Welcome to our guide on the pros and cons of headless WordPress development. In the fast-paced and changing landscape of web development, headless WordPress has captivated the entire industry.
WordPress is the most popular Content Management System (CMS). More than 43.6% of the websites in the world are developed using the platform. The reason for its popularity is its beginner-friendly and intuitive interface that even non-technical users can use with ease.
There are also thousands of plugins and themes that add aesthetics and functionality to websites. It is suitable for creating any type of website, whether for small or enterprise-level businesses. Since its launch back in 2003, the platform has undergone many substantial developments. The headless WordPress is one of the revolutionary changes in the changing digital world.
The headless WordPress approach has many advantages over traditional WordPress setups. However, it also has a few drawbacks that may not be suitable for every business. Thus, it is important to weigh the pros and cons carefully to understand whether it is suitable for your web development project. In this article, we will explore everything about headless WordPress so that you can make the decision for yourself.
What is Headless WordPress?
Headless WordPress is a content management system that uses WordPress as the back-end software. The back-end refers to the admin or server side of the website, which handles data processing, database management, and content creation. Headless WordPress works behind the scenes and ensures the front end operates correctly and smoothly.
A headless website separates the back-end from the front end. In simple words, you will be separating the “head,” i.e., the front-end, with the “body,” i.e., the backend. It gives the developers the flexibility to handle the database more efficiently, enhancing performance. But how does it work?
You will still be working in WordPress, but the content is not pushed directly to the front-end. The headless WordPress provides content through REST APIs. Similarly, developers access the content in the database through RESTful API calls in JSON format. Then, they can use their apps or other front-end technologies to create custom sites. There is no need for templates or plugins to view the database. There is a separate custom frontend app that takes the data from REST APIs and displays it.
Traditional VS Headless WordPress Development
There are some stark differences between traditional and Headless WordPress systems. Here are the major differences between the two developments:
| Traditional WordPress | Limited scalability due to the combined back-end and front-end. | |
| Architecture | Handles both. | Only manages back-end; front-end is custom-built. |
| Content delivery | Static site generation. | APIs. |
| Rendering | PHP-based WordPress themes and templates. | REST API or GraphQL to fetch content. |
| Flexibility | Limited by themes and plugins. | Full design flexibility. |
| Performance | WordPress overhead can slow down the performance. | Relatively faster with an optimized front-end. |
| Scalability | Limited scalability due to combined back-end and front-end. | Highly scalable as the front-end and back-end are independent. |
| Security | Relatively vulnerable due to WP plugins and security risks. | More secure. |
| Development speed | Slower development. | Faster as front-end and back-end work concurrently. |
Pros of Headless WordPress Development
Now that we know what a headless WordPress is, let us explore its pros:
Greater flexibility and customization
WordPress offers a large selection of themes and plugins that provide extensive customization and flexibility. It also has a built-in front end that includes themes and templates. However, it has some limitations for advanced customization. Its structure limits design flexibility. Moreover, the heavy themes and plugins can slow down the website’s performance.
Meanwhile, headless WordPress provides greater flexibility and customization. There are no theme or page builder limitations. Developers can create custom UI frameworks using any front-end technology, such as React, Angular, Next.js, etc.
Headless WordPress also allows developers to use various languages other than those used in normal WordPress. Likewise, developers can retrieve the needed content as the content team continues their work. Headless WordPress makes it easier to change the front-end system or redesign it without changing the content. It is because the content is decoupled from the front-end.
Better performance and speed
Compared to the traditional WordPress, the headless WordPress is much faster. Traditional WordPress loads both content and the front-end. Hence, it slows down the website’s speed and performance.
The front-end and back-end are decoupled in headless WordPress, and users can optimize them independently. As a result, the headless WordPress sites have a faster loading speed and are more responsive. The speed of the website significantly enhances the user experience, leading to improved Google SEO rankings.
Developers can use more efficient code to improve the site’s performance than WordPress themes. They can also use JavaScript framework technologies like React, Next.js, Angular, Vue, etc., to reduce unnecessary back-end calls. These technologies optimize the web pages for Static Site Generation (SSG) and only when needed.
Therefore, the load on the server is reduced immensely. The traditional WordPress processes PHP requests for every page load, making it slower.
Improved scalability
Along with improved performance, headless WordPress also improves websites’ scalability. Since the back-end and front-end are independent, they can be scaled independently. The resources can also be optimized according to demand. Likewise, headless WordPress also has API-driven flexibility.
The REST API or GraphQL delivers the content, and multiple front-ends consume the same data without overloading the back-end. With headless WordPress, there is no rigid front-end framework, so moving content is much easier.
In traditional WordPress, the site’s traffic goes to the same back-end (PHP and MySQL database). Heavy traffic creates bottlenecks and slows the website. Meanwhile, in headless WordPress, APIs handle content, and the front-end operates on optimized JavaScript frameworks.
Similarly, it also integrates seamlessly with third-party services, reducing the pressure on the database and core CMS. You can use serverless platforms to deploy front-ends on headless WordPress development. These serverless platforms or cloud hosting auto-scale based on the site’s traffic. Thus, the website will perform smoothly even during heavy traffic.
Enhanced security
Traditional WordPress is more prone to single-attack surfaces as the front-end and back-end are a single system. Also, the backend is accessible publicly, making the site an easy target for DDoS and brute-force attacks. You can install plugins to counter these vulnerabilities. However, third-party plugins can also introduce other security risks. Headless WordPress offers enhanced security, eliminating these vulnerabilities.
An independent front-end and back-end make it harder for hackers to attack the website. Hence, it significantly reduces the risk of surface attacks, such as DDoS, brute force, SQL injections, etc. The back-end is not directly accessible in a headless WordPress setup. It has a strict API authentication that limits unauthorized access.
Unlike traditional WordPress, headless WordPress development relies on fewer plugins and also reduces security risks. It is easy to implement advanced security without relying only on WordPress plugins.
The independent nature of headless WordPress also makes it easier to implement web application firewalls (WAFs). These firewalls can be optimized for API requests that filter malicious traffic. Moreover, the serverless platforms used in the headless setup have built-in security, further enhancing security.
Multi-channel content delivery
The headless WordPress enables multi-channel content delivery. It makes publishing content on multiple platforms smooth and effortless. Traditional WordPress has limited multi-channel support, and its REST API is not optimized for multi-platform delivery without custom development. There can also be performance issues while delivering content outside the website.
The headless WordPress development API architecture makes integrating any front-end or third-party system easier. It seamlessly integrates platforms like e-commerce, CRM, analytics, and marketing automation tools. Thus, content can be delivered through the APIs to websites, apps, and various other front-end applications. You can customize the content for different platforms accordingly. This results in a consistent and seamless user experience across all devices and platforms.
Multi-channel content delivery allows headless WordPress users to reach a wider audience without needing a separate CMS. Moreover, the content is also reusable. They can be reused in different formats without duplicating, saving time and improving user experience. As the content is not tied to any themes or CMS layout, headless WordPress content is adaptable to new platforms.
Cons of Headless WordPress Development
Now that we have learned about the pros of headless WordPress development, let us explore its cons:
Complex learning curve
Headless WordPress development has a more complex learning curve than traditional WordPress. Therefore, it may be challenging for beginners or non-technical users. Headless WordPress needs to have knowledge of the front-end framework. Developers must be proficient in using JavaScript framework technologies like React, Next.js, Angular, etc.
There are no pre-built themes, so everything from routing to templating and navigation should be done manually. Similarly, developers must custom-design the styles and UI. Its steep learning curve, complex setup, and development make it suitable for technical users.
Maintenance difficulty
Another con of the headless WordPress is its maintenance difficulty. In traditional WordPress, there are numerous free as well as premium themes and plugins. However, headless WordPress requires skilled developers for both the front-end and back-end. It also takes time and effort to maintain the site. Many components need to be built from scratch.
The maintenance of a headless WordPress site heavily relies on development resources. Developers must manually handle updates, synchronization, and content deletions between the front and back-end. They must keep up with the real-time updates and changes.
Higher development cost
The headless WordPress development cost is also higher since you must hire a skilled developer to maintain the CMS. In the headless setup, the front-end requires custom development. Compared to traditional hosting, which only requires a single hosting, it requires multiple services for front-end and back-end. It further increases the cost of a headless WordPress website.
Similarly, the maintenance cost is also higher as the front and back-end are decoupled. Developers must continuously put effort into updates, troubleshooting, security, etc. There can also be additional third-party API costs for their services.
Compatibility issues
There can be compatibility issues with plugins in headless WordPress. Most plugins are designed for traditional WordPress and rely on PHP-based rendering. As a result, there can be plugin compatibility issues. There are theme and template limitations in headless WordPress. Most themes do not work with the headless setup because the front-end is built using JavaScript frameworks.
Therefore, developers have to develop everything from scratch in headless WordPress. There can also be compatibility issues with the Gutenberg Editor and blocks. User management and authentication issues also become complex due to the decoupling of the front and back-end.
Is Headless WordPress suitable for you?
After weighing the pros and cons of headless WordPress Development, the question arises: Is it suitable for you? Headless WordPress is more flexible and scalable, with enhanced performance and security. It also offers multi-channel delivery, allowing the content to reach a wider audience. However, before choosing the headless setup, evaluate your project requirements. You must also assess the needs, goals, and technical proficiency of your team.
Utilizing headless WordPress requires knowledge of both front-end and back-end frameworks. The setup is more advantageous for large and enterprise-level businesses. A traditional WordPress website may be an affordable option for a small and non-technical business.
Final Say
These were the pros and cons of the headless WordPress development. There is no doubt that the platform will continue to evolve in the future. The popularity of headless WordPress CMS is also increasing constantly. Its powerful features are useful for building high-performing sites and web applications.
The decoupling of the front and back-end makes it more flexible and scalable than traditional WordPress. Similarly, the platform gives developers the freedom to use different frameworks and tools without being tied to WordPress themes.