Best CMS Software
Buyer's Guide
Content management systems have witnessed unprecedented growth over the years — from static web pages on HTML to customized sites developed using PHP. In simple terms, CMS is a system that manages content.
CMS software helps users create, modify and manage information on a website. It provides a graphic user interface (GUI) with tools to create, edit and publish web pages. The interface also makes interacting with a website’s database more user-friendly, making it an ideal solution for people with limited technical knowledge who want to create a website.
If your company has outgrown its current CMS platform, or you're scouting for a better way to manage your organization's web pages, you've come to the right place. In this buyer's guide, we'll go over the benefits and features of CMS software to help you pick an ideal platform.
Executive Summary
- CMS software enables you to create, edit, organize, manage and publish digital content without the need for technical expertise. They’re cost-effective, time-saving, scalable and accessible.
- There are multiple types of content management systems, such as document management system (DMS), enterprise management system (EMS), web content management system (WCMS) and more.
- Key features include pre-designed templates, an intuitive dashboard and multi-channel publishing.
- Current industry trends in CMS include artificial intelligence, headless CMS and hybrid CMS.
- Be sure to ask potential vendors any questions you might have about the software before committing to a purchase.
- What Is CMS Software?
- Deployment Methods
- Primary Benefits
- Implementation Goals
- Basic Features & Functionality
- Advanced Features To Consider
- Current & Upcoming Trends
- Software Comparison Strategy
- Cost & Pricing Considerations
- The Best CMS Software
- Questions To Ask Yourself
- Questions To Ask Vendors
- Next Steps
- Product Comparisons
- Additional Resources
What Is CMS Software?
CMS software is a platform that helps users manage digital content. You can use the solution to create, edit, organize and publish web pages. The software contains a programming framework, a database and a presentation layer. Content editors deal with the presentation layer, undertaking all content-related tasks without needing coding knowledge.
There are two main parts of the CMS that allow your website to function:
- Content Management Application (CMA): Allows marketers and content creators to work on the content without IT assistance.
- Content Delivery Application (CDA): The back-end part of the website. It takes content entered into templates and makes it into a working website.
Your CMS can publish static pages, blog posts, eCommerce products, forum posts, memberships and many more types of content. Some commonly known content management systems include WordPress, Drupal, Wix and Joomla.
CMS solutions suit any business size and industry owing to their user-friendliness. As of November 2022, over 80 million websites have been created using a CMS.
Types of CMS Software
There are many types of CMS software. Let’s take a look at some of the most common ones.
Component Content Management System (CCMS)
A bit different from the regular CMS, this organizes content on a more granular than documental level. CCMS tracks links and metadata associated with components. It stores elements in a central repository and publishes content across numerous platforms.
Digital Asset Management System (DAM)
DAM allows organizations to easily manage, store, distribute, find and analyze their digital content. The most common formats are videos and images. It also includes spreadsheets, documents, and more. DAM is more or less like an enhanced digital library that streamlines everything. It also increases efficiency and eliminates the time wasted searching for misplaced files.
Web Content Management System (WCMS)
This software provides a way for organizations to manage digital information on a website. It helps users with limited web programming or markup languages to create and manage web content. The main benefits of using WCMS are that it's cost-effective, customizable and easy-to-use, and some options allow administrators to set up their own workflow management rules.
Document Management System (DMS)
It helps capture, track and store electronic documents and images. The DMS ensures control and organization of records throughout the company. DMS helps in reducing the need for too much physical storage space, enhances security, guarantees easier retrieval and facilitates smooth information collaborations.
Enterprise Content Management System (ECM)
ECM is the process of managing the complete lifecycle of content in an organization. The content could include images, Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, PDF files and more. It’s advantageous as it helps to reduce the dependency on paper and streamlines business, eliminates organizational risk to a large extent and increases productivity.
Expert recommendations and analysis on the top CMS software
Deployment Methods
There are typically two deployment methods for this software — cloud and on-premise.
Cloud CMS
Cloud solutions are more flexible and easily scalable as compared to on-premise ones. Software maintenance, fixes and updates are usually handled by the vendor, so you don’t have to do as much in-house.
Cloud software is also very accessible, available through any device with an internet connection. Since all the data is stored on remote servers, you can recover it regardless of your location.
On-Premise CMS
A CMS is easier to integrate with other systems if you’re using an on-premise option. You can receive quick updates without waiting for the CMS provider to add them, and have more direct control over your data.
If you’re wondering which deployment method might be best for you, here are some factors to consider:
Geographical Requirements
If you're targeting a specific group of customers spread across multiple locations, a cloud-based solution is more suitable — it offers wider accessibility and better speed. However, an on-premise option might still work if you plan to feature the same content to all your clients no matter where they’re located.
Speed
Speed is an essential factor when it comes to disseminating information to potential clients. Typically, a cloud-based solution offers better speed over an on-premise one.
Cost
A cloud-based solution will likely cost less in terms of upfront costs and capital expenditures. This is because on-premise solutions come with additional costs, like servers, operations, infrastructure maintenance and IT.
Integrations
An on-premise deployment makes it easier to integrate your systems, connect data and employ development tools. With cloud solutions, you have less control, and integration with data systems becomes more complex.
Security
Since an on-premise solution uses your own servers, you can rest assured that your data will be secure. While a cloud solution means your data is traveling, making it the less secure of the two, it uses stricter privacy policies to ensure data security.
Expert recommendations and analysis on the top CMS software
Primary Benefits
Let’s look at some of the ways CMS software can benefit your organization.
Scalability
The CMS software allows websites to keep up, facilitating the growth of businesses. Content management systems make it possible to easily add new web pages, eliminating the need to code. You can personalize web pages to reflect the brand's personality by using specific themes, colors, logos and more.
Simplified Content Scheduling
If your company deals with various content types and multiple contributors, features like a content calendar and automated publishing can help keep things running smoothly. A CMS lets your authors draft content and plan the schedule in advance.
Accessibility
Access your website virtually anywhere, making it easier for you and your employees to make any required changes or updates. Make modifications on the go without any hassles. Individual contributors can create their own accounts, so multiple users can manage, edit or update information on the pages using their own devices.
Reduced Costs
Using CMS software means you don't need to rely on a web developer or web designer, which saves a lot of money in the long run. A static website reflects the changes only after some time, unlike in a CMS software.
Ease of Use
No one likes having to use software that’s difficult to navigate and get accustomed to using. Being difficult to use also results in a waste of time and effort. The most significant selling point of CMS platforms is that they are incredibly user-friendly. Even a non-technical person can get the hang of it quickly because of its basic features.
Better Customization Options
Most CMS software comes with a plethora of customization options. You can modify the overall look, design, colors and layout to match your brand identity. Plugins and extensions increase your customization options, allowing you to add content forms, shopping carts, spam protection tools and more.
Expert recommendations and analysis on the top CMS software
Implementation Goals
| Goal 1 Efficient Content Production | Use the innate functionality of your CMS to streamline production and develop better content strategies. Allow multiple contributors to draft, collaborate on, schedule and publish content through the platform. Plot and track publications on a content calendar to keep things organized. |
|---|---|
| Goal 2 Build Out Your Website | Leverage the capabilities of your CMS, as well as extra ones through add-on features and integrations, to build out your website and web content. Enhance user experience with more engaging and varied multimedia elements. |
| Goal 3 Increase Client Satisfaction | Incorporate insights gained through reporting and analytics into your content strategy. Increasingly tailor your content to your clientele. Expand publishing into multiple media channels so users can access your site through the channel and device they prefer, increasing current client satisfaction and helping you reach new users. |
Expert recommendations and analysis on the top CMS software
Basic Features & Functionality
| Built-in SEO Tools | Automatically create URLs that work well for both search engines and readers. Add page titles, meta descriptions and alt tags for images. Improve search engine results by supporting microdata. |
|---|---|
| Security | One of the biggest worries attached to CMS platforms is that they are vulnerable to security attacks. According to a report published by Storyblok, 55% of respondents stated that they experience security threats monthly. Maximizing security on your site protects your customers and overall brand reputation. You can run static code analysis and vulnerability scans, or use a content delivery network (CDN) to prevent DDoS attacks. |
| User Management | Assign proper roles and permissions to specific employees. Improve collaboration, boost productivity and ensure the smooth functioning of your business in the long run by achieving transparency. |
| Cross-channel Publishing | Cater to the personal browsing habits of your clientele by publishing your content across different channels with features like email marketing, mobile app construction and social media integration. You can keep the exact same content across channels, modify it or publish snippets. Share content on social media channels, blogs, email newsletters, email and more. |
| User Interface | An excellent user interface is advantageous for the smooth functioning of any CMS platform. An ideal UI is customizable, giving a developer a unique experience. Another critical factor is the versatility it offers, making content management easier even without using code. |
| Predesigned Templates | Most CMS platforms offer a wide range of predesigned templates, making it possible for you to quickly change the appearance of the web pages as needed. Use built-in templates to save time and simplify the publishing process. |
| Social Media Integration | Add social media buttons for commonly-used sites, pages or specific parts of the content to encourage people to share your content. |
Expert recommendations and analysis on the top CMS software
Advanced Features & Functionality
| App/Plugin Marketplace | Optimize your website for a better user experience using plugins for SEO optimization, responsive dropdown menus, site speed, pop-up CTAs and more. |
|---|---|
| Intuitive Dashboard | The purpose of any dashboard is to create a visual space where users can easily access what they need. An intuitive dashboard will display all the options and tools in a visually appealing and effective manner. This feature gives you the ability to schedule content, track user activity and keep an eye on analytics. |
| Planning and Scheduling | Use automation tools to schedule and publish content, send reminders and set alerts. Reduce the need to set up and send separate reminders for repetitive parts of the workflow. |
Current & Upcoming Trends
Surviving in a highly competitive business world means evolving with modern and developing technologies. To help you keep up with today’s fast pace, let’s go over key industry trends in content management systems that could help you gain a competitive advantage.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
The main motive of any CMS software is to ensure that administrators find it easy to manage content on their websites. Although drag-and-drop and WYSIWYG interfaces have made matters effortless for website owners and creators, AI will prove to be a revolutionary aspect for CMS software by offering valuable solutions to content curators.
Artificial Intelligence will facilitate the integration of API with AI-powered functionalities. Several content management systems use AI to make it easier to build, animate and create a copy for their websites.
AI can also help you analyze user behavior. In addition to collecting valuable customer data for marketing purposes, AI can provide insights to enhance advertising campaigns or tailor your web content for your clientele.
It's believed that, in the coming years, many more will adopt AI to spruce up their businesses on the technological front, leading to better productivity and profits.
Hybrid CMS
In simple terms, a hybrid CMS provides you with the freedom of a headless CMS coupled with the functionality of a traditional CMS platform. This amalgamation gives a website the best of both worlds. The hybrid route empowers authors with creative control while providing flexibility.
A hybrid CMS is user-friendly, provides increased accessibility and is easy to maintain. The solution is beneficial for both marketers and developers, leading to better customer engagement and an improved experience.
Headless CMS
Being a backend only system, a headless CMS enables the content creators to take complete control over the inventory, regardless of what appears on the front-end. It allows users to publish content across various channels due to it being a decoupled CMS.
It also eliminates any technological restraints, since you can pick any language to implement the front-end. A headless CMS works faster and more efficiently than a traditional one, making it a rising trend. According to Future Market Insights, the headless CMS software market is projected to reach $5,528.5 million by 2032.
Expert recommendations and analysis on the top CMS software
Software Comparison Strategy
While many CMS platforms have similar features, deciding which solution is best for your business can feel overwhelming.
The best place to start is by considering exactly what your business needs. Think about some basic questions. For instance, how many employees will use the program? Will your staff need training? It’s also important to identify where your existing software is falling short and how a CMS could help fill the gaps.
Here are some other factors you may want to consider:
- Customization options
- Features and functionalities
- Data security
- Support and training
- Integrations
- Speed of deployment
Once you’ve narrowed it down to a few promising options, remember to research your vendor. You can check online reviews, read industry guides, request references and ask colleagues for their recommendations. Ask potential vendors if they offer a free trial or demo to assess whether employees can manage the program.
If you’re still overwhelmed, try using our Lean Selection method to help with your software evaluation process.
Cost & Pricing Considerations
A crucial factor to take into consideration before purchasing any software is the cost. By having a complete picture of the total cost of implementation, you can avoid any unexpected costs that come down the line. Implementing a CMS platform is an investment for your company, so it’s important to determine that you’ll get a good return on that investment before you commit.
The costs associated with a CMS can be broken down into two categories:
- Initial setup costs: Including licenses, hardware and implementation.
- Ongoing costs: Including maintenance, hosting, upgrades and support.
The actual amounts of your initial and ongoing costs will depend on various criteria, such as the number of accounts needed, the number of websites that need to be managed and whether or not you want to add any additional features. If you opt for a cloud-based solution, vendors also charge an annual fee that covers upgrades, maintenance, bug fixes and more.
The cost of a content management system can also depend on factors like:
- Bandwidth
- Storage
- Analytics
- Customer support and training
- Security
- Custom domain names
Expert recommendations and analysis on the top CMS software
The Best CMS Software
Jumpstart your software search with our list of the top five CMS software products.
Oracle WebCenter Content
Oracle WebCenter Content is a one-stop solution for organization-wide content that lets employees easily find the information they need. It has a unified platform for all documents, pictures and media, and allows teams to collaborate on files. Users can manage, secure and control data and provide access to the right people.
Document with a summary of detailed information. Source
Nuxeo
Nuxeo is a cloud-based content services solution that enables companies to manage and easily access business documents regardless of their formats and sizes. Users can view organizational information stored in the repository from anywhere in the world.
It’s a scalable solution that easily integrates with existing business workflows. Although it’s an on-premise solution, it also provides cloud connectivity.
Viewing folders in the workspace. Source
OpenText ECM
OpenText is an information management platform that helps organizations automate tasks, improve collaboration and simplify access to data. Employees can get a 360-degree view of the content and all related processes from a single interface. It securely captures, stores, tracks and indexes documents, increasing employee productivity and reducing storage costs.
Accessing crucial statistics, assignments and other information simultaneously. Source
Alfresco
Alfresco is an open-source solution that allows businesses to manage content from anywhere and connect information with users. The platform lets you collaborate via shared access, annotations and comments, and even allows users to initiate meetings from within the document if you need to discuss something urgently.
It integrates easily with Google Docs and Microsoft 365. Additionally, it provides a content and metadata repository to streamline end-to-end approval workflows.
Accessing training team files. Source
Laserfiche
Laserfiche is a content management tool that streamlines manual processes, automates business workflows and increases information searchability while eliminating paper trails. It employs reports to analyze employee workload using dashboards. Its drag-and-drop interface allows employees to create and publish electronic forms easily.
Filling a form while viewing the fields. Source
Expert recommendations and analysis on the top CMS software
Questions To Ask Yourself
To get a better understanding of your organizations’ requirements, ask yourself the following questions:
- What’s our budget?
- What will be the cost of implementing the CMS software?
- How can our business benefit from the software?
- What features do we need the most?
- Will our employees need training to use the software?
- How will the CMS software help our business reach emerging markets?
- Will this software make life easier for the developers and marketers in my organization?
Questions To Ask Vendors
Use these questions as a starting point for conversations with potential vendors to learn more about the vendor and the software:
About the Software
- What is the level of scalability of the CMS software?
- What are the core strengths of this software?
- Is the software customizable to specific business needs?
- How easy is it to edit content on this software?
- How many team members will be required to manage and maintain this software on a daily basis?
- How long does it take for the modifications to reflect on the web pages?
- How will the CMS software leverage our existing tools?
- What data security features do you offer?
About the Vendor
- How many years of expertise do you have in the industry?
- Do you provide a demo or trial?
- How does your technical team handle help requests?
- How many companies to date have used your CMS software?
- What customer support and training do you provide?
- What company sizes do you typically work with?
- How long does onboarding typically take for your product?
Expert recommendations and analysis on the top CMS software
Next Steps
CMS software enables you to have better control over your content and allows you to keep your website information updated and organized. The solution is user-friendly, reduces dependence on website developers and is easily accessible for remote workplaces.
Still feeling overwhelmed in your product search? Kickstart your journey today with our free comparison report to gain valuable insight into top software leaders in the market.
Product Comparisons
- OpenText ECM vs. Nuxeo
- Laserfiche vs. Nuxeo
- Oracle WebCenter Content vs. Laserfiche
- Alfresco vs. Nuxeo
- Alfresco vs. Laserfiche
Additional Resources
Top 10 CMS Software Leaders by Analyst Rating (of 497 products)
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