Content management systems (CMSs) come in many forms, ranging from those part of all-in-one website builders like Wix Studio CMS to headless versions.
Of course, the best CMS for your agency will depend on the type of client sites you build. But we'll help you make an educated decision with our pick of the 15 best content management systems, plus what to look for in a CMS and a quick refresher on what a content management system is.
What is a content management system?
A content management system—or CMS—is a software application used to create and manage content for a website. It’s made up of two parts: a content management application (CMA) and a content delivery application (CDA), which work together to apply code to a site’s infrastructure.
Many CMSs offer intuitive content editors that let web designers easily create page layouts and drag and drop content into specific sections. Some also include SEO tools for analyzing site traffic and visitor behavior, which help site owners understand how their content performs and identify ways to improve it.
Content management systems range from the most common web CMSs (WCMSs), which are typically used to manage the day-to-day functions of a website, to enterprise content management systems, used to create internal web portals for larger organizations, and the more technical headless CMSs, which split the content repository from the presentation layer.
What to look for in a content management system
When it comes to price, quality, flexibility and functionality, each CMS is unique. Here are some things to consider before choosing yours:
Ease of use
No professional wants their primary tool for business to be so complex—or cumbersome—that it slows them down. Before committing to your CMS, make sure you understand the technical expertise the system requires. Sign up for a free trial, get a live demo and familiarize yourself with the key features. A steep learning curve is fine, but make sure it’s not so steep that you can’t hand over projects to clients, knowing they can manage their sites with relative ease. Remember: you’re not the only one who will be using it.
Client-specific requirements
Depending on the clients you serve and prospects you target, you’ll have specific CMS feature requirements. Break your client list down into categories so you know the most important solutions for your business. Do you have lots of real estate clients? Look for a CMS that handles large and complex portals with extensive listings. Will eCommerce companies bring in the majority of your revenue? Then, you want a CMS solution that helps merchants easily build and manage their online stores.
Responsiveness
Some CMS platforms come with responsive themes or templates that automatically adjust the site layout to fit all screen sizes. This means you or your clients don’t have to spend time adapting elements for different breakpoints every time you add new content. If you’re looking for easier maintenance and more efficiency while keeping designs consistent across different devices, look for a CMS that takes responsiveness seriously.
Scalability
If you have clients at a growth stage who expect high volumes of traffic to their sites, you’ll need a CMS solution that’s high-performing and built on strong infrastructure. Your CMS should be able to scale with features like dynamic pages and provide functions like user permissions that are needed when your clients’ teams grow. Check the hosting platform the CMS uses—whether it’s built-in or connected externally—and understand the levels of requests it can handle at any given time.
Analytics
Data is everything when it comes to understanding site performance and user behavior. Content management systems with built-in analytics give you access to insightful data right in your dashboard. Check what analytics tools your CMS provides. If they’re not native to the platform, make sure your CMS can be integrated with Google Analytics or other leading SEO tools.
Security
Look for features like DDoS protection, data encryption, website monitoring, multi-factor authentication and secure payments to give you peace of mind that your CMS provider has you and your clients covered. If you’re unsure, seek advice from a cybersecurity professional. By the way, you can read more about Wix Studio security here.
Cost
Like any product you’re in the market for, cost will determine which CMS you choose. While some platforms are free, others require payment for third-party plugins or web hosting services. Some also charge by the amount of collections and items you use. To avoid unexpected add-on costs, read the fine print and check exactly what you get with each plan.
The 15 best content management systems
There are many different content management systems on the market, and choosing yours can feel overwhelming. Whether you’re looking for a simple platform or a sophisticated system, here are the 15 best content management systems, kicking things off with our personal preference.
01. Wix Studio
Wix Studio is known as a web creation platform for professionals, but a big attraction for many freelancers, agencies and enterprises is its built-in content manager. The Wix Studio CMS lets you efficiently save, organize and manage content-driven sites, access advanced design capabilities and easily display content from the CMS in your design without any code. And because it’s part of a wider platform, you get more features, reliability, security and control than most standard CMSs.
You can also extend your CMS capabilities beyond the platform with Wix Data APIs, using code to fully control filters and sorting, query items, intercept interactions using hooks and aggregate data from collections.
Studio’s database collections let you create dynamic pages and elements with ease, improving your efficiency when working with layouts that require recurring formatting. It saves tons of time for those building content-heavy websites like eCommerce and news sites.
Then, there’s Wix CMS’s permissions system, which provides a simple and secure way for administrators to manage how clients, team members and collaborators interact with a site’s content. It means you don’t have to worry about clients who manage their own content messing up the design.
Wix Studio can also go ‘headless.’ Its cutting-edge API and software development kit (SDK) Wix Headless offers the freedom to access Studio's CMS capabilities and business management platform from any app or website you build.
Sign up for Wix Studio to access its market-leading CMS.
02. Contentful
Founded initially as a headless CMS in 2013, Contentful has expanded its services to become what it calls a “composable content platform,” offering multiple content experiences to clients. It serves over 4,000 organizations, including 30 percent of the Fortune 500, giving its enterprise product a strong vote of confidence.
03. Ghost
Ghost is a popular app among publishers and other businesses whose primary service revolves around content. It comes with a suite of tools to build websites, publish content, send newsletters and offer paid subscriptions to members. Its system attracts media organizations of all sizes and independent creators for its modern publishing tools.
04. Joomla!
Joomla! is a popular open-source CMS known for its flexibility and extensive range of advanced features. It has plenty of useful plugins that can extend the system’s functionality, turning Joomla!-built content sites into fully functioning online stores. Joomla! has come a long way since its first version was released in 2005, now powering almost 2 million active websites.
05. CushyCMS
Recognized for its flexible, fast and simple content management system, CushyCMS aims to take the pain out of content management for web designers. While most of its core features, including unlimited pages on five sites, come free, you can upgrade to the Pro plan for additional tools like custom branding, color scheme and RSS feeds.
06. ButterCMS
ButterCMS is a headless content management system and blog engine that attracts developers who want to build sites with their preferred scripting language and marketers looking for a seamless CMS and straightforward user interface. Its collaboration tools help teams in startups, agencies and enterprises create websites quickly and easily.
07. Kontent.ai
Known as Kentico Content before its brand was given an AI twist, Kontent.ai is a headless CMS that integrates an organization’s content with the platforms and services they need to scale. Among its popular tools is Author Assist, a suite of capabilities that helps you speed up and improve your content creation process.
08. Drupal
What started as a simple message board in 2000, Drupal has become a trusted open-source CMS known for its powerful, scalable and customizable features. Web developers choose Drupal for its modular design and extensive APIs. While it gives freedom to those looking for more customization, strong technical skills are needed to manage its system.
09. Umbraco
Marketed as one of the most deployed web content management systems on the Microsoft stack, Umbraco is an open-source .NET CMS that offers flexibility and ease of use. The company prides itself on meeting the needs of everything from small business owners to major enterprises and has built a strong community of users who share dev advice in online forums.
10. Strapi
Founded in 2015, Strapi is an open-source headless CMS that aims to give developers the freedom to use their favorite tools and frameworks while allowing editors to easily manage and distribute their content across multiple channels. Its core features include granular roles and permissions, an advanced media library and multilingual capabilities.
11. Medium
A name synonymous with online publishing, Medium is a popular choice for organizations more interested in an intuitive interface than a sophisticated system. Known for making the publishing experience fast and easy, the platform comes with the added benefits of a robust and secure infrastructure and a large community of engaged users.
12. BigCommerce
BigCommerce is an eCommerce CMS that prides itself on flexibility, scalability and speed. The platform combines headless, multi-storefront, SEO and omnichannel solutions with important eComm features like frictionless checkout options and abandoned cart recovery. BigCommerce can integrate with other CMSs as a third-party solution.
13. Adobe Commerce
Formerly known as Magento, Adobe Commerce is a platform specifically designed to help eCommerce businesses get to market fast. Its core offerings include built-in AI tools, multi-store deployment and integrated Adobe Experience Cloud solutions. Adobe Commerce’s clients include some big names like Coca-Cola and T-Mobile.
14. Sitecore
Sitecore describes itself as a digital experience platform that caters to marketers, developers and technologists in organizations across all industries. Its Content Hub enables teams to collaborate on digital assets, store approved versions centrally and deliver impactful customer experiences across multiple touchpoints. OrderHub is its headless offering, providing businesses with tools to support their eCommerce strategy.
15. TYPO3
Built for enterprises, TYPO3 is an open-source CMS aimed at helping businesses scale and their websites grow. Its content manager supports marketers with everything from content planning and modeling to smart authoring workflows, digital asset management and SEO. Its partner program is designed to help freelancers, agencies and technology providers using TYPO3 to connect with a global community.
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