Migration
Should your organization leave WordPress, and what should decide it?
Short answer
WordPress has no end-of-life date, so nothing forces a move; WordPress.org officially supports only the latest version, 7.1.3 (WordPress.org; its release archive, October 2026). Leave for a structural reason you can test, such as content feeding several channels. PHP's support page says 8.2's security support ends 31 December 2026 (PHP, October 2026): a hosting upgrade, not a reason to replatform.
- WordPress end of life
- None publishedOnly the latest version is officially supported, with courtesy security backports to older ones; 7.1.3, released 6 October 2026, is currentSources: WordPress.org (Security, Release Archive)
- The dated deadline nearby
- PHP 8.2 security support ends 31 December 2026PHP's support page gives the date; PHP before 8.2 already gets no security updates, and WordPress recommends PHP 8.3 or greaterSources: PHP (Supported Versions); WordPress.org (Critical PHP Security Release, Requirements)
- WordPress VIP
- 99.95% to 99.99% uptime SLA, no published priceVIP's pricing page lists 99.95% uptime on Standard and 99.99% on Enhanced and Signature, all marked Request pricing; VIP holds FedRAMP Moderate and SOC 2 Type 2, as of October 2026Sources: WordPress VIP (Pricing, Security, compliance, governance, Trust Center)
- Sanity Growth plan
- $15 per seat a month, billed monthlyFree is $0 and Enterprise is custom pricing, as of October 2026; Sanity ships no front end, so a move also means building and hosting oneSources: Sanity (Plans that scale with you, Sanity for Startups, The Pros and Cons of Headless CMSes)
Deploi’s call
Stay on WordPress unless you can name a structural reason to leave and test it on your own site. WordPress sets no deadline, and its nearest dated pressure, PHP 8.2's end of security support, is a hosting upgrade. Move to Sanity when one body of content has to serve several channels or brands and a developer team will own the front end.
UpgradeStay on WordPress and upgrade how you run it when
- The complaint is speed, security patching or hosting, so a current PHP release, a managed host or WordPress VIP (the enterprise WordPress platform) fixes it without a rebuild.
- Content serves one website, and editors rely on the block editor and the plugins they know.
- Revenue runs on WooCommerce or another plugin you can't replace this year, because a move would have to rebuild it first.
SanityReplatform from WordPress to Sanity when
- The same content has to feed several sites, apps or brands, so storing it as structured documents pays back.
- You're redesigning the front end anyway, so the theme cost is already spent.
- A developer team will own Sanity Studio and the front end in JavaScript, because Sanity ships no website.
- Your editors fit a plan you'll pay for: Growth is $15 per seat a month for up to 50 seats and Enterprise is a quote, as of October 2026 (Sanity pricing).
Does WordPress have an end-of-life date that forces a move?
No. WordPress has no end-of-life date, so no deadline forces a move off it. WordPress.org officially supports only the latest version and backports security fixes to older versions as a courtesy (WordPress.org, Security, October 2026). The maintained branch is 7.1, and its latest release, 7.1.3, shipped on 6 October 2026 (WordPress.org, Release Archive, October 2026). WordPress 7.2 is planned for 10 December 2026, a date WordPress.org calls rough planning only (WordPress.org, Roadmap, October 2026).
The dated deadlines near WordPress belong to PHP, the language it runs on. PHP versions before 8.2 no longer get security updates, WordPress.org said on 21 October 2026 (WordPress.org, Critical PHP Security Release, October 2026). PHP's support page says PHP 8.2's security support ends on 31 December 2026 (PHP, Supported Versions, October 2026). WordPress recommends PHP 8.3 or greater (WordPress.org, Requirements, October 2026). A PHP upgrade is a job for your host or server team, not a reason to replatform. Several other content management systems (CMSs) have published dates; the CMS end-of-life calendar lists them.
What problems justify leaving WordPress?
Five structural problems justify leaving WordPress: multi-channel content, plugin and patch load, page-builder workarounds, approvals the site can't enforce, and a team moving from PHP to JavaScript. Speed isn't a sixth, because hosting and caching fix it (Deploi's judgment).
| Reason to leave | The test on your site |
|---|---|
| Content must serve several channels or brands | Count the sites, apps and feeds that reuse the same content |
| Plugin and patch load | Count active plugins and name who updates each one |
| Editors work around page builders and shortcodes | Ask editors which tasks need a developer or a workaround |
| Approvals the site can't enforce | List the sign-off steps that live in email or spreadsheets |
| The team is moving from PHP to JavaScript | Name who will own a JavaScript front end after launch |
For the first row, see running several brands from one Sanity setup. For the plugin row, Sanity's page on its June 2026 Gong event says Gong's WordPress site carried "plugin bloat" and that Gong migrated 400+ pages to Sanity (Sanity, Gong event, October 2026), a vendor-reported account.
What does staying on WordPress well involve?
Staying on WordPress well means three things: a supported PHP release, a host you could replace, and a plugin list where every plugin has an owner.
- PHP. Run PHP 8.3 or greater, which WordPress recommends (WordPress.org, Requirements, October 2026). PHP is the programming language WordPress runs on.
- Host. Choose a host you could swap, because a host's access to WordPress.org's updates and directories isn't guaranteed (Deploi's judgment). On 25 September 2024, WordPress.org blocked the servers of the host WP Engine from its resources (WordPress.org, WP Engine is banned, October 2026). On 27 September it lifted the block until 1 October, after WP Engine customers couldn't get updates or reach the plugin and theme directories (WordPress.org, WP Engine Reprieve, October 2026). We take no side in that dispute.
- Plugins. Name an owner for every active plugin, because each one is a dependency someone has to update. WordPress.org lists over 76,000 free plugins, so a long list is easy to build (WordPress.org, Plugins, October 2026).
What does WordPress VIP add for an enterprise that stays?
WordPress VIP (the enterprise WordPress platform) adds an uptime SLA (service level agreement), compliance certifications and multisite scale, at a price VIP doesn't publish, so you can only cost it through a sales quote. Its three packages each say "Request pricing" (WordPress VIP, Pricing, October 2026). VIP holds FedRAMP (Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program) Moderate authorization and System and Organization Controls (SOC) 2 Type 2 compliance (WordPress VIP, Security; Trust Center, October 2026).
| VIP package | Uptime SLA | Network sites | Real-time collaboration users | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | 99.95% | Up to 10 | Up to 10 concurrent | Request pricing |
| Enhanced | 99.99% | Up to 100 | Up to 300 concurrent | Request pricing |
| Signature | 99.99% | Up to 1,000 | Up to 300 concurrent | Request pricing |
Our view of WordPress VIP rests on VIP's own pages. WordPress VIP or Sanity weighs the two for enterprises.
When does moving to Sanity win over staying on WordPress?
Moving to Sanity wins when one body of content has to feed several sites, apps or brands and you're rebuilding the front end anyway. Sanity ships no front end, so headless sites usually need front end developers (Sanity, The Pros and Cons of Headless CMSes, October 2026), and that cost only pays back when the content is reused (Deploi's judgment). For one marketing site, Sanity's own guide concedes the point: it names WordPress as a common decoupled CMS (content management system) and calls a decoupled CMS "a great fit for small- to medium-sized businesses primarily focused on a marketing website" (Sanity, Decoupled CMS vs Headless CMS, October 2026). How Sanity and WordPress compare covers the two products side by side.
What are your options, from staying on WordPress to leaving it, and when does each win?
You have six options, from hardening your WordPress site, through WordPress VIP (the enterprise WordPress platform) and a hybrid, to Sanity, another content management system (CMS) or waiting. Each wins under a condition you can check.
| Option | When it wins |
|---|---|
| Stay and harden | One website, editors happy in the block editor, complaints about speed or patching |
| WordPress VIP | You keep WordPress but need an uptime guarantee, FedRAMP (Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program) or many network sites |
| Hybrid WordPress | One app needs WordPress content as data while the main site keeps its theme |
| Move to Sanity | Content feeds several channels, and a developer team will own the front end |
| Move elsewhere | Policy requires a self-hosted CMS, or a suite contract already covers your needs |
| Wait | No trigger is named yet, or a redesign is a year out |
For the hybrid, WordPress VIP says one install can serve a headless and a traditional front end at once (WordPress VIP, October 2026); headless WordPress or a new CMS argues that choice. Enterprise alternatives to WordPress covers where else to go. WordPress sets no deadline, so waiting has no forced cost, but PHP, plugin and host updates still need an owner.
How do you compare the cost of staying on WordPress with the cost of moving to Sanity?
Compare both paths over the same horizon, counting one-time and recurring costs apart. WordPress is open-source software under the General Public License (GPL), with no licensing fees (WordPress.org, Features, October 2026). Sanity publishes its subscription prices: Free is $0, Growth is $15 per seat a month, and Enterprise is custom pricing, as of October 2026 (Sanity pricing; Sanity for Startups). Twenty editors on Growth pay $300 a month (Deploi arithmetic from the figures above).
| Cost driver | Staying on WordPress | Moving to Sanity |
|---|---|---|
| Software fees | None for core; premium plugin renewals | Growth per seat, or an Enterprise quote |
| Hosting | A managed or enterprise WordPress host | Sanity hosts content; you host the front end |
| Upkeep | Core and plugin updates, PHP upgrades, security tooling | Sanity Studio and front-end updates |
| One-time work | None, unless you redesign | Front end, content remodel, migration, replacement services |
| People | Editor workaround time | Editor training, which Sanity's course calls absolutely required |
What should you settle before you decide whether to leave WordPress?
Settle four things before you decide whether to leave WordPress: the trigger, the size of the site, what editors need, and when the redesign happens. Each one can change the answer, and none of them needs a vendor.
Deciding whether to leave WordPress
- Name the trigger. Write down the one problem leaving should fix, and check that it's structural, not speed or an outdated PHP version. Owner: the decision-maker.
- Count content and plugins. Total each content type and list active plugins with who updates each one. Owner: developer.
- Interview editors. Ask which tasks they work around today and what they'd miss in a new editor. Owner: content lead.
- Decide redesign timing. If a redesign is a year out, plan to move content and front end together then. Owner: the decision-maker.
If the answer is to move, the WordPress to Sanity playbook covers inventory, content mapping and import. Redesigning and replatforming at the same time covers the timing question.
Deploi’s point of view
- Where we disagree
- The common answer to why organizations leave WordPress says it is outdated, slow and heading for the exit, as if a move were overdue. WordPress has no end-of-life date, ships a release every few months, and its speed depends mostly on hosting and the front end. The opposite mistake treats WordPress as free forever: plugin renewals, patching and the hours editors spend working around page builders are real costs, and they belong in the comparison next to the cost of a rebuild.
- What we'd tell you to do first
- Write down the one problem leaving WordPress should fix, then test it: count active plugins and who updates each one, list every channel that reuses the content, and ask editors what they work around. If the problem survives a better host and a plugin cleanup, it's a reason to replatform.
- Where we would push back
- On a move sold as a speed upgrade, and on a move driven only by the PHP deadline. Both get fixed on WordPress for less than a rebuild, and we'd say so before scoping one. We won't promise a faster site or lower running costs from leaving WordPress, because both depend on how your site is built and hosted today.
When this answer changes
- WordPress.org publishes an end-of-life date or a support policy for older WordPress branches
- WordPress 7.2 ships, or slips from its planned 10 December 2026 date
- Core WordPress ships real-time collaborative editing from Phase 3 of the Gutenberg project
- PHP's support page moves PHP 8.2's 31 December 2026 security cutoff
- WordPress VIP publishes package prices
- Sanity changes the Growth price of $15 per seat a month or moves custom roles below Enterprise
Sources
Every source opened and checked on 25 October 2026.
- WordPress.org, Release Archive
- WordPress.org, Security
- WordPress.org, Roadmap
- WordPress.org, Critical PHP Security Release
- PHP, Supported Versions
- WordPress.org, Requirements
- WordPress.org, WP Engine is banned from WordPress.org
- WordPress.org, WP Engine Reprieve
- WordPress.org, Plugins
- WordPress.org, Features
- WordPress VIP, Pricing
- WordPress VIP, Security, compliance, governance
- WordPress VIP, Trust Center
- WordPress VIP, When WordPress Shouldn't Be Headless
- Sanity, Plans that scale with you
- Sanity, Sanity for Startups
- Sanity Learn, Planning a re-platforming project
- Sanity, How Gong rebuilt their 10-year-old site for the AI era
- Sanity, Decoupled CMS vs Headless CMS: What Are The Differences?
- Sanity, The Pros and Cons of Headless CMSes
- Sanity Docs, Roles and permissions