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**Technical debt** – a term that can often be heard in IT departments, but in management can provide questioning views. Similar to financial debt, technical debt can also be...

Estimate the budget for your CMS migration – by source system, content volume and design approach, including SEO migration and multilingualism.
In brief
The investment frame for a CMS migration is EUR 8,330 – 90,636 excl. VAT. Source system, page volume and design move the project inside that band.
The upfront cost can be spread over 72 months. Terms are on the software financing page.
Related: CMS development.
The calculation follows six visible stages. All figures remain planning values until scope and assumptions have been reviewed.
1. Capture inputs
The calculator records the visible project, volume, complexity and operating parameters selected on this page.
2. Add fixed components
Fixed base modules and selected add-ons are added without mixing them with recurring charges.
3. Apply multipliers
Quantity, complexity and scope factors multiply only the cost components identified for them in the calculator model.
4. Create the range
The calculator applies its documented lower and upper uncertainty factors to the base result; ROI views keep investment and savings visible separately.
5. Round and calibrate
Monetary result fields are rounded to the nearest whole euro. Public project-cost components are calibrated with the centrally maintained display factor.
6. Classify the result
The result is shown as non-binding guidance. A binding quote requires scope, data, integrations, risks and acceptance criteria to be reviewed.
Efficiency or discount factor: A central display factor of 0.7 is applied to public project-cost components to keep all calculators aligned with the currently reviewed pricing basis. It is not a customer-specific discount; customer-entered wages, revenues and existing operating costs are not reduced.
Why this is not a binding quote: The calculator cannot verify complete requirements, third-party dependencies, data quality, legal constraints or acceptance criteria.
Concrete project profiles with assumptions and indicative budgets—useful for internal alignment alongside the calculator.
FAQ
According to the CMS migration cost calculator, the non-binding project range is EUR 8,330 – 90,636 excl.
VAT. A WordPress migration with a manageable page count and retained design sits at the lower end. TYPO3 or proprietary systems, many pages and a new design increase the effort.
The calculator narrows the range by source CMS, content volume and design approach.
For WordPress or TYPO3, proven export tools and documented data structures exist.
Proprietary or heavily customised systems (+50%) require individual export scripts, data cleansing and often reverse engineering of the content structure – an upfront content audit creates planning certainty here.
A 1:1 design takeover is cheapest but preserves old weaknesses.
A refresh (+40%) modernises typography, colours and mobile presentation on the existing structure. A full redesign (+100%) pays off when the relaunch is meant to improve positioning and user journeys anyway.

Discuss your CMS migration
We review your current CMS, content inventory and plugins and recommend the safest migration path.
The SEO migration package (EUR 3,850 excl.
VAT via the calculator) covers URL mapping with 301 redirects, carrying over titles and metadata, structured data and a crawl comparison before and after go-live. Without this package, larger sites regularly lose rankings that have to be rebuilt laboriously.
Forms, newsletter connections and third-party systems (EUR 3,150 excl.
VAT via the calculator) are rebuilt in the target system or connected via interfaces – they rarely transfer 1:1. A plugin inventory at project start shows which functions are really needed; the list often shrinks considerably.
Multilingual websites (EUR 4,550 excl.
VAT via the calculator) need clean language structures, hreflang links and the migration of all language versions. The effort depends on how consistently translations were maintained in the old system – a frequently underestimated item.
| Model | When it fits | Budget & flexibility | Typical risks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed price (fixed scope) | Clearly defined scope, stable requirements, repeatable delivery. | Predictable total cost; little room for change without a change order. | Scope creep leads to change orders or quality trade-offs. |
| Time & Material | Discovery, legacy, evolving requirements, or close collaboration. | Maximum flexibility; budget transparent via hourly or daily rates. | Without prioritisation, effort can grow—backlog and reviews matter. |
| Retainer / maintenance package | Ongoing operations, updates, small features, and support. | Agreed capacity per month; predictable follow-on cost. | Large changes may still need a separate estimate. |
| Hybrid (milestone + T&M) | MVP or phased releases with clear go-lives, then iterate. | Core delivery fixed price; extensions on a time-and-materials basis. | Define contractually what is in scope vs. extra work. |
Calculators on this page provide indicative ranges; we choose the right model with you based on risk, scope, and planning horizon.
The ranges shown are indicative. For a binding quote we discuss scope, priorities and funding options in a free intro call. Many digitalization projects qualify for grants – try our funding calculator.
Browse all cost calculators, explore services and typical solutions. Questions about CMS migration? Contact us.
After using the CMS migration calculator, validate assumptions in a short intro call.
Browse all cost calculators in the costs overview.
What does your CMS switch cost?
Interactive estimate based on your inputs.
Non-binding project range from the software cost calculator: EUR 10,332 – 372,623 excl. VAT.
Methodology: The estimates are based on historical project data, complexity drivers and standard implementation assumptions. Results are a non-binding indication only; effort and price must be calculated individually.
If you are still deciding
If you are ready to implement
Calculator overall range
EUR 14,000–210,000 excl. VAT, depending on codebase and migration risk
The overall range is derived from the valid parameters of the relevant cost calculator.
Typical duration
2–15 months
Main risk drivers
Non-binding indication
This result is only a non-binding indication based on typical assumptions. Effort and price must be calculated individually for your project.
A transparent four-step process for validating the CMS/WordPress Migration indication with concrete requirements.
1. Confirm scope and target outcome
We clarify the business outcome, user groups, and boundaries relevant to CMS/WordPress Migration.
2. Review data, interfaces, and risks
We validate integrations, data quality, security, compliance, and operational dependencies.
3. Check the calculator assumptions
We compare the selected parameters with the real system landscape and document deviations.
4. Prepare the precise quote
You receive a scoped proposal with milestones, exclusions, price model, and next decision point.
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