Complete guide to migrating your DatoCMS website to Gatsby. Leave DatoCMS's graphql-only can be a barrier for teams unfamiliar with it behind and get rich plugin ecosystem for data sources (cms, apis, databases). Free migration tool included.
You can migrate from DatoCMS to Gatsby for free using LeaveWP. Enter your site URL, choose Gatsby 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: Gatsby 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. Gatsby eliminates this issue entirely.
Free tier is limited; mid-tier pricing is expensive
With Gatsby, rich plugin ecosystem for data sources (cms, apis, databases).
Smaller community compared to Contentful or Strapi
Modern architectures like Gatsby 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 — Gatsby takes a fundamentally different approach.
React-based SSG with GraphQL data layer. Built with JavaScript/TypeScript (React), it's content-rich sites pulling data from multiple sources via graphql.
Rich plugin ecosystem for data sources (CMS, APIs, databases)
Unified GraphQL data layer pulls from any source
Excellent image optimization with gatsby-plugin-image
Pre-renders pages for fast initial load and good SEO
Gatsby 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 | Gatsby |
|---|---|---|
| Ease of Use | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5 | ⭐⭐⭐ 3/5 |
| Performance | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5 |
| Flexibility | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5 |
| Cost | ⭐⭐ 2/5 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 |
| Scalability | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 | ⭐⭐⭐ 3/5 |
| Ecosystem | ⭐⭐⭐ 3/5 | ⭐⭐⭐ 3/5 |
| Language | API-based (GraphQL-first) | JavaScript/TypeScript (React) |
| 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 Gatsby
What may need manual attention
Custom server-side logic, third-party integrations, and platform-specific plugins will need equivalent solutions in Gatsby. The core content (text, images, metadata) transfers cleanly.
Migrate your content in three simple steps
Enter your DatoCMS site URL — LeaveWP connects automatically.
Select Gatsby as destination and choose content options.
Download your migrated content or preview it in your browser.
Migrating from DatoCMS to Gatsby makes the most sense if you're experiencing graphql-only can be a barrier for teams unfamiliar with it or outgrowing DatoCMS's architecture. Gatsby is best for content-rich sites pulling data from multiple sources via graphql.
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 Gatsby, and download your content. The more important question is whether Gatsby's architecture fits your team's skills and your project's long-term needs.
Explore more migration paths from DatoCMS or to Gatsby
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