Guide · 202626 pages7 chaptersFree PDF
Choose the Right CMS
How to choose systems, features, and platforms for your website without needing to be technical experts.
- Four Main Tracks What kind of CMS suits you?
- 16 Platforms Type, license, and developer needs
- Before You Choose Questions to ask IT
About the guide
The choice of CMS affects how you work with content, what the website can develop into, and what it costs over time. You don't need to be technical experts to make a good choice, but you need to know what to ask for.
The guide starts with your needs and IT environment and then goes through the four main tracks: traditional all-in-one CMS, visual low code platforms, flexible headless CMS, and enterprise CMS. Sixteen platforms are compared side by side, including WordPress, Webflow, Payload, Contentful, Sitecore, and Umbraco, based on type, license, user-friendliness, and developer needs.
Finally: which CMS suits different types of businesses, when it's worthwhile to publish in multiple channels, and what options are available when IT requires local operation or data storage within the EU. The guide reflects the market in September 2026.
For you who
- are building a new website and haven't decided on a platform
- are considering changing CMS
- need to anchor the choice with IT and management
From the guide
- 16 Platforms
- compared on type, license, user-friendliness, and developer needs
- 40.2 %
- of all websites are powered by WordPress, according to W3Techs in September 2026
- 4 out of 16
- platforms allow further development without developers, all within low code
- ~20 %
- expected annual growth for headless CMS until the early 2030s
Contents
- Chapter 01
Preparations
Three questions that provide the right foundation for the choice: what the website should achieve, what you want to be able to do yourself, and what the CMS must handle.
- Chapter 02
Technical Environment and IT Policy
Questions to check with IT about platform, integrations, operation, and placement before you start comparing systems.
- Chapter 03
Types of CMS
The four main tracks, with pros and cons and examples of popular platforms within each track.
- Chapter 04
Comparison of CMS
Sixteen platforms side by side, and what market shares say, and don't say, about what suits you.
- Chapter 05
Impact from Business Type
Which CMS suits service companies, consulting businesses, public and information-heavy actors, and e-commerce.
- Chapter 06
Publishing to Multiple Platforms
When headless is a wise investment, and what is required to publish the same content on the web, in apps, and on screens.
- Chapter 07
Choices Under IT Constraints
CMS that handle local operation, cloud operation with data in the EU, and API-first publishing.
Frequently asked questions
Which CMS is the best?
There is no CMS that suits everyone. The choice depends on what the website should achieve, what you want to be able to do yourself, what integrations are required, and what requirements your IT department sets.
What is the difference between a traditional CMS and headless?
In a traditional CMS, like WordPress, content and presentation are in the same system. It's easy for editors and quick to get started with. A headless CMS, like Payload or Contentful, separates content from presentation and delivers it via API. It provides freedom in frontend and multiple channels, but requires developers.
Which CMS can manage without developers?
In the guide's comparison, it's only the low code platforms: Webflow, Wix, Squarespace, and Shopify. Ten out of sixteen platforms require developers for further development after launch.
Which CMS works if IT requires local operation or data within the EU?
For local operation, the guide mentions Payload, WordPress, Sitevision, and SharePoint Server. For cloud operation with data in the EU, for example, WordPress with EU hosting, Umbraco Cloud, and Optimizely.
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