How to migrate from ModX to WordPress : A Step-by-Step Guide
Struggling with the complexity of MODX? This guide explains why more businesses are moving to WordPress for easier management, lower costs, and better SEO. Learn the key differences, migration steps, and post-launch best practices — plus answers to the most common questions MODX site owners have.
Updated: Aug 23, 2025
Getting started
Introdution
MODX is often described as a “developer’s CMS.” Launched in the mid-2000s, it offered more flexibility than templated platforms like Joomla or Drupal, allowing developers to build highly customized websites with a mix of PHP, HTML, and MODX’s own template engine. For a time, it was attractive to agencies and developers who wanted complete creative freedom.
But here’s the problem: what made MODX appealing to developers is exactly what makes it challenging for businesses today. MODX sites often require specialized developers who know the platform’s quirks, and even small changes can become complex. The community around MODX has also shrunk considerably, meaning fewer plugins, less documentation, and slower updates compared to mainstream CMS platforms.
Businesses using MODX often find themselves asking:
Why does every small update require a developer?
Why can’t my marketing team make changes directly?
Why are integrations with modern tools (HubSpot, GA4, CRMs) so difficult?
Is my site falling behind in terms of SEO, performance, and mobile readiness?
These pain points have led many organizations to look for alternatives. And for most, the answer is clear: WordPress.
WordPress powers over 43% of the web, from small business sites to enterprise portals. Unlike MODX, it’s built for both developers and non-technical users. It offers a user-friendly dashboard, a massive ecosystem of plugins and themes, and seamless integrations with nearly every modern marketing, e-commerce, and analytics tool.
Migrating from MODX to WordPress doesn’t just make your website easier to manage — it makes your entire digital strategy more agile. Marketing teams can launch campaigns faster, content creators can publish independently, and businesses can scale without being tied down to niche developer expertise.
In this guide, we’ll cover:
A detailed comparison of MODX vs WordPress
Why organizations are leaving MODX behind
A pre-migration checklist to prepare your site
The practical migration process step by step
A post-migration checklist to ensure success
FAQs that address the most common concerns of MODX site owners
If you’re frustrated by the limitations of MODX, this guide will show you why WordPress is the smarter long-term solution — and how to migrate smoothly without losing content, functionality, or SEO rankings.
MODX vs WordPress: Which CMS Is Right for You?
At first glance, both MODX and WordPress are open-source CMS platforms that let you build custom websites. But the real-world experience of using them couldn’t be more different.
Where MODX was designed with developers in mind, WordPress has evolved to balance the needs of both technical teams and non-technical business users. This difference in philosophy is why so many organizations are moving away from MODX.
Let’s break down the comparison:
1. Ease of Use
MODX: Content editors often find MODX unintuitive. Its template variables, chunks, and snippets require technical familiarity. Even small text edits or layout tweaks can confuse non-technical users, making marketing teams dependent on developers.
WordPress: The Gutenberg block editor and visual builders (Elementor, Beaver Builder, Divi) make content creation as simple as drag-and-drop. Marketing teams can publish campaigns, update pages, and add media without waiting on IT.
💡 Verdict: WordPress empowers teams, MODX restricts them.
2. Design & Templates
MODX: Uses a powerful but developer-heavy templating system. While this gives flexibility, it requires coding knowledge to implement even basic design changes. Pre-built themes are scarce.
WordPress: Offers thousands of themes and design frameworks, plus the ability to build from scratch if desired. You can modernize your site’s look in days, not weeks.
💡 Verdict: MODX offers flexibility for coders, WordPress offers flexibility for everyone.
3. Cost of Ownership
MODX: Requires niche developer expertise. Because fewer developers specialize in MODX, hourly rates tend to be higher, and ongoing support costs escalate.
WordPress: Free core software, affordable plugins, and a vast global pool of developers/agencies. Hosting is cheaper, and maintenance is less resource-intensive.
💡 Verdict: WordPress significantly lowers ongoing costs.
4. Plugins & Extensions
MODX: Limited ecosystem. Many extras (plugins/modules) are outdated, unsupported, or require manual configuration.
WordPress: Over 60,000 plugins available for SEO, e-commerce, membership, marketing automation, and more. Most are plug-and-play, and enterprise-grade solutions exist for every need.
💡 Verdict: WordPress is future-proof; MODX often feels abandoned.
5. Community & Support
MODX: Community has dwindled. Fewer updates, fewer tutorials, and limited third-party support. If your developer leaves, finding a replacement can be difficult.
WordPress: The largest CMS community worldwide. Extensive documentation, tutorials, forums, and active developer contribution ensure longevity and stability.
💡 Verdict: WordPress offers long-term sustainability, MODX feels like a niche product.
6. SEO & Performance
MODX: Can deliver fast, lean code — but requires developer input for proper SEO optimization (titles, metadata, schema, sitemaps). Non-technical users struggle to implement best practices.
WordPress: SEO plugins like Yoast or RankMath make optimization simple. Combined with responsive themes and performance plugins, WordPress sites are SEO-ready out of the box.
💡 Verdict: WordPress gives you SEO control without needing a developer on call.
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Feature
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DNN
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WordPress
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|---|---|---|
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Ease of Use
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Complex for non-tech users
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User-friendly dashboard, block editor
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Design
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Developer-only templating
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Thousands of themes & page builders
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Cost of ownership
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Higher (niche developers)
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Lower (massive talent pool)
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Plugins & Add-ons
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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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SEO & Marketing
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Requires dev involvement
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Built-in tools & plugins
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The Bottom Line
MODX still appeals to developers who love raw control — but for most businesses, that control comes at the cost of time, money, and agility. WordPress delivers the same flexibility but with an ecosystem that empowers your entire organization.
For MODX site owners, migrating to WordPress isn’t just about upgrading technology — it’s about finally putting your website back into the hands of your team, where it belongs.
Why WordPress for Your Business
Migrating from MODX isn’t just about leaving an older CMS behind — it’s about moving to a platform that actually supports your team, scales with your business, and integrates with the modern digital tools you rely on. Here’s why WordPress has become the natural choice for organizations moving away from MODX:
1. Empowering Non-Technical Teams
MODX’s complexity makes even basic edits a developer task. WordPress flips that model on its head. With its block editor and visual page builders, your marketing and content teams can publish new campaigns, landing pages, and updates instantly, without relying on technical staff. This gives businesses a speed advantage in competitive markets.
2. Lower Costs with a Global Talent Pool
Finding experienced MODX developers can be challenging — and expensive. WordPress has the largest developer community of any CMS, which not only lowers hourly rates but also ensures you’re never locked into one vendor. Even ongoing maintenance costs are lower, because most tasks can be handled without deep coding knowledge.
3. Seamless Integrations with Modern Tools
MODX owners often struggle when connecting their site to CRMs, marketing automation platforms, or analytics tools. With WordPress, integrations are plug-and-play. Whether you use HubSpot, Salesforce, GA4, Mailchimp, or Zapier, WordPress connects seamlessly, allowing your site to become a central hub for marketing and business operations.
4. Ready-Made Solutions for Growth
On MODX, adding new features like e-commerce or membership systems often means custom coding. WordPress has mature, affordable plugins that can do the same job with far less effort. WooCommerce enables online stores, MemberPress handles memberships, and LMS plugins power e-learning — all at a fraction of the cost of custom development.
5. A Strong SEO Foundation
SEO is another area where MODX puts owners at a disadvantage. Titles, schema, redirects, and sitemaps often require developer input. In WordPress, SEO plugins simplify everything. Marketing teams can optimize content, add structured data, and improve rankings without touching a line of code. For businesses depending on organic traffic, this is a game-changer.
6. Future-Proof Platform with Ongoing Innovation
One of the biggest risks for MODX owners is its shrinking community. WordPress, by contrast, powers over 43% of the internet and is actively evolving. New features, plugins, and design innovations appear constantly, supported by the largest ecosystem of developers and businesses in the CMS space.
WordPress isn’t just a CMS — it’s a business growth platform. For MODX site owners tired of developer bottlenecks, limited integrations, and high costs, migrating to WordPress is the opportunity to modernize operations and regain control of your digital strategy.
Migration Checklist: Preparing to Move from MODX to WordPress
A smooth migration begins with preparation. MODX sites are often highly customized, with template variables, snippets, and extras that don’t always have a one-to-one equivalent in WordPress. Before you start, make sure you’ve covered these essentials:
1. Audit Your Existing MODX Site
Content inventory: List every page, blog post, and resource. MODX stores content in “resources,” so confirm what needs to move.
Template variables (TVs): Identify custom fields used in templates. These will need to be mapped into WordPress custom fields or Advanced Custom Fields (ACF).
Extras & snippets: Note which MODX extras (plugins) and snippets your site depends on. Many will need WordPress plugin equivalents.
User roles: Document your current users and permissions.
2. Record Your SEO Baseline
Export all URLs from your MODX site.
Capture meta titles, descriptions, and schema markup if present.
Note your current sitemap and check which pages bring the most organic traffic.
💡 This ensures SEO continuity during the migration.
3. Define Migration Goals
Decide whether you want a like-for-like migration (replicating the current site exactly) or if this is the right time to modernize the design, navigation, and functionality. Most MODX owners use migration as an opportunity to clean up outdated layouts and simplify content structures.
4. Choose WordPress Infrastructure
Select hosting (managed WordPress hosting is recommended for speed and security).
Decide on a theme framework or page builder.
List essential plugins for SEO, backups, security, and forms.
5. Plan Content Mapping & Redirects
Map MODX “resources” to WordPress posts, pages, or custom post types.
Create a redirect plan for any URL changes. MODX URLs often differ from WordPress slugs, so 301 redirects are essential to prevent SEO losses.
6. Backup Everything
Create a complete MODX database and file backup.
Store template files, images, and documents in a safe location.
Set up a WordPress staging site where the migration will be tested.
7. Involve Stakeholders
Let your marketing and content teams know when they can expect to review the new WordPress site.
Assign responsibilities for testing functionality, content accuracy, and design consistency once the migration is complete.
Completing this checklist ensures you’re not just moving your MODX site to WordPress — you’re setting yourself up for a cleaner, faster, and more manageable website from day one.
Migration Process: How to Move from MODX to WordPress
Migrating from MODX to WordPress isn’t a copy-paste job. MODX has its own way of handling content (resources, TVs, snippets, and extras) that needs to be carefully translated into the WordPress framework (posts, pages, custom fields, plugins). Here’s how the process typically unfolds:
1. Export Content from MODX
Resources: MODX stores all content in “resources” (pages, blog posts, etc.). These need to be exported and mapped to WordPress posts and pages.
Template Variables (TVs): Identify any custom fields attached to resources. These can be recreated in WordPress using Custom Fields or ACF.
Chunks & Snippets: Review reusable pieces of code or logic. Most can be replaced with WordPress shortcodes, widgets, or plugins.
💡 MODX owner concern addressed: “Will my custom fields and template data be lost?” → No. TVs can be mapped directly into WordPress custom fields.
2. Set Up a WordPress Environment
Hosting: Shift from generic PHP hosting to a managed WordPress host for speed, backups, and security.
Install WordPress: Create a staging environment to safely build the new site.
Foundation Setup: Add a clean theme (or framework like GeneratePress, Astra, or Elementor) and install essential plugins (SEO, caching, forms, backups).
💡 Concern: “Will my site go down?” → Migration happens on staging; the live MODX site stays up until the WordPress version is ready.
3. Recreate Site Structure & Design
From MODX templates to WordPress themes: Convert your MODX templates into WordPress themes or replicate layouts using page builders.
Navigation: Rebuild menus and categories to reflect the original structure (or improve it if restructuring is needed).
Responsive redesign: Many MODX sites were built before mobile-first design — WordPress makes it easy to modernize layouts.
💡 Concern: “Will my site look different?” → You can keep the same design or use migration as an opportunity for a full refresh.
4. Import Content & Media
Pages & posts: Import all MODX resources into their WordPress equivalents.
Media: Move images, PDFs, and documents into the WordPress Media Library.
Users & permissions: Map MODX user roles (e.g., Administrator, Manager) to WordPress roles (Administrator, Editor, Author, etc.).
💡 Concern: “What about my user accounts?” → They can be migrated and assigned WordPress-compatible roles.
5. Replace MODX Extras with WordPress Plugins
Forms: Replace MODX form extras with plugins like Gravity Forms or WPForms.
SEO modules: Switch to Yoast SEO or RankMath.
E-commerce: If running MODX Commerce, migrate to WooCommerce.
Other extras: Identify MODX extras used for calendars, galleries, or memberships, and map them to WordPress plugins.
💡 Concern: “Will I lose functionality?” → No, most MODX extras have equivalent or more advanced WordPress plugins.
6. Preserve SEO & Redirects
URL mapping: Ensure MODX URLs are matched to WordPress slugs.
301 redirects: Configure redirects for any changed URLs.
Metadata: Transfer all titles, descriptions, and schema markup.
Sitemaps: Generate a fresh sitemap in WordPress and submit it to Google Search Console.
💡 Concern: “Will my SEO rankings drop?” → With proper redirects and metadata migration, rankings are preserved.
7. Testing & Quality Assurance
Cross-browser & device testing: Check responsiveness and layout consistency.
Functionality testing: Validate forms, search, user logins, and custom features.
Performance testing: Run PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix to fine-tune site speed.
💡 Concern: “What if something breaks?” → All testing happens on staging before the site goes live.
8. Launch the New WordPress Site
Switch your domain from the MODX server to the WordPress server.
Monitor analytics and SEO closely during the first weeks.
Train your team to manage WordPress independently.
💡 Concern: “Will my team know how to use WordPress?” → Yes. Most content teams learn the basics in a single training session.
Thinking About Migrating?
At Dellos, we’ve helped businesses move from legacy platforms like MODX to WordPress with zero downtime and no SEO disruption. Whether you want an exact replica of your site or a complete redesign, we ensure a smooth, future-proof migration.
👉 Book a Free Consultation or use our CMS Migration Calculator to estimate your MODX migration cost today.
Post-Migration Checklist: What to Do After Moving from MODX to WordPress
Once your WordPress site is live, the migration isn’t finished. The post-launch phase ensures your new site is stable, secure, and delivering on the goals that motivated you to leave MODX in the first place.
1. Verify Redirects & URL Mapping
Test critical URLs (homepage, services, contact, top blog posts) to ensure they redirect correctly.
Use a crawler like Screaming Frog to confirm all MODX URLs are pointing to their WordPress equivalents.
Check for and fix 404 errors immediately.
💡 MODX sites often used custom-friendly URLs or resource IDs that may not match WordPress slugs. Redirects protect both SEO and user experience.
2. Recheck SEO Settings
Confirm meta titles and descriptions carried over.
Ensure your schema markup is working properly.
Submit your new XML sitemap in Google Search Console.
Monitor indexing status and keyword rankings for the first 4–6 weeks.
💡 A missed redirect or meta tag can cause ranking drops, so this step is critical.
3. Validate Analytics & Tracking
Test that GA4, Google Tag Manager, or other analytics codes are firing correctly.
Confirm conversions, form submissions, and event tracking.
Reconnect marketing tools (HubSpot, Salesforce, Mailchimp) to ensure leads and data flow properly.
💡 MODX integrations are often custom — this is the time to verify WordPress replacements are tracking as expected.
4. Review Site Performance
Run PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix to test load times.
Optimize large images migrated from MODX.
Set up caching (via plugins like WP Rocket or W3 Total Cache).
Add a CDN if you expect global traffic.
💡 WordPress often outperforms MODX, but optimization ensures you fully realize the speed benefits.
5. Secure Your WordPress Site
Install and configure a security plugin (Wordfence, iThemes Security).
Schedule automatic backups.
Restrict admin access to only necessary users.
Enable two-factor authentication for administrators.
💡 MODX required manual security patches; WordPress can auto-update — but only if configured correctly.
6. Test Functionality Thoroughly
Test all forms and email notifications.
Check login flows if you have members or users.
Verify search, filters, and other custom functionality.
Review media files (PDFs, downloads) for broken links.
💡 Some MODX extras don’t map 1:1 to WordPress plugins — testing ensures nothing slipped through.
7. Train Your Team
Give content editors a WordPress walkthrough: how to add/edit pages, blog posts, and media.
Show administrators how to update plugins, approve comments, and run backups.
Provide a simple maintenance SOP to reduce reliance on external developers.
💡 One of the biggest wins post-MODX is independence. Training ensures your team doesn’t fall back into old bottlenecks.
8. Monitor SEO & Traffic Trends
Track organic traffic in Google Analytics.
Monitor keyword rankings weekly for the first 2–3 months.
Watch Google Search Console for crawl errors or warnings.
💡 If traffic dips, it’s usually a redirect or metadata issue that can be fixed quickly.
Completing this checklist ensures your MODX to WordPress migration delivers lasting value: preserved SEO, better site performance, and empowered teams who can manage content without constant developer support.
Frequently asked questions
Not exactly. MODX templates don’t transfer directly, but their layouts can be recreated in WordPress themes or page builders. This is also an opportunity to modernize your design and make it mobile-first.
Template Variables (TVs) are equivalent to custom fields in WordPress. They can be recreated using WordPress’ native Custom Fields or the Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) plugin, ensuring none of your custom data is lost.
No, MODX extras don’t have direct compatibility with WordPress. However, most functions — like forms, galleries, memberships, or e-commerce — have stronger, easier-to-use WordPress plugin alternatives.
Small sites (under 30 pages): 2–3 weeks
Medium sites (30–200 pages, blog, forms): 3–5 weeks
Large/enterprise sites (hundreds of pages, memberships, custom extras): 6–8 weeks or more
Costs depend on size and complexity:
Simple sites: $1,000–$2,500
Medium sites: $2,500–$5,000
Enterprise sites: $5,000+ (custom pricing)
💡 At Dellos, we also provide a CMS Migration Calculator so you can get a tailored estimate instantly.
Not if done properly. By mapping URLs, setting up 301 redirects, and migrating metadata, your rankings will be preserved. Many businesses actually see SEO improvements post-migration thanks to faster site speed and better mobile readiness.
User accounts and permissions can be migrated. MODX user roles (Administrator, Manager, etc.) can be mapped to WordPress roles like Administrator, Editor, Author, or Subscriber.
No. MODX runs on PHP/MySQL but usually needs a custom setup. WordPress works best on modern Linux or managed WordPress hosting — which is faster, more secure, and often cheaper.
Yes. WordPress powers 43% of the web, including enterprise and government sites. With security plugins, regular updates, and managed hosting, WordPress can be even more secure than an under-maintained MODX site.
Very little. WordPress is designed for non-technical users. After a short training session, your team will be able to add and edit content, upload media, and run updates independently.
Yes. Some businesses start by moving their blog or marketing pages first, then gradually transition the full site. This phased approach can work well for larger enterprises.
No. The migration happens in a staging environment. Your MODX site stays live until the WordPress site is fully ready. Switching the domain typically takes less than an hour.
Contact us
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