How to migrate from DNN (DotNetNuke) to WordPress : A Step-by-Step Guide
Migrating to WordPress isn’t just a technical decision — it’s a business decision. It reduces costs, accelerates your marketing, improves SEO, and ensures your organization isn’t stuck maintaining legacy software.
Updated: Aug 21, 2025
Getting started
Introdution
DotNetNuke (DNN), now rebranded as DNN Platform, was once a go-to choice for businesses that needed a content management system tightly integrated with the Microsoft .NET ecosystem. It provided flexibility for developers, a modular structure, and the ability to build robust web applications on top of a CMS. For many enterprises in the 2000s and early 2010s, DNN seemed like a future-proof choice.
But as the digital landscape has evolved, so have expectations for what a CMS should deliver. Businesses today don’t just want a platform that “works” — they need:
Agility to update and manage content without waiting on developers.
Seamless integrations with modern marketing tools, CRMs, and analytics platforms.
Cost efficiency, without being locked into high-maintenance proprietary stacks.
Design flexibility to support fresh, engaging user experiences.
Unfortunately, this is where DNN shows its age. Its reliance on .NET developers makes it harder to find affordable expertise. Updates and patches require technical intervention, and the overall community around DNN has steadily declined. Many organizations now find themselves stuck with an inflexible CMS that slows down marketing teams, inflates costs, and makes even simple website updates feel like complex projects.
This has led to a growing trend: migrating from DNN to WordPress.
WordPress has evolved far beyond its blogging roots to become the world’s most popular CMS — powering over 43% of all websites globally. It offers a user-friendly interface, endless design flexibility, and a massive ecosystem of plugins and integrations that cater to every business need, from e-commerce to enterprise portals. Best of all, it significantly reduces reliance on specialized developers, putting control back into the hands of marketing and business teams.
In this guide, we’ll break down:
How DNN compares to WordPress in today’s digital environment.
Why businesses are making the switch.
The key benefits of WordPress for organizations of all sizes.
Our proven process at Dellos to migrate DNN websites seamlessly, without data loss or SEO impact.
If you’re currently on DNN and frustrated by the limitations, this guide will show you why WordPress is the smarter long-term solution — and how to make the move smoothly.
DNN vs WordPress: Which CMS Is Better for Your Business?
When evaluating whether to continue with DNN or migrate to WordPress, it’s important to look beyond surface-level features. The real question most organizations ask is: Which platform will help us scale, reduce costs, and empower our teams in the long run?
Let’s break down the comparison across the areas that matter most to businesses today:
1. Ease of Use
DNN: Built primarily for developers, DNN is not very friendly for non-technical users. Even routine tasks such as updating content, managing modules, or applying patches often require .NET expertise. Marketing and content teams usually have to rely on IT or external developers for small updates.
WordPress: Known for its intuitive dashboard and block-based editor (Gutenberg), WordPress allows anyone — from content writers to marketing managers — to make updates without needing coding knowledge. This democratizes content management and significantly reduces bottlenecks.
Verdict: WordPress empowers teams to move faster, while DNN keeps organizations dependent on developers.
2. Design Flexibility
DNN: While DNN supports skins and modules, creating modern, responsive designs often requires custom development. Out-of-the-box options are limited, and the marketplace is nowhere near as rich as modern CMS ecosystems.
WordPress: Offers thousands of free and premium themes, plus advanced page builders like Elementor, Beaver Builder, or Gutenberg blocks. Organizations can refresh their website design quickly and affordably, without reinventing the wheel.
Verdict: WordPress offers limitless design flexibility and faster design iterations.
3. Cost of Ownership
DNN: Even though DNN is technically open-source, running it requires Windows hosting environments, skilled .NET developers, and often, ongoing licensing costs depending on the version or third-party integrations. Maintenance can become expensive over time.
WordPress: Free at its core, with open-source plugins and themes covering most needs. Hosting costs are lower (Linux servers), and developer availability is abundant, which drives down hourly rates.
Verdict: WordPress drastically lowers the total cost of ownership while giving more features.
4. Integrations & Extensibility
DNN: Integrating modern marketing stacks (HubSpot, Salesforce, GA4, marketing automation, etc.) can be difficult and often requires custom development. Many integrations are outdated or unsupported.
WordPress: Seamlessly integrates with almost every major SaaS, marketing platform, and CRM through plugins or APIs. Whether you need e-commerce (WooCommerce), membership systems, or advanced analytics, WordPress has ready-made solutions.
Verdict: WordPress is future-proof when it comes to integrations.
5. Community & Support
DNN: The community has shrunk considerably, with fewer developers contributing to its growth. This means slower updates, fewer learning resources, and higher dependency on niche agencies.
WordPress: The largest CMS community in the world, powering 43% of all websites. It’s backed by a global network of developers, agencies, and contributors. Updates are frequent, resources are abundant, and support is easy to find.
Verdict: WordPress ensures long-term sustainability and security, while DNN feels increasingly isolated.
6. Security & Updates
DNN: Security patches and upgrades often require IT teams to intervene, and missing an update can expose sites to vulnerabilities. DNN’s release cycles are slower compared to modern CMS platforms.
WordPress: Constantly updated, with a huge ecosystem of security plugins (Wordfence, iThemes Security, etc.). Hosting providers also offer managed WordPress services that handle updates automatically.
Verdict: WordPress provides a stronger security posture if maintained properly.
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Feature
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DNN
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WordPress
|
|---|---|---|
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Ease of Use
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Technical, developer-driven
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Intuitive, non-technical friendly
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Design
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Limited skins/modules
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Thousands of themes & page builders
|
|
Cost
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Higher (Windows hosting + .NET devs)
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Lower (Linux hosting + global talent pool)
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Integrations
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Limited, outdated
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Vast, future-proof
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|
Community
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Shrinking, niche
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Largest CMS community worldwide
|
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Security/Updates
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Manual, slow release cycles
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Frequent, automated options available
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The Bottom Line
If your organization is still running on DNN, you’re essentially maintaining a legacy system. While it can “do the job,” it often comes with higher costs, slower updates, and fewer options for growth.
WordPress, on the other hand, is modern, cost-effective, and constantly evolving. Migrating from DNN to WordPress isn’t just a technical upgrade — it’s a strategic move that positions your organization for the future of digital.
Why WordPress for Your Business
Migrating away from a legacy CMS like DNN isn’t just about escaping limitations — it’s about choosing a platform that actively drives business growth. WordPress has become the global standard for websites of every size, from startups to Fortune 500 companies, because it offers a unique balance of ease, flexibility, and long-term ROI.
Here’s why businesses that move from DNN to WordPress often see immediate and measurable benefits:
1. Lower Development & Maintenance Costs
The DNN problem: Maintaining a DNN website often requires expensive .NET specialists. Even simple updates can mean paying hourly developer rates that quickly add up.
The WordPress advantage: With WordPress, you can rely on a global talent pool of developers, designers, and agencies. Because the ecosystem is so widespread, rates are lower, and you’re never locked into one vendor. Many routine updates (like adding pages or editing menus) can be handled by non-technical staff.
💡 Example: A mid-sized non-profit we worked with cut its annual website maintenance budget by over 40% after migrating from DNN to WordPress, simply because they no longer needed a dedicated .NET agency on retainer
2. Faster Content Publishing
The DNN problem: Content managers often find themselves waiting on IT teams to push updates, slowing down marketing campaigns and product launches.
The WordPress advantage: WordPress empowers your team to publish instantly. With its block-based editor, anyone can create blog posts, landing pages, or campaign microsites in minutes — no coding required.
💡 Example: A SaaS company reported that what once took 3–5 days of back-and-forth with developers on DNN could be executed in-house in less than an hour on WordPress.
3. Built-in SEO Advantage
The DNN problem: While DNN sites can be optimized, the process often requires custom modules or coding work, and support for modern SEO practices is limited.
The WordPress advantage: WordPress is built with SEO in mind. Plugins like Yoast SEO, RankMath, or All in One SEO Pack make it simple to add metadata, schema, and sitemaps. Combined with faster page speeds and responsive design, WordPress websites often see an immediate SEO lift post-migration.
💡 Example: Several businesses migrating from DNN to WordPress report higher organic traffic within the first 3–6 months, as Google favors mobile-friendly, fast-loading WordPress sites.
4. Endless Flexibility & Growth Potential
The DNN problem: Adding new features (like e-commerce, membership portals, or CRM integrations) usually requires costly, custom development.
The WordPress advantage: With 60,000+ plugins, WordPress can grow as your business grows. Need an e-commerce store? Install WooCommerce. Want a members-only portal? Add MemberPress. Looking for advanced forms and automations? Gravity Forms and Zapier integrations are just a click away.
💡 Example: A professional services firm migrating from DNN added an online appointment booking system in WordPress using a plugin that cost less than $100/year — something that would have taken weeks of custom coding on DNN.
5. Stronger Digital Marketing Stack
The DNN problem: Connecting modern marketing tools like HubSpot, Salesforce, Mailchimp, or GA4 with DNN is difficult and often unreliable.
The WordPress advantage: WordPress integrates seamlessly with virtually every major marketing and analytics tool. From tracking conversions to running retargeting ads, your marketing team gets the freedom to execute without technical roadblocks.
💡 Example: A B2B company migrating from DNN to WordPress was able to integrate HubSpot and GA4 in a single day, enabling real-time campaign tracking and lead nurturing — something that was impossible on their DNN setup.
6. Future-Proof Platform
The DNN problem: The DNN community has shrunk over the years, meaning slower updates and fewer developers contributing to its ecosystem. This raises concerns about long-term sustainability.
The WordPress advantage: WordPress powers over 43% of the internet and continues to grow. With regular updates, a massive global community, and backing from major hosting providers, it’s the safest long-term bet for your digital presence.
Bottom Line
Migrating to WordPress isn’t just a technical decision — it’s a business decision. It reduces costs, accelerates your marketing, improves SEO, and ensures your organization isn’t stuck maintaining legacy software. For businesses tired of the high-maintenance nature of DNN, WordPress offers a more sustainable, flexible, and future-ready solution.
Migration Checklist: Preparing to Move from DNN to WordPress
Before starting any migration, preparation is critical. A DNN site often contains years of content, custom modules, and integrations that your business relies on. Skipping the preparation stage can lead to broken functionality, lost data, or SEO drops after launch.
Here’s a comprehensive checklist to ensure your move from DNN to WordPress starts on the right track:
1. Audit Your Current DNN Website
Content Inventory: List out all pages, blog posts, documents, and media assets.
Custom Modules: Identify features like forums, forms, or membership areas that will need to be rebuilt in WordPress.
Integrations: Note any CRMs, analytics tools, or third-party services connected to your site.
SEO Audit: Record existing URL structures, meta titles, descriptions, and schema data to preserve rankings.
💡 Tip: Tools like Screaming Frog or Sitebulb can help create a full crawl of your DNN site for reference.
2. Define Your Migration Goals
Ask yourself:
Do you want a like-for-like migration (replicating everything as is)?
Or is this the right time to redesign and improve your site’s UX, structure, or content?
Clear goals will guide whether the migration is purely technical or also strategic.
3. Choose the Right WordPress Setup
Hosting: Decide between shared hosting, cloud hosting, or managed WordPress hosting.
Theme or Custom Build: Choose whether to start with a pre-built theme or develop a custom design tailored to your brand.
Plugins: Identify essential plugins you’ll need (SEO, security, forms, etc.).
💡 Tip: Migrating is the perfect time to modernize your website architecture instead of just replicating the old one.
4. Plan Content Mapping & Redirects
URL Mapping: Match every DNN URL to its new WordPress equivalent.
301 Redirects: Create a redirect plan to avoid losing SEO traffic.
Navigation Structure: Decide if menus and categories will remain the same or be restructured.
5. Backup Everything
DNN Database & Files: Ensure you have a full backup of your current site.
Staging Environment: Set up a WordPress staging site to test the migration before going live.
6. Prepare for Stakeholder Involvement
Content Owners: Inform internal teams who will need to review migrated content.
IT & Marketing: Coordinate responsibilities between technical staff and business stakeholders.
Testing Team: Assign reviewers for functionality, design, and SEO validation post-migration.
✅ By completing this checklist, you’ll have a clear picture of what’s being migrated, what needs rebuilding, and what improvements can be made. This minimizes surprises during the migration process and ensures a smoother transition to WordPress.
Migration Process: How to Move from DNN to WordPress
Migrating from DNN to WordPress isn’t just about copying content from one system to another. DNN has its own terminology, database structure, and way of managing content (modules, skins, SQL Server backends) that doesn’t directly translate into WordPress. A successful migration addresses these differences head-on.
Here’s a practical breakdown of the process:
1. Exporting Content from DNN
Identify all modules: Blog, Pages, Documents, or Custom Modules.
Export structured content: Use DNN’s export functionality or database queries to extract HTML/text, images, and documents.
Handle custom modules: For features like forums, directories, or member portals, list what needs rebuilding in WordPress equivalents.
“What happens to all our modules?” → Each module is mapped to a WordPress plugin or custom feature.
2. Setting Up WordPress Environment
Choose hosting: Move from Windows hosting (required by DNN) to a modern Linux or managed WordPress host.
Install WordPress: Set up a fresh install with staging (so your existing DNN site stays live until launch).
Configure the foundation: Install a lightweight theme (or start with a builder like Elementor) and core plugins (SEO, security, backups).
“Will we face downtime?” → Migration happens in a staging environment, ensuring zero disruption to your live DNN site.
3. Rebuilding Site Structure & Design
From skins to themes: DNN skins are replaced with modern WordPress themes or fully custom designs.
Navigation & menus: Recreate site navigation with WordPress menus for better UX and mobile responsiveness.
Responsive redesign: Since many older DNN sites were built pre-mobile era, this is the chance to modernize layouts.
“Will our brand identity carry over?” → Yes, with more flexibility. You can replicate your current look or redesign for modern standards.
4. Migrating Content & Media
Pages & posts: Import all static pages, blog posts, and categories.
Media library: Move documents, PDFs, and images into WordPress’ media manager.
Permissions & roles: Map DNN user roles (e.g., host, admin, registered user) into WordPress equivalents with plugins like User Role Editor.
“Do we lose our user accounts and permissions?” → Users can be migrated and roles remapped into WordPress.
5. Preserving SEO & URLs
URL mapping: Match each DNN URL to a new WordPress slug.
301 redirects: Configure redirects to avoid broken links.
Metadata & schema: Transfer meta titles, descriptions, and schema markup.
Sitemaps: Generate a new XML sitemap in WordPress and submit to Google Search Console.
“Will our rankings drop?” → With proper redirects and metadata migration, SEO is preserved.
6. Testing & QA
Cross-browser testing: Ensure layouts work across modern browsers (Chrome, Safari, Edge).
Mobile optimization: Confirm mobile responsiveness, since many DNN sites were not mobile-first.
Functional testing: Validate forms, search, membership logins, and any custom integrations.
Performance testing: Use tools like GTmetrix or PageSpeed Insights to benchmark and optimize.
“What if something breaks?” → A full QA cycle on staging ensures issues are fixed before launch.
7. Launch & Post-Go-Live Support
Switch domains: Point your live domain from the DNN server to the new WordPress host.
Monitor analytics: Verify traffic, conversions, and search indexing.
Training: Provide staff with training to manage WordPress content independently.
Ongoing support: Keep plugins, themes, and WordPress core updated for long-term security.
“Will my team know how to use WordPress?” → WordPress is intuitive, and a short training session is usually all that’s needed.
Thinking About Migrating?
At Dellos, we’ve helped organizations transition from legacy CMSs like DNN to WordPress without downtime, data loss, or SEO disruption. Whether you want a like-for-like migration or a complete redesign, our team ensures a smooth journey.
👉 Book a Free Consultation or try our CMS Migration Calculator to estimate your migration cost today.
Post-Migration Checklist: Ensuring a Smooth Transition
Launching your new WordPress site is a major milestone — but the work doesn’t end the moment you switch off DNN. The post-migration phase is just as important, because it ensures your site is stable, your SEO rankings are preserved, and your team feels confident using the new system.
Here’s a comprehensive checklist to follow after your DNN to WordPress migration:
1. Verify Redirects & URL Mapping
Test all critical pages (home, services, contact, high-traffic blogs) to ensure they point to the correct WordPress URLs.
Use a tool like Screaming Frog to crawl the site and confirm all 301 redirects are in place.
Check for 404 errors and resolve them immediately.
💡 Why this matters for DNN owners: Old module-driven URLs often don’t match WordPress slugs exactly. Without redirects, valuable search traffic can vanish overnight.
2. Recheck SEO Settings
Confirm that meta titles, descriptions, and schema migrated correctly.
Submit the new XML sitemap to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools.
Monitor indexing status in the days following launch.
💡 Why this matters: DNN’s SEO setup is very different from WordPress — a missed step here could impact visibility.
3. Test Analytics & Tracking
Ensure Google Analytics, GA4, or any other tracking codes are firing correctly.
Verify conversions, events, and goals are still recording.
Reintegrate marketing tools (HubSpot, Mailchimp, CRMs) that may have been disconnected during migration.
💡 Why this matters: Without accurate data, you can’t measure the success of your new site.
4. Review Site Performance
Run speed tests with GTmetrix, PageSpeed Insights, or WebPageTest.
Optimize images (plugins like ShortPixel or Smush help here).
Enable caching and, if possible, a CDN for global performance.
💡 Why this matters: Many DNN sites were not optimized for mobile-first performance; moving to WordPress is a chance to improve speed significantly.
5. Harden Security
Install and configure a security plugin (Wordfence, iThemes Security).
Enable automatic WordPress core updates.
Ensure backups are scheduled daily through your host or a plugin like UpdraftPlus.
💡 Why this matters: DNN required manual patches. WordPress can auto-update, but only if configured correctly.
6. Validate Functionality & Integrations
Test forms (contact, lead gen, surveys).
Test search, logins, and user role permissions.
Check integrations with payment gateways, CRMs, or external APIs.
💡 Why this matters: DNN modules don’t directly translate to WordPress plugins — testing ensures nothing was overlooked.
7. Train Your Team
Provide content editors with a walkthrough of the WordPress dashboard.
Explain how to add pages, posts, and media.
Train admins on plugin updates and basic site maintenance.
💡 Why this matters: One of the biggest benefits of moving away from DNN is empowering non-technical staff. Training ensures they take full advantage of it.
8. Monitor SEO & Traffic Trends
Track rankings for key pages for at least 3–6 months post-migration.
Watch for traffic drops and fix issues quickly (usually related to redirects or metadata).
Use Google Search Console to catch crawl errors early.
✅ Completing this checklist ensures your DNN to WordPress migration isn’t just technically successful, but strategically impactful. You’ll protect your SEO, improve performance, and give your team the confidence to manage the site moving forward.
Frequently asked questions
No — they’re different.
WordPress.org is the open-source software that you can host anywhere, giving you full control, flexibility, and ownership of your site.
WordPress.com is a hosted service with restrictions (limited plugins, customization, and higher costs for scaling).
💡 For DNN migrations, WordPress.org (self-hosted) is always the recommended choice. It gives you the freedom to rebuild all your features and grow without limits.
The cost depends on the size and complexity of your DNN site:
Simple sites (under 30 pages, basic modules) → typically $1,000–$2,500
Medium sites (50–200 pages, blog, forms, document library) → typically $2,500–$5,000
Enterprise sites (large portals, custom modules, membership systems) → pricing is custom, usually $5,000+
💡 At Dellos, we also offer a CMS Migration Calculator so you can get an instant estimate before booking a consultation.
Not if the migration is done properly. We preserve URL structures, set up 301 redirects, migrate metadata, and resubmit sitemaps. Many businesses actually see improved SEO performance post-migration because WordPress sites are faster, mobile-friendly, and easier to optimize.
DNN modules (e.g., forums, directories, event calendars) don’t transfer directly. During migration, each module is mapped to a WordPress plugin or rebuilt with equivalent functionality. In most cases, WordPress offers a better, more modern replacement at a lower cost.
Small to medium sites: usually 2–4 weeks
Large/enterprise sites: 6–8 weeks depending on complexity
Timelines include content migration, design, redirects, SEO validation, and testing before launch.
No. Your DNN site remains live while we build your WordPress version in a staging environment. Only at launch do we switch the domain — usually with less than an hour of downtime.
No. WordPress runs best on Linux or managed WordPress hosting. Migrating away from DNN means you can eliminate Windows server costs and move to faster, more affordable hosting.
Not at all. WordPress is designed for non-technical users. After a short training session, your team will be able to add pages, update content, upload media, and even optimize for SEO — without calling IT every time.
Yes. With regular updates, quality plugins, and security tools like Wordfence, WordPress can be more secure than legacy DNN installations that often go unpatched. Many governments, universities, and Fortune 500 companies run WordPress securely.
At Dellos, we don’t just hand over the site and walk away. We provide:
Post-launch monitoring for SEO and traffic.
Ongoing maintenance plans (updates, backups, security checks).
Dedicated support channels for quick fixes and training.
Contact us
Ready to move from DNN (DotNetNuke) to WordPress?
Drop us a line to get started. You can also book a discovery call with a migration expert from Dellos.