.
Migrating from DatoCMS to Astro makes the most sense if you're experiencing graphql-only can be a barrier for teams unfamiliar with it or outgrowing DatoCMS's architecture. Astro is best for content-heavy websites that need maximum performance with minimal javascript.
You should migrate if: your DatoCMS 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 DatoCMS site benefits from built-in image optimization and responsive image api and you don't have JavaScript/TypeScript developers on your team. DatoCMS is genuinely easy to use, and that simplicity has value.
The migration itself is straightforward with LeaveWP — enter your DatoCMS URL, select Astro, and download your content. The more important question is whether Astro's architecture fits your team's skills and your project's long-term needs.
Explore more migration paths from DatoCMS or to Astro
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