Today marks the first day of 2026, and I’ve made a bold decision: I’m ditching WordPress + MySQL and moving to Hugo for my blog. Here’s why.

Why I Left WordPress Behind

After years of using WordPress, I realized it had become overkill for my needs. Here are the key reasons that pushed me to make the switch:

1. Performance and Speed

WordPress relies on PHP and MySQL, which means every page request hits the database. Hugo generates static HTML files that serve instantly. No database queries, no server-side processing—just blazing-fast content delivery.

2. Security Concerns

With WordPress, I constantly worried about:

• Plugin vulnerabilities
• WordPress core updates
• Database security
• PHP version compatibility
• Brute force attacks on wp-admin

Hugo eliminates 99% of these concerns. Static sites have no database to hack, no admin panel to exploit, and no server-side code to compromise.

3. Simplicity and Maintenance

WordPress requires:

• Regular updates (core, plugins, themes)
• Database backups
• PHP configuration
• Web hosting with MySQL support
• Plugin compatibility management

Hugo needs:

• Markdown files
• A simple config file
• Version control (Git)
• That’s it.

4. Cost Efficiency

WordPress hosting typically costs $10-50/month for decent performance. With Hugo, I’m deploying to Cloudflare Pages which offers:

• Free hosting
• Global CDN
• Unlimited bandwidth
• SSL certificates
• Instant deployments

5. Content Ownership and Portability

My content lives in simple Markdown files in a Git repository. No proprietary formats, no database exports, no migration headaches. I can switch hosting providers in minutes or even change static site generators without losing anything.

6. Developer Experience

Writing in Markdown is liberating. No WYSIWYG editor quirks, no HTML cleanup, no visual editor breaking my formatting. Just clean, version-controlled text files.

The AI-Powered Build

Here’s the interesting part: I built this entire site with help from Claude Sonnet 4.5. From:

• Choosing the right Hugo theme
• Configuring the site structure
• Setting up Cloudflare Pages deployment
• Troubleshooting build issues
• Writing this very post

The AI assistant helped me navigate Hugo’s learning curve in hours instead of days. It’s 2026, and this is how we build things now—humans and AI working together.

Deployment: Cloudflare Pages

Deploying to Cloudflare Pages is ridiculously simple:

1. Push code to GitHub
2. Connect repository to Cloudflare Pages
3. Set build command: hugo
4. Set publish directory: public
5. Done.

Every git push triggers an automatic deployment. Changes go live in seconds. Free SSL, global CDN, and instant cache invalidation included.

What I’ll Miss (Not Much)

To be fair, WordPress has its strengths:

• Plugins: There’s a plugin for everything
• Non-technical editors: WordPress’s GUI is great for non-developers
• Dynamic features: Comments, user accounts, complex forms

For my use case—a personal blog—these don’t matter. Static comments can be handled by services like Disqus or Utterances. Most “dynamic” features I rarely used anyway.

Conclusion

This migration isn’t just about technology—it’s about simplicity, speed, and focusing on what matters: writing. WordPress served me well, but Hugo aligns better with how I want to work in 2026.

If you’re a developer or technical writer stuck in WordPress limbo, give Hugo a try. Your future self will thank you.

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Stack: Hugo + Cloudflare Pages + Claude Sonnet 4.5
Build Time: < 100ms
Monthly Cost: $0
Peace of Mind: Priceless

HAPPY NEW YEAR

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