The invisible foundation
What a web framework does for your website
Every website is built on a framework — a set of tools, patterns, and conventions that determine how the site is constructed and delivered to visitors.
Think of it this way: if your website were a building, the design is the architecture — the floor plan, the finishes, the aesthetic. The framework is the structural engineering — the foundation, the load-bearing walls, the electrical and plumbing systems. You can see the architecture. You can't see the engineering. But the engineering determines whether the building stands up, whether it can be expanded, and what it costs to maintain.
When you build on HubSpot CMS, the framework is HubSpot's proprietary system — HubL templates, their rendering engine, their hosting infrastructure. When you build on WordPress, the framework is PHP with WordPress's theme and plugin system. When you build on a modern framework like Next.js or Astro, you're using open-source tools that run on standard web technologies and can be deployed to any hosting provider in the world.
The framework choice ripples through everything: speed, cost, flexibility, talent availability, AI capability, and long-term ownership. And once you've built on a framework, switching is expensive — which is exactly why making the right choice up front matters.
Why it matters
Six business outcomes your framework influences
These aren't technical vanity metrics. Each one translates directly to revenue, cost, or competitive advantage.
Page speed
which directly affects revenue
Page speed affects bounce rate, conversion rate, and search visibility. Modern frameworks give teams more control over rendering strategy, JavaScript delivery, and performance tuning than most legacy platforms. The outcome still depends on implementation quality, but the ceiling is usually much higher.
SEO performance
your ranking ceiling
Google uses page speed and Core Web Vitals as ranking signals. Modern frameworks give you precise control over HTML structure, meta tags, rendering strategy, and URL routing. On a traditional CMS, you're limited to whatever SEO capabilities the platform exposes.
Hosting costs
what you pay every month
Modern frameworks are typically cheaper to host than enterprise SaaS CMS platforms because hosting is separated from the website platform itself. Instead of paying for a bundled software contract, teams usually pay for infrastructure and usage. The exact difference depends on traffic, support needs, integrations, and how much of the stack is managed for you.
Developer talent
who can work on your site
JavaScript/TypeScript is the #1 language in the world. The talent pool is enormous. HubL (HubSpot's proprietary language) is used exclusively within HubSpot — a small, expensive niche. When it's time to hire, an open-framework site can be maintained by any competent web developer.
AI integration
native or bolt-on
Modern frameworks are built on JS/TS — the same language powering every major AI API. Integrating AI is native to the ecosystem. On HubSpot, AI means using whatever HubSpot ships (Breeze). On WordPress, it means plugins with complexity, security risk, and performance overhead.
Ownership
who controls your future
A site built on an open framework gives you more control over code, hosting, and implementation decisions. That doesn't eliminate all dependencies, but it does reduce reliance on one vendor's template language, pricing model, and roadmap. If your needs change later, you have more options.
The options
What your options actually look like
The modern web framework landscape has matured significantly. These aren't experimental tools — they power millions of production websites, including sites for Nike, Hulu, TikTok, The Washington Post, and thousands of mid-market companies.
Next.js by Vercel
Best for dynamic sites & appsBest for: Marketing sites that need dynamic features — personalization, authenticated sections, e-commerce, complex interactivity — alongside content pages.
Why marketers should care: Handles both the marketing site and the application layer in one codebase. Blog, resource center, customer portal, and interactive tools — all in one. The ecosystem is the largest of any modern framework.
In production at: Hulu, TikTok, Notion, Twitch, Nike, Target, The Washington Post
Astro
Best for content-first sitesBest for: Marketing sites, blogs, documentation, and any site where performance and content are the top priorities.
Why marketers should care: Ships zero JavaScript to the browser by default — only adding interactivity where explicitly needed. Near-instant load times and perfect Lighthouse scores out of the box. Framework-agnostic — use React, Vue, Svelte, or plain HTML within Astro.
In production at: Porsche, NordVPN, The Guardian, Google Firebase, Netlify
Remix by Shopify
Best for e-commerceBest for: E-commerce sites (Shopify ecosystem), applications with complex forms, multi-step workflows, or progressive enhancement requirements.
Why marketers should care: Progressive enhancement means your site works even on slow connections or with JavaScript disabled. If your marketing site is tightly connected to a Shopify storefront, Remix is the natural choice.
In production at: Shopify Storefront, NASA, Cloudflare
SvelteKit
Best developer experienceBest for: Teams that prioritize the smallest possible JavaScript bundle and the most intuitive developer experience.
Why marketers should care: A compiler that turns components into minimal, highly optimized JavaScript at build time. Exceptionally small, fast websites. The trade-off: a smaller ecosystem — fewer pre-built components and a smaller (though growing) talent pool.
In production at: Apple (parts of apple.com), The New York Times, IKEA, Spotify (internal)
How to choose
For most mid-market marketing sites, the decision comes down to two: Next.js if your site needs dynamic features beyond content — personalization, authenticated areas, API integrations, or e-commerce. Astro if your site is primarily content-driven and performance is the top priority. Remix and SvelteKit are excellent frameworks with strong use cases, but Next.js and Astro cover approximately 80% of what marketing teams need.
The comparison
Modern frameworks vs. legacy platforms — honestly
This isn't about trashing legacy platforms. It's about understanding the trade-offs clearly so you can make an informed decision.
| HubSpot CMS | WordPress | Next.js / Astro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Bundled SaaS pricing tied to edition, bundle scope, and contract structure | Lower software cost with more variation from hosting, plugins, and support | Spend shifts toward build, hosting, and support you can choose |
| Primary cost drivers | Platform tier, add-ons, and bundled capabilities | Hosting quality, plugin stack, maintenance, and security work | Implementation scope, infrastructure usage, and ongoing support |
| Performance control | Some optimization options, but within platform constraints | Flexible, but heavily dependent on theme, plugin, and hosting quality | Highest control over rendering, JavaScript, caching, and page architecture |
| Developer hiring flexibility | Smaller pool because the platform is more specialized | Large pool, but quality varies widely across implementations | Broad modern web talent pool across JavaScript and TypeScript |
| AI workflow flexibility | Useful built-in and partner features, but shaped by the platform | Possible through plugins and integrations, with more variability | Usually the easiest environment for deeper, reviewable AI workflows |
| Content portability | Lower portability because content and templates are more tightly coupled | Moderate portability, with trade-offs depending on the implementation | Highest portability when content and frontend are intentionally decoupled |
| Customization ceiling | Good within the product boundaries, limited outside them | Very flexible, but complexity can accumulate quickly | Highest ceiling when performance, interactivity, and architecture all matter |
| Maintenance responsibility | Lower day-to-day platform maintenance, more vendor dependence | Higher upkeep across updates, plugins, and security | More engineering ownership, but fewer legacy constraints |
The honest caveat on WordPress
WordPress itself is open source and deeply flexible. The problems arise from the ecosystem: plugin sprawl, security vulnerabilities, performance degradation. For simple sites with small budgets, it still works. For mid-market companies investing in their digital presence, the framework's age shows.
The honest caveat on HubSpot
HubSpot CMS is genuinely easy to use out of the box. If your company is small, uses HubSpot for everything, and doesn't need AI-native features or top-tier performance, it might still make sense. The problems emerge at scale — when costs compound and capabilities hit ceilings.
The business case
Your framework is a business decision, not a technology decision
The framework conversation often gets framed as a technical choice. But for marketing leaders, the framework choice is fundamentally a business decision about three things:
The real cost question is not just "what do we pay this year?" It's "what are we locked into over time?" SaaS platforms concentrate spend into recurring platform fees. Open frameworks shift more of the investment toward implementation, hosting, and support you can choose and renegotiate.
When your framework is open and your content is portable, you can move fast. Redesign without migrating content. Add AI features without asking permission. Change hosting providers if a better option appears. Your locked-in competitors will always move slower.
Framework choice affects long-term risk because it determines how dependent you are on one vendor's product decisions. The more proprietary the platform, the fewer exit options you have if pricing changes, features stagnate, or your needs evolve. Open frameworks don't remove risk, but they usually give you more leverage when conditions change.
This is why the framework decision belongs in the C-suite, not just the dev team. It's a decision about how much you pay, how fast you can move, and how much risk you're carrying.
Getting started
You don't have to do everything at once
If you're on HubSpot CMS or WordPress today, the idea of moving to a modern framework can feel overwhelming. It doesn't have to be.
Start with the assessment
Understand what you have — how many pages, how much content, how many integrations, what your current costs are. This is the baseline.
Understand the content migration
Moving content from a legacy CMS to a headless CMS is a well-understood process. Blog posts, landing pages, metadata, images, redirects — all of it can be migrated methodically. SEO rankings can be preserved with proper redirect mapping.
Build the new site alongside the old one
The modern site can be built and tested while the legacy site continues to run. You switch over when the new site is ready — not before.
Plan for the learning curve
Your marketing team will need a few weeks to get comfortable with the new CMS and workflow. Budget for that. The teams we've migrated consistently report the adjustment period is shorter than expected — and the new system is faster once they're past it.
Measure the results
Track page speed, SEO rankings, time-to-publish, and hosting costs before and after. The improvements are measurable and typically dramatic.