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Hatamoto vs WordPress

Hatamoto comes with the SEO, caching, forms and analytics most WordPress business sites add as plugins. WordPress is still the better choice for online shops, memberships and sites in several languages.

Install Hatamoto See the full comparison

49 lines compared

Updated 28 October 2026, against a standard self-hosted WordPress 6.9.

Hatamoto ahead
24 Mostly features WordPress needs a plugin for
WordPress ahead
13 Shops, languages, hosting and ecosystem
About the same
12 Editing, revisions, menus and APIs

Line by line

The full comparison

49 lines in nine groups. Open a group to see each line. "Ahead" means better out of the box for a typical business website.

Hatamoto aheadWordPress aheadAbout the same

Platform and hostingHatamoto 2WordPress 3Even 2
Platform and hosting: Hatamoto vs WordPress
LineHatamotoWordPressAhead
What you runOne Go binary and a Postgres databasePHP, MySQL and a web server, often Redis tooHatamoto
LicenceApache-2.0, open sourceGPLv2, open sourceEven
InstallOne file or docker compose up, about ten minutesFive-minute install, or one click on most hostsEven
HostingYour own server, VPS or container hostAlmost any host, from a few dollars a monthWordPress
Developer toolingGo only, no NodePHP, plus Node for block developmentHatamoto
Several sites from one installNo, one install per siteYes, Multisite is built inWordPress
More than one languageNo, one language per siteYes, with WPML or PolylangWordPress
Editing and contentHatamoto 1WordPress 2Even 5
Editing and content: Hatamoto vs WordPress
LineHatamotoWordPressAhead
Writing postsClean editor that pastes well from Google Docs and WordGutenberg block editorEven
Building pagesSection-based page builder with live previewSite Editor, or Elementor and DiviEven
Custom content typesSet up in the admin, no codePHP code or the ACF pluginHatamoto
Categories and tagsBuilt inBuilt inEven
Revisions and schedulingBuilt inBuilt inEven
Media libraryBuilt in, shows where each file is usedBuilt in, with image editingEven
CommentsNot includedBuilt inWordPress
User rolesOwner and editorFive roles, plus custom onesWordPress
SEO and AI searchHatamoto 7Even 1
SEO and AI search: Hatamoto vs WordPress
LineHatamotoWordPressAhead
SEO titles and descriptionsBuilt inNeeds Yoast or Rank MathHatamoto
Sitemaps and feedsBuilt inBuilt in, basicEven
Schema markup (JSON-LD)Built in for every content typeNeeds an SEO pluginHatamoto
Redirects and 404 logBuilt inNeeds the Redirection pluginHatamoto
llms.txtBuilt inNeeds a pluginHatamoto
AI crawler reportsWhich AI read which page, and the visits it sentNot availableHatamoto
Allow or block AI crawlersPer crawler and purpose, from the adminEdit robots.txt by hand or with a pluginHatamoto
AI agents and developer toolsHatamoto 1Even 2
AI agents and developer tools: Hatamoto vs WordPress
LineHatamotoWordPressAhead
AI agents (MCP)Built inSeparate MCP Adapter packageHatamoto
APIREST API with scoped keysREST API, GraphQL with a pluginEven
Command linehatamoto CLIWP-CLI, very matureEven
SpeedHatamoto 3WordPress 1
Speed: Hatamoto vs WordPress
LineHatamotoWordPressAhead
Page cachingBuilt in, clears itself on every editNeeds a plugin or host cachingHatamoto
Page weightServer-rendered, about 70 lines of scriptDepends on your theme and pluginsHatamoto
Scheduled tasksRun on timeRun when someone visits, unless you set up cronHatamoto
Very high trafficSeveral servers supported, not yet proven at scaleProven on some of the biggest sites onlineWordPress
Site featuresHatamoto 3WordPress 2Even 1
Site features: Hatamoto vs WordPress
LineHatamotoWordPressAhead
FormsBuilt in, with spam protection and CSV exportNeeds Gravity Forms, WPForms or similarHatamoto
WebhooksBuilt inNeeds a pluginHatamoto
Visitor analyticsBuilt in, no cookiesNeeds Site Kit, Jetpack or similarHatamoto
Online shopNot includedWooCommerceWordPress
Memberships and paywallsNot includedMemberPress and othersWordPress
Plugins and themesHatamoto 2WordPress 2Even 1
Plugins and themes: Hatamoto vs WordPress
LineHatamotoWordPressAhead
Plugin safetySandboxed, with only the permissions you approveFull access to your database and filesHatamoto
Installing pluginsOne click, no restartOne clickEven
Plugin choiceA small first-party setMore than 59,000 free pluginsWordPress
Theme choiceA small catalogue, each theme checked before it goes liveThousands of free and paid themesWordPress
Signed downloadsEvery release, plugin and themeCore updates onlyHatamoto
Security and dataHatamoto 5
Security and data: Hatamoto vs WordPress
LineHatamotoWordPressAhead
Login securityPrivate admin address, two-factor and rate limits built inWell-known login page, two-factor needs a pluginHatamoto
Content safetyAll HTML cleaned when saved and shownAdmins can post raw HTMLHatamoto
UpdatesSigned and automatic, with release channelsAutomatic for minor core releases, opt-in for pluginsHatamoto
Data sent homeNoneSite address and plugin list sent with update checksHatamoto
Full-site backupOne command exports everythingNeeds a plugin or your hostHatamoto
Track record and communityWordPress 3
Track record and community: Hatamoto vs WordPress
LineHatamotoWordPressAhead
MaturityPre-1.0, runs hatamoto.devAround since 2003WordPress
Market shareNewAbout 43% of all websitesWordPress
Developers and agenciesSmall and growingHuge, easy to hire forWordPress

Compared against a standard self-hosted WordPress 6.9 on 28 October 2026. Sources: W3Techs, WordPress.org plugin directory, WordPress MCP Adapter, Cloudflare on WordPress plugin vulnerabilities. Found something out of date? Open an issue.

Six differences that matter for a business website

  • 01

    Fewer plugins to look after

    SEO, caching, forms, redirects, analytics and backups are part of Hatamoto, so there is less to update, pay for and secure.

    How the page cache works
  • 02

    See how AI tools use your site

    Hatamoto shows which AI crawlers read each page and how many visitors those AI tools send you.

    AI crawler reports
  • 03

    AI agents can publish for you

    The built-in MCP server lets tools such as Claude draft and publish content, using a key you control.

    Connect an AI agent
  • 04

    A faulty plugin stays contained

    Plugins run in a sandbox with only the permissions you approve, so they cannot read your users or bring the site down.

    How plugins are sandboxed
  • 05

    Fast without tuning

    Pages are cached in memory and cleared on every edit, so repeat visits load in a few milliseconds.

    Performance settings
  • 06

    Your data stays with you

    No telemetry. Updates are signed, and every connection the server makes is listed with a switch to turn it off.

    Outbound connections

Fewer moving parts

One install covers 11 common plugins

Each plugin is another licence to renew, another update to test and another place for a security hole.

WordPress

Plugins a business site usually adds

  • SEO: Yoast or Rank Math
  • Caching: WP Rocket or W3 Total Cache
  • Forms: Gravity Forms or WPForms
  • Redirects: Redirection
  • Analytics: Site Kit or Jetpack
  • Custom fields: ACF or Pods
  • Two-factor login: Wordfence or Two Factor
  • Backups: UpdraftPlus
  • Internal links: Link Whisper
  • Webhooks: WP Webhooks
  • llms.txt: an llms.txt plugin

Hatamoto

Built into one binary

  • SEO titles, descriptions and schema markup
  • Page cache that clears itself on every edit
  • Forms with spam protection and CSV export
  • Redirects with a 404 log
  • Cookie-free visitor and AI referral analytics
  • Custom content types set up in the admin
  • Two-factor login and rate limits
  • One-command full-site export
  • Internal link suggestions
  • Signed webhooks
  • llms.txt

Being straight with you

When WordPress is the better choice

Stay on WordPress if any of these apply to your site.

  • You sell online. WooCommerce has no equivalent in Hatamoto.
  • You run memberships, paywalls or comments.
  • Your site is in more than one language.
  • You manage many sites from one install.
  • You want cheap shared hosting or a one-click managed host.
  • You rely on a particular plugin or theme, or need developers who already know the platform.

Moving from WordPress

Switch without losing a URL

The importer is part of Hatamoto. It brings across your pages, posts, custom types, categories, authors, media and SEO fields.

  1. 1

    Install Hatamoto

    Run it with Docker or the single binary, next to a Postgres database. Getting started

  2. 2

    Scan your WordPress site

    The scan lists what comes across and what does not, before anything is written. What is not imported

  3. 3

    Import and check every URL

    Import over the REST API or a WXR file, then run the URL audit against your old sitemap. Import a WordPress site

  4. 4

    Rebuild forms and layouts

    Recreate forms and page-builder layouts in Hatamoto, then point your domain at it. The page editor

Questions people ask

Written by the Hatamoto team. Our founder used WordPress for 20 years and his agency has built more than 1,500 sites on it.

Is Hatamoto a good WordPress alternative?

For business websites and blogs, yes. Hatamoto includes the SEO, caching, forms, redirects and analytics most WordPress sites add with plugins, plus AI crawler reports and an MCP server. It is not a fit yet if you need an online shop, memberships, comments or more than one language.

Will I lose my Google rankings if I move from WordPress?

The importer keeps every old URL working and runs a URL audit against your sitemap. Fix anything the audit flags before you switch your domain over, and your existing links and rankings carry across.

What does not come across from WordPress?

Comments, shop orders, user passwords, theme settings, plugin data, widgets and old revisions. Page-builder layouts keep their text but need rebuilding. The scan lists all of it for your site before the import starts.

Is Hatamoto faster than WordPress?

Out of the box, usually. Hatamoto serves pages from a built-in cache that clears itself when you edit. A WordPress site can be just as fast with a good caching plugin or host, but you have to set that up and maintain it.

Are Hatamoto plugins safer than WordPress plugins?

Hatamoto plugins run in a sandbox and only get the permissions you approve, so a plugin cannot read your users or crash the site. WordPress plugins have full access to the database and files, which is why most WordPress security issues start in plugins.

Can AI tools like Claude or ChatGPT publish to Hatamoto?

Yes. Hatamoto has a built-in MCP server, so an AI agent with an API key you create can draft, edit and publish content. WordPress can do this with the separate MCP Adapter package.

How much does Hatamoto cost?

Nothing. Hatamoto is open source under the Apache-2.0 licence. You host it yourself on Linux or macOS, with a Postgres database. It sends no telemetry.

Is Hatamoto ready for a live business website?

Hatamoto is pre-1.0 and runs hatamoto.dev in production. The core is stable and ships through canary, edge and stable update channels. The plugin toolkit is at v0, so some plugin APIs may still change.