11/03/2026
Running WordPress in 2026 is like paying rent on a house you own.
Here's how I'm migrating 40 WP websites to Astro + Cloudflare for $0:
1/
The problem wasn't WordPress itself.
It was everything around it:
- $80/mo dedicated Hetzner server
- Constant plugin updates
- Security patches
- Performance babysitting
- Elementor Visual builder - can't control with AI
- AI automations pain in the arse
So I killed it.
New stack:
→ Astro (static/hybrid — ship pure HTML/CSS/JS)
→ Cloudflare Pages (free, global CDN, unlimited sites)
→ Purelymail ($10/year flat, unlimited domains)
→ Resend (free tier for contact forms)
→ Git push → auto deploy
First test site: perfect Lighthouse scores. Sub-second loads.
2/
The migration plan (running it live right now):
1. Export WP content (XML + media)
2. Convert to Markdown/MDX (manual + AI assist)
3. Rebuild layouts in Astro + Tailwind
4. Set up URL redirects (_redirects on Cloudflare)
5. Flip DNS — keep old server live until email migrated
6. Email moves to Purelymail via IMAP sync
No rush. No downtime. 40 sites one by one.
3/
The numbers that made this obvious
Hosting: $80/mo → $0
Email: bundled → $10/year flat
Performance: slow → sub-second
Security: PHP/DB attack surface → none
Maintenance: plugin hell → git push
Total savings: $950+/year
For static content sites this is a no-brainer.
4/
Cloudflare acquired Astro earlier this year.
The integration is only getting tighter.
If you're still running multiple WP sites on a VPS in 2026, this is your sign.
Who's already made this move?