Starter Theme2M+ users

Astra Alternative for Next.js & Astro

One of the most popular lightweight WordPress starter themes with 2M+ active installations. Since Astra is already performance-focused, migration is about gaining full control and modern tooling.

TL;DR

You don't need Astra after migrating to Next.js or Astro. Modern frameworks give you full control over your design system with React components and Tailwind CSS—no page builder overhead, no theme lock-in, no license renewals. See the alternatives below.

Official docs: Next.js Documentation · Astro Documentation

The Problem with Astra

While Astra is one of the lighter WordPress themes (~50KB), it still inherits WordPress's core overhead—PHP rendering, database queries per request, and plugin dependency. Astra Pro's upsell model means many features (mega menus, header builder, WooCommerce extras) require a paid license. The theme's hook-based customization system, while powerful, is limited compared to component-based architecture. You're still shipping jQuery and WordPress core scripts.

Modern Alternatives

Next.js App Router + Tailwind CSS

Since Astra users already appreciate performance, Next.js is the natural evolution—same speed philosophy with modern tooling.

framework

Pros

Even faster than Astra (static generation)
No PHP/database overhead
React component ecosystem
Edge deployment

Cons

Requires JavaScript development skills
No wp-admin for content
Different mental model

How to Implement

Create a Next.js project with Tailwind CSS. Astra's minimal approach maps well—you're essentially building the same thing but with React instead of PHP hooks.

Astro

Astro's content-first approach mirrors Astra's lightweight philosophy, shipping zero JavaScript by default.

framework

Pros

Even lighter than Astra (0KB JS by default)
Markdown/MDX authoring
Framework-agnostic components
Perfect Lighthouse scores

Cons

Less suited for app-like features
Newer ecosystem
Fewer templates than WordPress

How to Implement

Start with `npm create astro@latest`, choose a blog or portfolio starter, and add Tailwind CSS for styling.

Starter templates (Taxonomy, Sentra)

Pre-built Next.js/Astro starter templates that provide the same jumpstart Astra offers for WordPress.

template

Pros

Ready to customize
Modern stack pre-configured
Multiple design options
Open source

Cons

Less variety than Astra's starter library
May need more customization
No visual importer

How to Implement

Clone a starter template that matches your use case (blog, business, portfolio), customize the Tailwind theme, and deploy.

Headless UI + Tailwind CSS

Completely unstyled, accessible UI components from the Tailwind Labs team—matching Astra's minimal, unopinionated approach.

library

Pros

Zero styling opinions
Fully accessible
Works with any design system
Official Tailwind integration

Cons

Requires styling from scratch
Fewer components than shadcn/ui
React or Vue only

How to Implement

Install `@headlessui/react` and build your UI layer on top. Pair with Tailwind CSS for a lightweight, custom design system.

Migration Steps

Since Astra sites are typically clean, audit your theme customizer settings and Astra Pro modules in use

Export content via WordPress REST API—Astra doesn't add shortcode bloat so content exports cleanly

Map your Astra header/footer layout to Next.js layout components

Recreate Astra's responsive container widths in Tailwind config

If using Astra + Elementor/Beaver Builder, address the page builder migration separately

Migrate any Astra Pro features: mega menu → Radix Navigation Menu, sticky header → scroll-aware component

Move blog archive/single templates to Next.js dynamic routes

Set up a headless CMS if you need non-developer content editing (Astra users often pair with page builders for this)

Deploy to Vercel/Netlify—you'll see even better performance than Astra's already-good baseline

Frequently Asked Questions

Astra is already fast—why would I migrate?

Astra is fast for WordPress, but still loads PHP, MySQL, jQuery, and WordPress core. A Next.js static site loads in under 100ms from the edge, scores 100 on all Lighthouse metrics, and requires zero server maintenance. You eliminate an entire infrastructure layer.

I use Astra with Elementor—what should I prioritize?

The page builder is the bigger migration challenge. Start by replacing Elementor with React components, using Astra's clean structure as a reference for your layout system. The theme migration itself is straightforward since Astra adds minimal overhead.

What replaces Astra's starter templates library?

Use Vercel's template gallery, Astro's starter themes, or shadcn/ui blocks for pre-built sections. The Next.js and Astro ecosystems have hundreds of free starter templates covering blogs, portfolios, SaaS, and e-commerce.

How do I replace Astra Pro's header builder?

Build your header as a React component with Tailwind CSS. Astra Pro's header builder options (transparent, sticky, above/below bars) are straightforward to implement with conditional classes and intersection observer.

Is Astra actually lightweight?

Astra itself is light, but paired with Elementor/page builder it's still heavy. Next.js + Tailwind is lighter.

Can I keep Astra's starter templates?

No, but Tailwind UI, Shadcn UI, and free Next.js templates offer better starting points.

Will Astra's schema markup carry over?

You'll rebuild schema with Next.js generateMetadata. LeaveWP preserves content, you add new schema.