Remember five years ago?
The world was a different place. We were still grappling with the aftershocks of a global pandemic, adjusting to remote work, and trying to make sense of a new era in digital transformation.
In just a few years, we've seen major shifts: websites are more complex, user expectations are higher, and new technologies like headless CMS, composable architecture, and data-driven personalization are reshaping the way we build digital experiences.
What seemed like a reliable choice five years ago might not be enough to keep up with the complexities and demands of 2025.
So how do you pick the right CMS now, when there are more options than ever?
In this article, we'll break down the five types of CMSs you need to know in 2025 and how to choose what’s right for your next project.
Why the CMS market looks so different in 2025
The CMS ecosystem has undergone two major transformations over the past few years, both of which are shaping the tools digital teams rely on today:
1.The shift to composable architecture
Monolithic platforms couldn’t keep up with the need for custom experiences, API-first integrations, and scalable tech stacks. This paved the way for headless and modular systems that offer more flexibility and performance. In fact, the composable CMS market is expected to grow significantly.
Gartner's 2025 Magic Quadrant for Digital Experience Platforms highlights this shift, noting that by 2026, at least 70% of organizations will be mandated to acquire composable DXP technology, as opposed to monolithic DXP suites, compared to 50% in 2023. This underscores the increasing importance of modular, API-first approaches in the CMS landscape.
2.The rise of performance-driven content
While developers were moving toward composable stacks, marketers faced a different challenge. They wanted to not only publish content but also make it perform. Personalized content, A/B testing, and real-time optimization became a must, but traditional CMSs weren’t built to handle these needs.
That’s why demand has grown for smarter, data-driven platforms, ones that combine structured content with built-in performance tools. In fact, the headless CMS market is expected to grow from $0.86 billion in 2024 to $4.59 billion by 2033 — a CAGR of 20.5% — driven largely by the need for more flexible, data-enabled systems.
CMS categories in 2025: What’s out there now?
Now that we’ve looked at why the CMS market has changed, it’s time to break down how it looks today.
In 2025, the market is no longer defined by a single type of system, instead, it’s split across five distinct categories, each built for different kinds of websites, project sizes, and goals. Understanding these categories will help you choose the right tool for your specific use case.
To help visualize this, the diagram below maps these CMS categories across two dimensions:
- Y-axis: Project complexity: – ranging from small to medium and large ones, depending on the scope and complexity.
- X-axis: Website type – moving from corporate websites to content-heavy platforms, lead-generation tools, and full-scale commerce websites.
Each block in the diagram represents a type of CMS and shows where it’s typically the best fit. For example, traditional CMS and website builders work well for smaller projects, while more flexible, headless solutions are better for larger or more complex builds like data-driven sites or online stores.
Let’s take a closer look at each one, what they do best, where they fall short, and when you should (or shouldn’t) use them.
1. Traditional CMSs
Examples: WordPress, Webflow, Craft CMS, Figma Sites
These are the platforms many teams started with — and for good reason. Traditional CMSs combine content creation, design, and delivery in a single, tightly coupled system. You manage both the backend and frontend in one place, making them easy to set up and use, especially for smaller sites or teams without heavy development resources.
Best for:
- Blogs and editorial sites
- Simple company pages
- Small business websites
Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Quick setup and user-friendly | Hard to customize or expand as your needs grow |
Tons of ready-made themes and plugins | Not built to handle multiple brands, languages, or regions |
Easy to find developers and support | Design is tied to templates |
You can launch quickly with minimal effort | You may need extra effort to improve speed or security |
2. Regular headless CMSs
Examples: Kontent.ai, Sanity, Storyblok
Headless CMSs separate the content layer from the presentation layer — meaning your content is stored centrally and delivered via APIs to any front end: websites, mobile apps, smart devices, and more. This gives developers full control over the experience, while content editors work in a structured backend.
Best for:
- Content-rich, multi-platform projects with modern front ends
- Businesses looking for a flexible, scalable system
- Brands that need flexibility across multiple channels (web, mobile, etc.)
Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Full front-end freedom | Requires a dedicated front-end build to display content |
Works well with modern frameworks (like React, Next.js) | Can be challenging for non-technical users to manage |
Scales easily as content complexity grows | Limited built-in visual preview or editing for marketers |
Great for omnichannel content strategies | Needs third-party tools for things like personalization or A/B testing |
3. Entry-level commerce platforms
Examples: Shopify, Wix eCommerce, WooCommerce
These platforms emerged with the rise of no-code tools and the demand for quick, accessible online stores. They offer everything in one package, storefront, payments, hosting, making them perfect for getting started fast. Very simple to use, but limited when it comes to flexibility or growth.
Best for:
- Small businesses and solo entrepreneurs
- Fast-to-launch e-commerce websites
- Teams with little to no technical resources
Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Quick setup with built-in templates and tools | Limited design and customization options |
Integrated payments, carts, and product management | Weak content management |
Easy to manage for non-technical users | Not ideal for global sites or complex product catalogs |
All-in-one hosting and security | Often needs plugins to handle even basic needs |
4. Headless commerce platforms
Examples: Commerce Layer, BigCommerce (headless), Elastic Path, Swell
Headless commerce platforms separate the front end from the back end, giving developers full control over the customer experience while still handling product management, checkout, and inventory behind the scenes. This setup is ideal for businesses that want to create custom storefronts, support multiple channels, or scale globally, but it does come with added complexity.
Best for:
- Mid to large-scale e-commerce platforms with custom UX
- Multi-brand or multi-region stores
- Businesses focused on performance and flexibility
Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Total front-end flexibility across devices and channels | No built-in CMS or content management |
High performance and scalability | Setup and orchestration can be complex |
Flexible product and pricing models | Not ideal for teams without dev capacity |
Works across websites, apps, kiosks, and more | Content and commerce live in separate systems |
5. Data-driven headless CMSs
Examples: Prepr, Contentful, Contentstack
This new category brings together the flexibility of headless architecture with the performance features marketers need, like personalization, segmentation, A/B testing, and analytics, all within a single system. These platforms are designed to reduce the need for third-party tools, making it easier to create high-performing digital experiences without constant handoffs between teams or platforms.
Best for:
- Digital teams balancing performance and flexibility
- Lead generation and performance-driven websites
- Marketing teams focused on personalization and optimization
Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Combines headless flexibility with built-in performance tools | Not ideal for large-scale enterprise orchestration with many systems |
Enables A/B testing, targeting, and segmentation natively | Requires a mindset shift for both dev and content teams |
Reduces need for external CDPs and testing tools | Limited vendor options compared to other categories |
Content performance insights at the source | Can require an upfront strategy for data and audience modeling |
Find the CMS that fits your project
If there’s one thing the 2025 CMS market makes clear, it’s this: choosing the right platform isn’t about picking the best CMS, but the one that fits your project.
Each CMS category serves a different need, and the teams are choosing tools that match their project’s scale, complexity, and purpose. For some, that’s a fast-to-launch traditional CMS. For others, it’s a flexible headless stack or an all-in-one commerce platform.
But as the push for performance, personalization, and simplicity grows, data-driven headless CMSs are becoming the go-to choice for many digital teams, especially those building lead-gen sites, content-driven experiences, or campaign platforms that need to launch fast and adapt quickly.
Platforms like Prepr are helping shape this new category, combining structured content with built-in tools for testing, targeting, and optimization.
Want to see how all the CMS types compare?
Check out the full CMS Market Map guide for a more detailed breakdown.
