What WordPress content can be migrated to Payload CMS?

Posts, pages, categories, tags, authors, featured images, and SEO metadata are all migrated. Content is imported into Payload collections with proper relationships between content types.

Do I need TypeScript experience to use Payload CMS?

Not for the migration — LeaveWP handles everything. Customizing Payload afterward benefits from TypeScript/Node.js knowledge, but Payload's config-as-code approach is well-documented and approachable.

WordPress → Payload CMS

Migrate WordPress to Payload CMS

Move your WordPress content to Payload CMS — the TypeScript-first headless CMS that lives inside your Next.js app. Zero API latency, full type safety, complete data ownership.

10-20 minutes

Easy

100% Free

Start Free Migration

TL;DR

WordPress uses a PHP/MySQL stack where every page request triggers server-side rendering and database queries. Payload CMS replaces that with a TypeScript-first headless CMS that lives directly inside your Next.js codebase — no separate server, no API latency, full type safety from database to frontend. LeaveWP exports your WordPress content (posts, pages, categories, tags, authors, media) into Payload collections automatically in under 20 minutes.

Official docs: WordPress REST API · Payload CMS Documentation

Why Choose Payload CMS over WordPress?

Payload is a TypeScript-first headless CMS that lives in your Next.js app. Config-as-code, self-hosted, and open-source — it's designed for developers who want complete control.

TypeScript First

Config-as-code with full TypeScript type safety. Auto-generated types for every collection mean compile-time errors instead of runtime surprises.

Zero API Latency

Payload lives inside your Next.js app — no network requests between CMS and frontend. Your content queries are direct database calls, eliminating REST/GraphQL overhead.

Full Control

Built-in auth, access control, file uploads, and hooks. Custom fields, validations, and lifecycle events — all defined in TypeScript config.

Self-Hosted & Free

Open-source with no vendor lock-in. Your data stays in your database (MongoDB or Postgres). Deploy to any Node.js host, or use Payload Cloud.

Why Teams Leave WordPress for Payload

WordPress excels for non-technical content editors, but developer teams hit these walls as projects grow.

PHP rendering bottleneck

WordPress generates every page on the server with PHP. Payload co-locates with your Next.js app, so content is available at build time or via direct database queries — no HTTP overhead.

Plugin dependency and conflicts

WordPress relies on plugins for basic functionality (ACF for fields, Yoast for SEO). Payload includes custom fields, access control, and hooks in core — all configured in TypeScript.

No type safety across the stack

WordPress REST API returns untyped JSON. Payload auto-generates TypeScript types from your config, so your frontend components are type-safe against your content model.

Separate server infrastructure

WordPress needs a PHP server and MySQL database. Payload runs inside your Next.js process — one deployment, one codebase, one set of environment variables.

WordPress vs Payload CMS at a Glance

Side-by-side comparison based on real platform characteristics

Metric	WordPress	Payload CMS
Ease of Use	⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5	⭐⭐⭐ 3/5
Performance	⭐⭐ 2/5	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5
Flexibility	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5
Cost	⭐⭐⭐ 3/5	⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5
Scalability	⭐⭐⭐ 3/5	⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5
Ecosystem	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5	⭐⭐ 2/5
Language	PHP	TypeScript / Node.js
Pricing	Free (self-hosted) + hosting costs	Free (self-hosted) / Cloud plans available
Open Source	Yes	Yes

Ratings based on publicly available data, documentation, and community consensus as of 2026.

What Gets Migrated

How your WordPress content maps to Payload CMS collections

Content Mapping

Posts → Posts collection
Pages → Pages collection
Categories → Categories collection
Tags → Tags collection
Authors → Users collection
Media → Media collection (URLs preserved)
Custom post types → custom collections
Rich text content → Payload rich text format

Technical Details

Export Method: WordPress REST API (no plugins needed)
Destination Format: Payload CMS collections with config-as-code schema
Relationships: Post→Category, Post→Tag, Post→Author relationships preserved
URL Handling: 301 redirect map generated automatically

What needs manual attention

WordPress plugin functionality (WooCommerce, membership systems, page builder layouts) needs to be rebuilt using Payload's hooks, access control, and custom fields. Visual page builder content (Elementor, Divi blocks) is extracted as text but the layout needs to be rebuilt in your Payload collections and React components.

How It Works

Migrate your content in three simple steps

Connect

Enter your WordPress site URL — LeaveWP connects via the public REST API. No passwords, API keys, or WordPress plugins to install.

Configure

Select Payload CMS as destination. Choose which content types to migrate — posts, pages, categories, tags, authors, and media.

Export

Download your Payload-ready content with auto-generated collection schemas and populated data, ready to import into your Payload instance.

Is WordPress to Payload CMS the Right Move for You?

Migrating from WordPress to Payload CMS makes the most sense if you're building a Next.js application and want your CMS to live inside your codebase rather than on a separate server. Payload's config-as-code approach gives you TypeScript type safety from database to frontend — something WordPress's PHP architecture fundamentally cannot provide.

You should migrate if: you're a TypeScript/Node.js developer building with Next.js, you want to own your CMS code and data completely (no vendor lock-in), you need custom content modeling beyond what WordPress offers without plugins, or you want to eliminate the operational overhead of maintaining a separate WordPress server.

You might want to stay if: your content team is non-technical and relies on WordPress's Gutenberg editor, you depend on WordPress's massive plugin ecosystem (59,000+ plugins), or you don't have TypeScript developers on your team. Payload's admin panel is functional but more developer-oriented than WordPress's visual editor.

The migration itself is straightforward — LeaveWP exports your WordPress content into Payload collections automatically. The bigger decision is whether Payload's developer-centric approach fits your team's workflow and whether the TypeScript type safety and co-located architecture are worth the smaller ecosystem.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does the migration take?

Most WordPress to Payload migrations complete in 10-20 minutes. LeaveWP pulls content via the WordPress REST API and structures it into Payload collections automatically. Large sites with thousands of posts may take longer.

What about my WordPress custom fields (ACF)?

Custom fields from ACF, Meta Box, or Toolset are exported and mapped to Payload fields. You may need to adjust field types in your Payload config to match your exact requirements — for example, repeater fields map to array fields in Payload.

Will I lose my SEO rankings?

No. LeaveWP generates a 301 redirect map from your WordPress URLs to your new Payload/Next.js URLs. Since Payload lives inside Next.js, you benefit from static generation and improved Core Web Vitals, which can positively impact rankings.

Can Payload CMS replace WordPress completely?

Yes. Payload provides content modeling, access control, file uploads, Rich Text editing, and a full admin panel. It lives inside your Next.js app, giving you zero API latency and full TypeScript type safety from database to frontend.

What database does Payload use?

Payload supports MongoDB and PostgreSQL. You choose your database when setting up your Payload project. Both are well-supported, with Postgres being the recommended choice for most production applications as of Payload 3.0.

How much does it cost to host a Payload CMS site?

Payload is free and open-source. Self-hosting costs depend on your infrastructure — a basic DigitalOcean droplet ($6/month) or Railway deployment works for most sites. Payload Cloud offers managed hosting with pricing based on usage.

WordPress to Payload CMS Guides

In-depth guides and tutorials to help with your migration

comparison

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Migrate your WordPress content to a TypeScript-first headless CMS. No API keys, no coding, no cost.

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