md0 VS
WORDPRESS
GIT VS DATABASE
This is an unusual comparison. WordPress is a traditional CMS built on PHP and MySQL. md0 is a git-native layer over static markdown files. If you are reading this page, you are probably migrating from WordPress to a static site and need a CMS for your editors. This page explains the trade-offs honestly.
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The Migration Case
Who Is Making This Switch
Developers moving from WordPress to Gatsby, Astro, Hugo, Next.js, or another static site framework face a specific problem: their editors are used to a visual CMS interface. WordPress gave editors a dashboard, a post editor, and a media library. The new static stack gives them a Git repository. That gap is where md0 fits: a visual editing interface on top of the same GitHub-stored markdown files that power the static site.
What WordPress Does That Does Not Translate
WordPress has a plugin ecosystem of over 50,000 plugins, a theme system, PHP template rendering, a database-backed content store, user roles, and comment systems. None of these concepts translate directly to a static site workflow. A static site does not have a server runtime. It does not query a database on each page load. It does not run PHP. If your current WordPress site depends heavily on plugins like WooCommerce, BuddyPress, or complex page builders, the migration is not a one-step process and md0 is not a plug-in replacement for all of that.
What Does Translate
Content editing translates directly. The concept of creating a post with a title, body text, featured image, and publication date is the same whether you are saving to a MySQL database or writing a markdown file with frontmatter. md0 gives editors a visual editor for the body and form fields for metadata, which maps closely to the WordPress post editor. Writers who have used WordPress for years can adapt to md0 quickly because the mental model is the same: create a piece of content, fill in the fields, publish.
Why Developers Make This Move
WordPress hosting costs money: a managed WordPress host like WP Engine or Kinsta runs between four and sixty dollars per month. Security patches are constant. PHP version upgrades break plugins. The attack surface of a publicly exposed WordPress installation is well-documented. Static sites sidestep all of that: there is no server-side runtime to exploit, no database to exfiltrate, and no plugin update queue. The site is a folder of HTML files served from a CDN. md0 preserves the content editing experience while letting developers move to a stack that is simpler to maintain.
Side by Side
Feature Comparison
| Feature | md0 CMS | WordPress |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting required | Static host (Vercel, Netlify) | PHP host (managed or VPS) |
| Database | None | MySQL required |
| Plugin ecosystem | Not needed | 50,000+ plugins |
| Git integration | Native | Via plugin (WP2Static etc.) |
| Editor UI | Visual WYSIWYG | Block editor (Gutenberg) |
| Cost | Free for public repos | $4-45/month hosting + domain |
Where md0 Wins
Why Static Is Better for Content Sites
1. No server to maintain
A WordPress installation requires ongoing maintenance: PHP version updates, WordPress core updates, plugin updates, database backups, and security monitoring. Plugins break after major WordPress updates. Database backups must be scheduled and tested. None of this work produces new content or new features. A static site with md0 eliminates all of it. Your content lives in GitHub, your site is rebuilt on each commit, and there is no server-side runtime to maintain between deployments.
2. No attack surface
WordPress is the most attacked CMS on the internet. The combination of a predictable URL structure for login pages, a large plugin ecosystem with variable security quality, and a PHP runtime creates a persistent security maintenance burden. Static sites have no login page, no PHP runtime, no database to inject into. md0 handles the editorial authentication through GitHub OAuth. The published site is HTML and CSS served from a CDN.
3. Version history for all content
WordPress stores post revisions in the database, but that history is limited and disappears if you migrate to a new host. Every md0 edit is a Git commit. The full history of every content file is preserved in GitHub. You can see who changed a post, what they changed, when they changed it, and revert to any previous version with a single click. Git was built for this kind of history management. Database revision tables were not.
4. Performance by default
A WordPress page load involves a PHP process, one or more database queries, and response assembly before a single byte reaches the browser. Caching plugins can mitigate this, but they add configuration complexity and can serve stale content. A static site serves pre-rendered HTML from a CDN edge node. There is no database query. There is no server processing. The file is simply returned. This is faster by default, with no caching plugins to configure.
Honest Assessment
When to Stay on WordPress
1. WooCommerce and e-commerce
If your WordPress site uses WooCommerce for product listings, cart management, checkout, and order tracking, migrating off WordPress is a substantial project. Static sites can work with e-commerce via Shopify, Stripe Payment Links, or Snipcart, but these are different tools with different trade-offs. If WooCommerce is central to your business, the static migration calculus changes significantly.
2. Complex plugin dependencies
Membership plugins, learning management systems, community forums, subscription management, and booking systems exist as WordPress plugins because the WordPress plugin ecosystem is large. If your site relies on multiple specialized plugins that have no equivalent in the static world, the migration cost may outweigh the maintenance savings. Audit your plugin list before committing to a static migration.
3. Dynamic server-rendered content
If your site has features that require server-side rendering per request, such as personalized content, user-specific pages, or real-time data, a fully static site is not the right architecture regardless of which CMS you use. Static sites can incorporate these features via client-side JavaScript or API calls, but the approach differs substantially from WordPress's server-rendered model.
Step by Step
How to Migrate from WordPress to md0
The migration has two parts: converting your WordPress content to markdown files, and connecting your new repository to md0 CMS. Neither part is difficult for most content sites.
Export your WordPress content as markdown
Use the WordPress to Jekyll exporter plugin or the WP2Hugo tool to export your posts and pages as markdown files with frontmatter. These tools handle the HTML to markdown conversion and preserve titles, dates, and categories. The output is a folder of .md files that match the format md0 expects.
Put your markdown files in a GitHub repository
Create a GitHub repository for your static site. Put your exported markdown files in a content folder, such as content/posts/. If you are also migrating to a new static site generator, set up that framework in the same repository and point it at your content folder.
Connect md0 to your repository
Go to cms.md0.io and sign in with your GitHub account. Grant access to your repository. md0 detects your content folder automatically. Your editors can start using the visual editing interface immediately, with the same workflow they had in WordPress: create, edit, and publish content through a web browser.
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Connect your GitHub repo and give your editors a visual CMS without PHP hosting, plugin maintenance, or a database to back up. Free for public repositories.
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