Why I Migrated My Blog From WordPress to TanStack Start

I recently moved my blog from WordPress to TanStack Start. I originally planned to use Next.js, but after comparing the options in practice, TanStack Start felt like the better fit for me.

The main reason was simple: saving money.

Why I moved away from WordPress

WordPress is a mature and powerful blogging platform. It has countless plugins, themes, and ready-made solutions for almost anything you can imagine. But that strength was also where my problems started.

• Many features depend on plugins
• Multilingual publishing usually needs plugins
• Database storage adds operational weight
• Backups and restores can become complicated
• Security depends heavily on maintenance habits

For my use case, WordPress had become too expensive to keep running.

I used to rent an overseas VPS, which cost at least 5 USD per month and sometimes 10 to 15 USD. Converted into RMB, that was an extra 70 to 80 yuan every month. Since I wanted to reduce ongoing expenses, I no longer wanted my blog to carry that long-term cost.

Security was another headache.

My WordPress site had been hacked more than once. Each incident was hard to diagnose quickly. I also have to admit that I was not always disciplined with backups, so when backup files went missing, I had to accept the reality of lost data.

In the end, WordPress was not bad. It simply no longer matched how I wanted to run this blog.

Why TanStack Start and Cloudflare Workers

I finally chose TanStack Start and deployed the whole site to Cloudflare Workers.

The new blog setup is simple:

• Articles are managed as Markdown files
• The site is statically built
• Deployment goes directly to Cloudflare Workers

The benefits are obvious:

• Almost zero hosting cost because I no longer need a VPS
• No database, which removes a major source of security risk
• No plugin dependency, so the structure is clearer
• Backups are just the content files themselves

This saves me at least 80 RMB per month. Over time, that becomes a meaningful amount.

The core idea behind the migration was to move from "feature first" to "stable and cost controlled."

Is WordPress really a bad choice?

Of course not.

Objectively, WordPress still has clear advantages:

• A huge plugin ecosystem
• A wide range of themes
• Strong customization options

Looking back, my issue was probably that I installed too many plugins, not that WordPress itself was flawed. If you have the time to maintain it, the budget to support it, and enough security experience, WordPress is still an excellent choice.

For me, though, I now want a blog that is quiet, low-maintenance, and able to run for a long time.

Does blogging still matter?

I do not know what blogging systems people are using now.

Honestly, we are already in an age where AI writes code and generates content. In theory, you can write a few HTML files yourself, pair them with a simple content workflow, and still build a perfectly usable blog.

But the reality is that fewer people are writing long-form posts.

Most people are getting used to asking AI directly instead of searching for blogs and reading articles. Whether it is text, images, or video, AI is already deeply involved in creation.

I am no exception.

AI is a tool, not a replacement for thinking

I also use AI to help with writing and editing, but I still believe one thing:

Relying completely on AI without your own thinking is frustrating.

Even scattered thoughts and subjective notes have value when they come from your own experience.

For me, a blog is no longer just a place to publish content. It is a way to leave traces of what I was thinking.

Starting again

I have now moved all of my content to TanStack Start.

A new structure, and a new beginning.

I hope this version of the site can last a little longer.

TanStack Start deployment guide for Cloudflare Workers: https://developers.cloudflare.com/workers/framework-guides/web-apps/tanstack-start/