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Migrate from TinaCMS to Jekyll

Complete guide to migrating your TinaCMS website to Jekyll. Leave TinaCMS's primarily focused on next.js behind and get native github pages integration. Free migration tool included.

20-40 minutes
Medium
100% Free
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TL;DR

You can migrate from TinaCMS to Jekyll for free using LeaveWP. Enter your site URL, choose Jekyll 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.

Why Teams Leave TinaCMS

Git-backed CMS with visual editing on your site. Next.js teams wanting Git-backed content with visual on-page editing, but these limitations push teams toward modern alternatives.

Primarily focused on Next.js — other framework support is limited

This is the most common reason teams migrate away from TinaCMS. Jekyll eliminates this issue entirely.

GraphQL data layer adds build complexity

With Jekyll, native github pages integration — deploy by pushing to a repo.

Smaller community than established headless CMS options

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

Visual editing requires specific component setup

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

What Jekyll Brings to the Table

Ruby-based SSG that powers GitHub Pages. Built with Ruby (Liquid templates), it's developer blogs hosted on github pages with minimal setup.

Native GitHub Pages integration — deploy by pushing to a repo

Mature and battle-tested for blogs and documentation

Large library of themes and plugins

Simple mental model — content in Markdown, layouts in Liquid

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

TinaCMS vs Jekyll at a Glance

Side-by-side comparison based on real platform characteristics

MetricTinaCMSJekyll
Ease of Use⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5⭐⭐⭐ 3/5
Performance⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5⭐⭐⭐ 3/5
Flexibility⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5⭐⭐⭐ 3/5
Cost⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5
Scalability⭐⭐⭐ 3/5⭐⭐ 2/5
Ecosystem⭐⭐ 2/5⭐⭐⭐ 3/5
LanguageJavaScript/TypeScript (Git-backed)Ruby (Liquid templates)
PricingFree / $29+/monthFree (open-source)
Open SourceYesYes

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 TinaCMS content maps to Jekyll

Content Types from TinaCMS

  • markdown/MDX files
  • JSON data files
  • images

Technical Details

Export Method
Files are already in your Git repo
Source Language
JavaScript/TypeScript (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 Jekyll. The core content (text, images, metadata) transfers cleanly.

How It Works

Migrate your content in three simple steps

1

Connect

Enter your TinaCMS site URL — LeaveWP connects automatically.

2

Configure

Select Jekyll as destination and choose content options.

3

Export

Download your migrated content or preview it in your browser.

Is TinaCMS to Jekyll the Right Move for You?

Migrating from TinaCMS to Jekyll makes the most sense if you're experiencing primarily focused on next.js — other framework support is limited or outgrowing TinaCMS's architecture. Jekyll is best for developer blogs hosted on github pages with minimal setup.

You should migrate if: your TinaCMS 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 TinaCMS site benefits from visual editing directly on your live site (contextual editing) and you don't have Ruby developers on your team. TinaCMS is genuinely easy to use, and that simplicity has value.

The migration itself is straightforward with LeaveWP — enter your TinaCMS URL, select Jekyll, and download your content. The more important question is whether Jekyll'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 TinaCMS to Jekyll?
Most migrations from TinaCMS complete in 20-40 minutes. Content is exported from TinaCMS, then structured for Jekyll. Complex sites with extensive custom fields may take longer.
Will I lose my SEO rankings when migrating from TinaCMS?
No. We help you set up proper 301 redirects from your old TinaCMS URLs to preserve search rankings. Jekyll supports clean URL structures that maintain your existing SEO equity.
What TinaCMS content can be migrated to Jekyll?
TinaCMS content types like markdown/MDX files, JSON data files, images are all migrated to Jekyll. Content is converted to Markdown/MDX files or structured for your chosen headless CMS.
Do I need Ruby experience to migrate?
No coding experience is required for the migration itself — LeaveWP handles the export and conversion automatically. However, customizing your Jekyll site afterward will benefit from Ruby (Liquid templates) 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 Jekyll site after migrating from TinaCMS?
Jekyll sites can be deployed to Vercel, Netlify, Cloudflare Pages, or any Node.js host — often on generous free tiers. Compared to TinaCMS's Free / $29+/month pricing, static Jekyll sites can be hosted for free on Vercel or Netlify (up to generous bandwidth limits), which is significantly cheaper than running a TinaCMS instance.
Can I migrate TinaCMS custom fields and metadata to Jekyll?
Yes. Custom fields, metadata, and taxonomies from TinaCMS are preserved during migration. In Jekyll, 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 TinaCMS or to Jekyll

TinaCMS to Jekyll Guides

In-depth guides and tutorials to help with your migration

Ready to Migrate?

Start your free migration from TinaCMS to Jekyll today.

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