Convert WordPress to Hugo for the fastest static site builds. Perfect for content-heavy sites.
You can migrate from WordPress to Hugo for free using LeaveWP. Enter your site URL, choose Hugo 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: WordPress REST API Docs · Hugo Documentation
PHP-based CMS powering 43% of the web. Content-heavy sites where non-technical editors need full control, but these limitations push teams toward modern alternatives.
PHP rendering is slow compared to static HTML
This is the most common reason teams migrate away from WordPress. Hugo eliminates this issue entirely.
Requires constant security patches and plugin updates
With Hugo, blazing fast builds — renders 10,000 pages in seconds.
Database-driven architecture limits scalability under load
Modern architectures like Hugo are designed to avoid this from the ground up.
Plugin conflicts can break your site after updates
After migrating, you'll no longer need to worry about this — Hugo takes a fundamentally different approach.
Fastest static site generator, written in Go. Built with Go (Go templates), it's documentation sites and blogs where build speed and simplicity matter most.
Blazing fast builds — renders 10,000 pages in seconds
Single binary with zero dependencies
Built-in image processing, taxonomies, and i18n
Huge theme library for quick starts
Hugo is open-source and free to use. You own your code and data with no vendor lock-in. Deploy to any host that supports Go, or use managed platforms like Vercel and Netlify for zero-config deployments.
Side-by-side comparison based on real platform characteristics
| Metric | WordPress | Hugo |
|---|---|---|
| Ease of Use | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5 | ⭐⭐⭐ 3/5 |
| Performance | ⭐⭐ 2/5 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 |
| Flexibility | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 | ⭐⭐⭐ 3/5 |
| Cost | ⭐⭐⭐ 3/5 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 |
| Scalability | ⭐⭐⭐ 3/5 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 |
| Ecosystem | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 | ⭐⭐⭐ 3/5 |
| Language | PHP | Go (Go templates) |
| Pricing | Free (self-hosted) + hosting costs | 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.
A detailed breakdown of how your WordPress content maps to Hugo
What may need manual attention
Custom server-side logic, third-party integrations, and platform-specific plugins will need equivalent solutions in Hugo. The core content (text, images, metadata) transfers cleanly.
Migrate your content in three simple steps
Enter your WordPress site URL — LeaveWP connects automatically.
Select Hugo as destination and choose content options.
Download your migrated content or preview it in your browser.
Migrating from WordPress to Hugo makes the most sense if you're experiencing php rendering is slow compared to static html or outgrowing WordPress's architecture. Hugo is best for documentation sites and blogs where build speed and simplicity matter most.
You should migrate if: your WordPress 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 WordPress site benefits from massive plugin ecosystem with 59,000+ plugins and you don't have Go developers on your team. WordPress is genuinely easy to use, and that simplicity has value.
The migration itself is straightforward with LeaveWP — enter your WordPress URL, select Hugo, and download your content. The more important question is whether Hugo's architecture fits your team's skills and your project's long-term needs.
Explore more migration paths from WordPress or to Hugo
In-depth guides and tutorials to help with your migration
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