The real cost of builder lock-in: shortcode rot

The real cost of builder lock-in: shortcode rot
Migrating off a builder isn't "export and done." I moved a 40-page site off WPBakery and measured the damage.

— Every saved row leaves [vc_row][vc_column] shortcodes baked into post_content.
— Deactivate the plugin and those shortcodes render as raw text across all 40 pages.
— Cleanup meant regex on the database, not a button.

Pros of staying: nothing breaks, content keeps rendering.
Cons of leaving: orphaned shortcodes, lost layouts, hours of find-replace.

Bricks and Gutenberg store cleaner markup, so they're cheaper to exit than shortcode-based builders.

Best for: if exit cost matters, pick a builder whose output survives without it running.