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Migrate from Netlify CMS to Next.js

Complete guide to migrating your Netlify CMS website to Next.js. Leave Netlify CMS's officially deprecated behind and get hybrid rendering. Free migration tool included.

20-40 minutes

Medium

100% Free

Start Free Migration

TL;DR

You can migrate from Netlify CMS to Next.js for free using LeaveWP. Enter your site URL, choose Next.js 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: Next.js Documentation

Why Teams Leave Netlify CMS

Git-based CMS for static site generators (now Decap CMS). Static site teams wanting a free, Git-backed editorial UI, but these limitations push teams toward modern alternatives.

Officially deprecated — succeeded by Decap CMS

This is the most common reason teams migrate away from Netlify CMS. Next.js eliminates this issue entirely.

Limited to Git-based workflows (slow for large content volumes)

With Next.js, hybrid rendering — ssg, ssr, isr, and client-side in one app.

No real-time collaboration or content scheduling

Modern architectures like Next.js are designed to avoid this from the ground up.

Admin UI is basic compared to commercial headless CMS options

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

What Next.js Brings to the Table

React framework for production with SSR, SSG, and API routes. Built with JavaScript/TypeScript (React), it's production web apps and content sites needing flexible rendering strategies.

Hybrid rendering — SSG, SSR, ISR, and client-side in one app

Most popular React framework with massive community

Built-in image optimization, API routes, and middleware

Optimized for Vercel but deploys anywhere (Node.js, Docker)

Next.js 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.

Netlify CMS vs Next.js at a Glance

Side-by-side comparison based on real platform characteristics

Metric	Netlify CMS	Next.js
Ease of Use	⭐⭐⭐ 3/5	⭐⭐⭐ 3/5
Performance	⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5
Flexibility	⭐⭐⭐ 3/5	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5
Cost	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5
Scalability	⭐⭐ 2/5	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5
Ecosystem	⭐⭐ 2/5	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5
Language	JavaScript (Git-backed)	JavaScript/TypeScript (React)
Pricing	Free	Free (open-source)
Open Source	Yes	Yes

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 Netlify CMS content maps to Next.js

Content Types from Netlify CMS

markdown files
YAML/JSON data files
images

Technical Details

Export Method: Files are already in your Git repo
Source Language: JavaScript (Git-backed)
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 Next.js. The core content (text, images, metadata) transfers cleanly.

How It Works

Migrate your content in three simple steps

Connect

Enter your Netlify CMS site URL — LeaveWP connects automatically.

Configure

Select Next.js as destination and choose content options.

Export

Download your migrated content or preview it in your browser.

Is Netlify CMS to Next.js the Right Move for You?

Migrating from Netlify CMS to Next.js makes the most sense if you're experiencing officially deprecated — succeeded by decap cms or outgrowing Netlify CMS's architecture. Next.js is best for production web apps and content sites needing flexible rendering strategies.

You should migrate if: your Netlify CMS 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 Netlify CMS site benefits from content lives in your git repository — no external database and you don't have JavaScript/TypeScript developers on your team.

The migration itself is straightforward with LeaveWP — enter your Netlify CMS URL, select Next.js, and download your content. The more important question is whether Next.js'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 Netlify CMS to Next.js?

Most migrations from Netlify CMS complete in 20-40 minutes. Content is exported from Netlify CMS, then structured for Next.js. Complex sites with extensive custom fields may take longer.

Will I lose my SEO rankings when migrating from Netlify CMS?

No. We help you set up proper 301 redirects from your old Netlify CMS URLs to preserve search rankings. Next.js actually tends to improve Core Web Vitals scores, which can boost rankings over time.

What Netlify CMS content can be migrated to Next.js?

Netlify CMS content types like markdown files, YAML/JSON data files, images are all migrated to Next.js. Content is converted to Markdown/MDX files or structured for your chosen headless CMS.

Do I need JavaScript/TypeScript experience to migrate?

No coding experience is required for the migration itself — LeaveWP handles the export and conversion automatically. However, customizing your Next.js site afterward will benefit from JavaScript/TypeScript (React) 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 Next.js site after migrating from Netlify CMS?

Next.js sites can be deployed to Vercel, Netlify, Cloudflare Pages, or any Node.js host — often on generous free tiers. static Next.js sites can be hosted for free on Vercel or Netlify (up to generous bandwidth limits), which is significantly cheaper than running a Netlify CMS instance.

Can I migrate Netlify CMS custom fields and metadata to Next.js?

Yes. Custom fields, metadata, and taxonomies from Netlify CMS are preserved during migration. In Next.js, these become frontmatter fields in your Markdown/MDX files, which you can extend or restructure to fit your content model.