From WordPress to Astro + Sanity: Why Our Agency Made the Switch

From WordPress to Astro & Sanity: Why Our Agency Made the Switch

Our agency used WordPress to create websites for years. Like many digital agencies, we chose it by default because the ecosystem was well-known and our clients expected it. However, the further we dug, the more issues we ran into, both for the companies we sponsored and for us as engineers.

We eventually got so frustrated that we had to start looking for other options. At that point, we came across Astro and Sanity, which fundamentally changed the way we create websites. We've switched several companies from WordPress to this stack today, and the outcomes have been fantastic for both our clients and ourselves.

Here are the reasons behind our decision and the lessons we've discovered.

Why WordPress Was Holding Us Back

WordPress looked like the obvious choice when we first started. It had countless plugins and themes, was widely used, and was simple to set up. But soon reality set in.

Design limitations.

We place a strong emphasis on custom design and user experience. Developing a design that feels distinctive and complements the client's brand is always the first step in our process. It was painful to do that in WordPress. Themes frequently forced us into strict layouts, and modifying components to look and operate the way we desired typically required battling the system.

Plugins and security.

Plugins are the lifeblood of WordPress websites. However, conflicts are frequent and any plugin has the potential to be vulnerable. Clients have approached us with compromised websites or malfunctioning features brought on by plugin updates. We eventually ran out of time patching, troubleshooting, and installing security add-ons.

Bloated sites.

Even basic WordPress websites become heavier over time. Plugin overload resulted in sluggish load times, limited accessibility, and irate users.

Complex editing.

The main problem for our clients was probably that WordPress was just too difficult to use. We repeatedly heard from business owners that "we don't have time to update our site, it's too confusing." Many choose to simply pay us for every modification, even with video tutorials.

We eventually discovered that, because plugins were unable to meet our needs, we were hardcoding fundamental elements like tables and cards. That was the tipping point: WordPress was impeding our progress rather than enabling us.

Discovering Astro: A Breath of Fresh Air

We started exploring modern frameworks and quickly discovered Astro. Coming from a Vue background, Astro’s component logic felt familiar, but its hybrid approach: SSG, SSR, and islands architecture, was exactly what we needed.

With Astro, we could:

• Build lightweight, super-fast sites that scored 90+ on Core Web Vitals.
• Use our own designs without being limited by themes.
• Ship sites that were inherently more secure (no plugin vulnerabilities).
• Create accessible websites, aligned with standards like WCAG and the EU Accessibility Act.

From a developer’s perspective, it was liberating. From a client’s perspective, the difference was immediate. The first thing they noticed after migration? “The site loads so fast!”

Why Sanity Completed the Puzzle

Astro solved performance and flexibility, but we still needed a content management solution. That’s where Sanity came in.

Sanity gave our clients exactly what they had been missing in WordPress:

• Ease of editing. Clients could update content directly in a structured studio, even from their phone.
• Live previews. They could see changes instantly without fear of breaking the design.
• Consistency. Updating a service price in one field updated it across the whole site.

For us, Sanity provided developer happiness too. Custom schemas, structured data, and component-based workflows meant we could deliver more in less time. What used to take two weeks in WordPress we now finish in five days with Astro & Sanity.

What We Learned Rebuilding WordPress Sites

Most of our current work involves rebuilding existing WordPress sites into Astro & Sanity. Across dozens of migrations, the same issues come up again and again:

1. Design bloat. Themes and plugins create heavy, messy sites that are hard to optimize.
2. Security issues. From hacked sites to endless malware scans, clients constantly worry about safety.
3. Complex editing. The WordPress dashboard overwhelms non-technical users, leading to neglected websites.
4. Ghost pages. WordPress auto-generates extra pages for tags, authors, and archives—sometimes 4x more than the real content. One client thought they had 200 pages. In reality, WordPress had created 800.

With Astro + Sanity, we eliminate these issues. Clients end up with faster, cleaner websites they actually enjoy updating. Many even start publishing more often because editing no longer feels like a chore.

Going Beyond Websites

Astro & Sanity has also allowed us to build things that would have been nearly impossible in WordPress.

• For a music-related project, we created a tool where users could adjust BPM, layer tracks, and manage audio playback.
• For marketing clients, we automated blog workflows so that publishing a post in Sanity also pushed it to Facebook and Instagram.
• We’ve integrated calculators, booking tools, and custom dashboards directly into websites.

Instead of saying “that’s not possible in WordPress without five plugins,” we can now say, “Yes, we can build that.”

Advice for Agencies Considering the Switch

If you’re an agency thinking about leaving WordPress, here are a few lessons from our journey:

• Forget the WordPress mindset. Astro and Sanity work differently, and that’s a good thing. Embrace the new possibilities.
• Stop relying on paid plugins. Build reusable components once and share them across projects. Clients save money, and you gain consistency.
• Start small. Build one site in Astro. You’ll quickly realize how much faster, cleaner, and more enjoyable the workflow is.
• Think long-term. With AI and site builders making WordPress even less relevant, agencies that don’t adapt risk being left behind.

Why Businesses Should Care

For business owners, the difference comes down to three things:

1. Speed. Astro sites load almost instantly, improving SEO and user experience.
2. Ease of editing. Sanity makes updates painless, so websites stay fresh.
3. Lower long-term costs. No plugin fees, no endless maintenance, no constant patching.

Our clients get future-proof websites that perform better, cost less to maintain, and give them confidence in their online presence. For us as an agency, Astro + Sanity has unlocked speed, creativity, and growth.

Final Thoughts

WordPress had its moment, but for us—and for many of our clients—that era is ending. Astro and Sanity give us the tools to deliver websites that are faster, safer, and more enjoyable to use.

As an agency, moving to this stack has been one of the best decisions we’ve made. And for businesses looking to escape the frustrations of WordPress, it might just be the upgrade you didn’t know you needed.