A content management system (CMS) is software that helps individuals and teams create, manage, and publish website content without editing code for routine changes. According to W3Techs data, WordPress powers 58.3% of websites whose CMS W3Techs can identify, making it the most widely used content management system as of October 2026.
CMS platforms differ in how they handle content editing, hosting, security, customization, and integrations. This guide compares seven CMS platforms, explains how different types of content management systems work, and covers the features, pricing, and tradeoffs businesses should consider before choosing one.
Table of Contents
- Content Management System Summary
- What is a content management system, and how does it work?
- Types of Content Management Systems
- Key Benefits of Using a CMS
- How to Choose the Right CMS for Your Business
- Best CMS Platforms
- How to Build a Website with a Content Management System
- Frequently Asked Questions About CMS Platforms
- Picking the Best CMS for Your Business
Content Management System Summary
A content management system (CMS) helps teams create, organize, manage, and publish website content. CMS architectures include traditional, headless, and hybrid systems, while other categories describe hosting or the organizations they serve. Popular examples include HubSpot Content Hub, WordPress, Drupal, Webflow, Joomla, Shopify, and Storyblok. HubSpot Content Hub combines website content management with native CRM integration.
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What is a content management system, and how does it work?
A content management system provides an interface to create, organize, edit, and publish website content. Instead of changing code for every update, content teams can work through an administrative dashboard using tools such as a WYSIWYG editor, templates, and publishing controls.
When an editor publishes a blog post, for example, the CMS makes the content available to visitors through the website’s established layout and design. Depending on the platform, developers can customize those layouts, build integrations, and extend the site’s functionality.
The Two Core Parts of a CMS
A CMS typically has two core components:
- Content management application (CMA): The interface content editors and marketers use to create, edit, organize, and manage content. Depending on the CMS, this may include visual editors, templates, media libraries, and approval workflows.
- Content delivery application (CDA): The component responsible for retrieving content and delivering it to website visitors. In a traditional CMS, the delivery system works with the site’s templates and other underlying technology to display published content.
Together, these components let content teams manage website content through an editing interface while the CMS handles much of the work of delivering it to visitors.
Key Features to Look for in a CMS
The most useful CMS features depend on a business’s website requirements, but common capabilities include the following.
- Content editor: Create, edit, and format content, including text and images.
- Page layout tools: Build and modify page layouts using templates or visual editing tools, where supported.
- User roles and permissions: Control who can create, review, edit, and publish content.
- Content organization: Categorize and tag blog posts or organize other content types.
- Approval workflows: Review and approve content before publication.
- Version history: Track changes and restore earlier versions of content.
- Scheduled publishing: Set a date and time for content to go live.
Not every CMS includes all these features in every plan. Businesses should compare their needs with each platform’s features and pricing.
CMS vs. website builder: What’s the difference?
A CMS primarily manages website content, while a website builder provides tools to create and design a website. These functions often overlap.
Self-hosted CMS platforms such as WordPress.org, Drupal, and Joomla typically require businesses to arrange hosting separately. They also offer themes, editing interfaces, and options for extending website design and functionality.
All-in-one website platforms such as HubSpot Content Hub, Squarespace, and Wix combine content management, website-building tools, and managed hosting.
The practical distinction is how much website setup, hosting, and maintenance the platform handles for the business.
CMS vs. DAM: What’s the difference?
A content management system (CMS) and a digital asset management (DAM) system both help organizations manage digital content, but they have different primary purposes.
A CMS manages and publishes content such as:
- Webpages.
- Blog posts.
- Landing pages.
- Other digital experiences.
A DAM organizes and manages digital assets such as:
- Images.
- Videos.
- Audio files.
- Documents.
- Other media.
The two systems can work together. For example, a marketing team might store approved product images and brand videos in a DAM, then use a CMS to publish those assets on webpages.
Many CMS platforms include built-in media libraries. Organizations that need more advanced asset organization, metadata, permissions, or distribution workflows may benefit from a dedicated DAM alongside their existing digital content management tools.
Types of Content Management Systems
Content management systems can be categorized by how they manage and deliver content, where they are hosted, and the organizations they serve. These categories can overlap. For example, a cloud-based CMS can use a traditional, headless, or hybrid architecture.
Five common types of content management systems are traditional self-hosted, cloud-based, headless, hybrid, and enterprise CMS platforms.
Traditional Self-Hosted CMS
A traditional self-hosted CMS connects content management and front-end delivery within one system. It typically includes two connected parts:
- Back end, or the interface where website administrators and content editors create, edit, and manage content.
- Front end, or the part of the website that visitors see and interact with.
Because these components work together, content teams can often create and publish webpages without developing a separate front-end application.
Self-hosting gives businesses control over their hosting environment and CMS installation. It also makes them responsible for arranging hosting, maintaining the software, and managing updates.
WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla are examples of CMS platforms that support traditional self-hosted implementations.
Best for: Businesses that want extensive control over their hosting environment, website functionality, and customization options.
Cloud-Based (SaaS) CMS
A cloud-based, or software-as-a-service (SaaS), CMS is hosted and managed by its provider. The provider typically handles hosting infrastructure, software updates, and underlying platform maintenance.
These cloud content management platforms can reduce the technical work required to operate a website. Many also combine CMS functionality with website-building tools, analytics, marketing features, and other services.
HubSpot Content Hub is an example of a SaaS CMS. It combines content management and website-building tools with managed hosting and native CRM integration.
Businesses comparing cloud-based platforms should also examine their available features, usage limits, and pricing. Learn more about the differences between SaaS CMS platforms and other hosting models.
Best for: Businesses that want managed hosting and less responsibility for software updates, server maintenance, and infrastructure.
Headless CMS
A headless CMS separates content management from front-end presentation. It provides tools to create and manage content without requiring it to appear through a particular website template or presentation system. Developers build the front end separately and connect it to the CMS through application programming interfaces (APIs).
This architecture can deliver content to websites, mobile apps, digital displays, and other channels. It offers flexibility but generally requires more development resources than an all-in-one website builder.
Sanity, Storyblok, and Contentful are examples of headless CMS platforms.
Best for: Businesses with development resources that need to publish content across multiple websites, applications, devices, or channels.
Hybrid CMS
A hybrid CMS combines traditional content-editing tools with the option to deliver content through APIs. Content teams can use visual editors, templates, and page-building tools, while developers can build custom front-end experiences or deliver content to additional channels.
Adobe Experience Manager supports both traditional and headless content delivery approaches.
Best for: Businesses that want visual content management for marketers and API-based content delivery for developers.
Enterprise CMS/DXP
An enterprise CMS supports organizations with complex content management, governance, security, and integration requirements. Enterprise features may include advanced permissions, approval workflows, multisite management, localization, personalization, analytics, and integrations with other business systems.
Some enterprise content platforms are also digital experience platforms (DXPs). A DXP extends beyond content management to help organizations manage digital experiences and personalize content across channels.
Sitecore and Optimizely are examples of enterprise platforms. HubSpot Content Hub also offers enterprise-level functionality for organizations with more advanced content management requirements.
Best for: Large organizations or businesses that need advanced governance, personalization, integrations, and multisite management.
Key Benefits of Using a CMS
A content management system can reduce the time and technical work required to manage a website. Its practical benefits include easier content updates, faster publishing, built-in SEO tools, and collaboration features.
No-Code Updates
Many CMS platforms allow nontechnical team members to create and update website content without writing code. Visual editors, templates, drag-and-drop tools, and reusable content modules can help teams change page copy, images, and layouts through a central interface.
This reduces the need for developers to handle routine content changes. Developers can still manage more advanced website functionality and customization when needed.
Faster Publishing
CMS platforms can help teams turn finished content into published webpages using templates, reusable components, and publishing workflows. Instead of creating each page from scratch, teams can reuse existing designs and schedule content for publication.
For example, HubSpot Content Hub provides website themes and editing tools. Its blog software helps teams create, manage, and publish blog posts within the same content platform.
SEO Support
Many CMS platforms include tools that help teams optimize website content for search engines. Depending on the platform, these features can include editing page titles and meta descriptions, managing URLs, creating internal links, generating XML sitemaps, and identifying SEO issues.
These tools don’t replace an SEO strategy, but they can make routine optimization easier. HubSpot Content Hub, for example, includes SEO recommendations and tools that help teams prepare website content for search visibility.
Easier Collaboration
A CMS gives marketers, writers, designers, developers, and other team members a shared environment for managing website content. Depending on the platform and plan, teams can use permissions, approval workflows, version history, and centralized content libraries to coordinate their work.
These features help organizations control who can edit or publish content and keep track of changes across their websites.
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How to Choose the Right CMS for Your Business
Choosing a CMS starts with identifying what a website needs to do and how the team will manage it. Businesses should compare platforms based on required features, technical resources, scalability, cost, and input from the people who will use the system.
The following six steps provide a practical selection process.
1. Build a list of the features your website needs.
Before comparing CMS platforms, identify the features the website needs to support.
Pro tip: Create separate lists of essential features and optional features. This makes it easier to compare platforms without choosing a product based on features the business may never use.
Consider the following requirements.
- Ecommerce: Will the website sell products or services, or will it primarily provide information?
- User registration: Will visitors need accounts, or will access be limited to internal team members?
- Content personalization: Does the business need to show different content to different visitors?
- Content editing: Does the team need a basic text editor, visual page-building tools, or both?
- Design and templates: How much control does the business need over page layouts and the website’s appearance?
- Integrations: Which CRM, analytics, marketing, or other business tools must connect to the CMS? Will custom API integrations be necessary?
- SEO: Which technical and on-page SEO features must the CMS support?
- Permissions and workflows: Who will create, review, approve, and publish content?
Use the completed list to identify platforms that support the business’s most important requirements.
2. Assess your team’s technical skills.
Businesses generally have two approaches to consider.
- Self-hosted CMS: The business arranges web hosting and installs CMS software such as WordPress or Joomla. This provides control over the hosting environment but may require more technical maintenance.
- All-in-one website platform: The business uses a service such as HubSpot, Squarespace, or Wix that combines content management, website-building tools, and hosting.
A self-hosted CMS may suit a team with development resources and specific customization needs. An all-in-one platform may be more practical when marketers and content editors need to manage the website with limited technical support.
Neither approach is automatically more portable. Businesses should review content export options, design dependencies, integrations, and migration requirements before deciding.
3. Plan for scalability.
A CMS should support the website’s expected growth in traffic, content, users, and functionality.
CMS
Consider whether the platform can accommodate additional content types, users, websites, integrations, and publishing workflows.
Some CMS platforms use plugins or extensions to add functionality. Others offer advanced capabilities through higher subscription tiers. Compare what is available in each plan and identify which features the business may need as it grows.
Web Hosting
Website traffic affects hosting requirements, including bandwidth, storage, and server resources. With a self-hosted CMS, businesses must choose a hosting provider and ensure the hosting plan supports their website’s traffic and performance requirements.
Managed platforms such as HubSpot Content Hub handle much of the underlying website infrastructure. Businesses should still review their subscriptions for applicable usage limits, performance commitments, and additional charges.
4. Calculate your budget.
CMS costs include more than the software subscription. Open-source software such as WordPress can be free to download, but running a website still costs money. A business may need to budget for:
- Software subscriptions or licenses.
- Domain registration and web hosting.
- Premium themes, plugins, or integrations.
- Developer or agency services.
- Ongoing maintenance and security.
- Additional users, websites, or usage-based charges.
Create an estimated first-year budget and an ongoing annual budget before narrowing the platform choices.
5. Build your shortlist.
Use the requirements and budget to narrow the CMS options to a manageable shortlist. Three candidates can provide a useful starting point. Compare the candidates against the same criteria, including ease of use, required features, customization, security, support, and total cost.
The seven platforms below illustrate different approaches to content management and provide a starting point for that comparison.
6. Discuss the options with your team.
Share the shortlist with the people responsible for creating, managing, developing, and maintaining the website. Marketing teams should evaluate content editing and publishing workflows. Technical teams should review hosting, security, integrations, customization, and maintenance requirements.
A CMS that satisfies technical requirements but makes routine content updates difficult may not be the best choice. Once the teams agree on their requirements and preferred platform, the business can plan implementation and migration, if necessary.
Best CMS Platforms
The best CMS depends on a business’s technical resources, content requirements, and budget. The following seven platforms offer different combinations of website-building tools, content management features, hosting, and customization options.
This comparison provides an overview before examining each platform in more detail.
1. HubSpot Content Hub
HubSpot Content Hub is a content management system that combines website-building tools, content management, managed hosting, and native CRM integration.
Businesses can create and manage website pages, publish blog posts, track content performance, and use HubSpot’s CRM data to support more personalized experiences. Content Hub also connects with HubSpot’s marketing, sales, and service tools.
Content Hub is designed for teams that want to manage website content and related marketing activities within one platform. Its visual editing tools make routine content updates accessible to team members without extensive development experience.
Key Features
- Website creation and editing: Build pages using website themes, templates, and drag-and-drop editing tools. The HubSpot Marketplace includes themes teams can customize to fit their brands.
- CRM-powered personalization: Use smart content to display different content based on visitor information. Smart content is available in Content Hub Professional and Enterprise, with specific capabilities depending on the content type.
- Marketing and website management: Track content performance, connect with HubSpot Marketplace integrations, and access HubSpot’s content and marketing tools. Available capabilities include SEO recommendations, blogging, lead capture, and, on eligible plans, A/B testing and other advanced features.
Content Hub includes built-in website security features, including a global content delivery network (CDN) and web application firewall (WAF). HubSpot manages underlying platform security and hosting infrastructure, reducing the need for businesses to maintain those systems themselves.
HubSpot also offers AI tools for tasks such as creating and editing content. Individual features, agents, and usage limits depend on the products and subscriptions a business uses.
Best for: Small to large businesses that want their website connected to CRM data, marketing tools, and managed hosting.
What we like: Content Hub’s native CRM integration lets marketing teams manage website content alongside customer information. Its combination of visual editing, personalization, analytics, integrations, and managed hosting is particularly useful for businesses that already use other HubSpot products.
Pricing
Content Hub plans include the following.
- Free: $0/month, with free tools for up to two users.
- Starter: Standard pricing starts at $20/month per Core Seat. HubSpot currently advertises limited-time introductory pricing from $7/month per seat for eligible new customers.
- Professional: Starts at $450/month with annual billing and includes three Core Seats.
- Enterprise: Starts at $1,500/month and includes five Core Seats.
Professional adds more advanced content management and personalization capabilities. Enterprise adds features for organizations with complex requirements, including multisite management, additional access controls, activity logging, and serverless functions.
Additional seats, certain features, and usage-based services may cost extra.
Example of a Brand Using HubSpot: The Chopping Block
The Chopping Block, a culinary school in Chicago, used HubSpot’s CMS for a website redesign that launched in April 2015. According to a HubSpot case study, the school wanted a more interactive website that connected its digital content with its marketing efforts. During the nine months following the redesign, The Chopping Block reported a 139% increase in leads generated through its website.
2. WordPress
WordPress is a free, open-source content management system that began as blogging software and grew into a widely used platform for many types of websites. This comparison focuses on WordPress.org, the self-hosted version. WordPress.org differs from WordPress.com, which offers managed website hosting and related services.
WordPress is especially popular with publishers, bloggers, and businesses that need flexibility in managing website content. Its block editor supports visual content creation, while themes and plugins let users customize their websites’ design and functionality.
HubSpot's Free Website Builder
Create and customize your own business website with an easy drag-and-drop website builder.
- Build a website without any coding skills.
- Pre-built themes and templates.
- Built-in marketing tools and features.
- And more!
Key Features
-
Publishing tools: WordPress includes a block-based editor for creating pages and posts, organizing media, and developing layouts without writing code for routine content updates.
-
Themes and plugins: The official WordPress plugin directory lists more than 76,000 free plugins, along with thousands of available themes. For example, the HubSpot WordPress plugin connects HubSpot forms, live chat, and CRM tools to WordPress websites.
-
Flexible hosting and development: Businesses can choose hosting providers, customize themes, and extend website functionality through plugins or custom code. Managed WordPress hosting, including services from providers such as Hostinger, can simplify installation, updates, and maintenance.
WordPress’s flexibility comes with maintenance responsibilities. Site owners need to manage software updates, plugin compatibility, backups, and website security. Some advanced functionality requires development work.
WordPress also offers enterprise-oriented managed solutions. WordPress VIP, for example, provides a managed WordPress platform for organizations with more complex publishing and scalability needs.
WordPress includes a built-in update system for managing core software, plugins, and themes. However, websites can become vulnerable when plugins, themes, or other components are outdated or poorly maintained.
According to Wordfence’s 2024 Annual WordPress Security Report, plugins accounted for 96% of the WordPress software vulnerabilities disclosed in 2024. Businesses using WordPress should review extensions before installing them, keep components updated, and use appropriate security and backup measures.
Best for: Small to large businesses, publishers, and website owners that need strong blogging tools, flexible customization, and control over their hosting arrangements.
What we like: WordPress gives businesses substantial control over website design, hosting, and publishing. Its extensive plugin ecosystem lets website owners add functionality without building every feature themselves, though plugins require ongoing oversight.
Pricing
WordPress.org software is free to download and use, but operating a website typically requires paid hosting and a domain name. Premium themes, plugins, managed services, and custom development can increase the cost.
Website Builder Expert estimates that a typical WordPress.org website may cost approximately
40 per month to run, with around $200 in one-time setup costs. These are experience-based estimates from a third-party guide, rather than official WordPress prices. More complex websites and custom development can cost substantially more.
Example of a Brand Using WordPress: TechCrunch
Technology publisher TechCrunch described its use of WordPress when it announced a major website redesign in 2018.
The publication explained its decision to continue using WordPress:
“[WordPress] handles content authoring, delivering, and caching very well. There’s a reason it’s the CMS powering around a quarter of the internet, and let’s be real — our small team isn’t going to reinvent that wheel and do it better than WordPress’s massive community already has.”
TechCrunch used a headless WordPress implementation for that redesign. WordPress managed the content, while a separately developed front end controlled how the website displayed it.
3. Drupal
Drupal is a free, open-source content management system for building websites with complex content structures, permissions, and integration requirements.
Drupal offers two related starting points. Drupal Core provides the underlying CMS framework and extensive customization options for developers. Drupal CMS, launched in January 2025, packages Drupal with tools and features designed to make website creation easier for marketers and content teams.
Both approaches use Drupal’s underlying technology, but the setup experience and technical resources needed can differ.
Key Features
-
Flexible content modeling: Developers can define custom content types, fields, relationships, and display options to support complex websites.
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Modules and themes: The official Drupal module directory lists more than 56,000 modules, while its theme directory provides additional design options. Modules can extend functionality or integrate Drupal with other systems.
-
Security and maintenance tools: Drupal has a dedicated security team that coordinates security advisories and fixes. Supported Drupal CMS configurations also offer automatic update capabilities, although site owners must still maintain extensions, hosting, and other components.
Drupal Core provides substantial development flexibility, but configuring a custom implementation may require knowledge of PHP, HTML, CSS, and Drupal’s architecture.
Teams looking for a more prepared starting point can consider Drupal CMS or other Drupal distributions.
Best for: Organizations with developers or technical partners that need advanced content modeling, permissions, integrations, and customization. Drupal CMS also gives teams with fewer technical resources a more accessible starting point than a Drupal Core installation built from scratch.
What we like: Drupal provides extensive control over how you organize and deliver content. Its configurable content types, permissions, modules, and APIs can be valuable for organizations managing complex websites and large content libraries.
Pricing
Drupal Core and Drupal CMS are free to download and use. Businesses still need to account for hosting, domain registration, development, maintenance, and potentially paid services or integrations.
The total cost depends heavily on the project’s complexity. A relatively simple site using existing components can cost considerably less than an enterprise website requiring custom integrations and development. Businesses that need extensive customization should obtain development and maintenance estimates before choosing Drupal.
Example of a Brand Using Drupal: UNICEF
UNICEF uses Drupal across much of its global digital infrastructure. A July 2026 case study published by Drupal describes an ecosystem of approximately 180 Drupal websites supporting UNICEF’s work across more than 190 countries.
UNICEF shows how organizations with multiple regional websites and complex publishing requirements can use Drupal to manage digital content at scale.
4. Webflow
Webflow combines website design tools, content management, and managed hosting in one platform. Its visual design interface targets designers, agencies, and marketing teams that want substantial control over how websites look and behave.
Webflow lets users design and style webpages through a visual interface rather than manually writing HTML and CSS for every element. However, familiarity with web design concepts, such as responsive layouts and CSS classes, makes its more advanced capabilities easier to use.
Key Features
- Visual website design: Build and style pages using Webflow’s Designer, including layout, typography, spacing, and responsive design controls.
- Templates and reusable components: Choose from more than 7,000 website templates, or create designs from scratch. Reusable components allow teams to maintain consistent elements, such as navigation menus and footers, across multiple pages.
- Apps, integrations, and custom code: Add functionality through apps and integrations, including the Webflow integration for HubSpot. Custom code can extend a site’s functionality when the applicable plan supports it.
Webflow’s design tools can accommodate detailed customization. Designers can work with HTML elements, layout controls, styling properties, and a class-based design system.
For teams maintaining multiple pages, reusable components help keep updates to shared design elements consistent across the site.
Webflow also offers built-in hosting and security capabilities, including SSL certificates, two-factor authentication, and other protections. Some security, permissions, backup, and support features vary by plan.
Best for: Designers, agencies, and marketing teams that want detailed visual control over their websites without managing their own hosting infrastructure.
What we like: Webflow’s visual design system provides detailed control over site appearance while keeping hosting and content management in the same platform. It is especially useful for teams that need custom designs and have the design skills to work with its interface.
Pricing
Webflow’s website plans include the following.
- Starter: Free, with a Webflow.io subdomain, up to two static pages, and 1 GB of bandwidth.
- Basic: $15/month with annual billing, including a custom domain and 300 static pages.
- Premium: $25/month with annual billing, including CMS functionality and 50 GB of bandwidth.
- Team: $2,500/month with an annual contract, providing additional capabilities for larger teams.
- Enterprise: Custom pricing for organizations that need enterprise-level features and support.
Webflow also offers separate ecommerce plans with annual billing:
- Standard: $29/month, with up to 500 ecommerce items and a 2% Webflow transaction fee.
- Plus: $74/month, with up to 5,000 ecommerce items and no additional Webflow transaction fee.
- Advanced: $212/month, with up to 15,000 ecommerce items and no additional Webflow transaction fee.
Businesses should compare site, team, and ecommerce requirements before choosing a plan. Some features, capacity increases, and additional services may cost extra.
Example of a Brand Using Webflow: Lattice
Lattice switched to Webflow for a website rebrand, completed in just two weeks. The team used Webflow to create new pages and templates that matched brand guidelines. The resulting site saw a 20% increase in traffic.
5. Joomla
Joomla is a free, open-source CMS that combines content management tools with features such as multilingual publishing, user permissions, and an extension system.
It offers more built-in configuration options than some simpler website builders, making it useful for organizations that need to manage more complex websites. However, installing, customizing, and maintaining a self-hosted Joomla website may require technical knowledge.
Key Features
- Built-in content management tools: Create articles, manage menus and media, configure user permissions, and organize content through Joomla’s administrative interface.
- Multilingual publishing and customization: Support multiple languages and extend website functionality through the official Joomla Extensions Directory, which provides thousands of extensions.
- Security and updates: Joomla has a dedicated Security Strike Team and supports automatic core updates in compatible configurations of newer versions.
Joomla gives administrators control over content organization, templates, permissions, and other site settings. Some businesses may need developer assistance to customize the website or configure more advanced functionality.
As with other self-hosted CMS platforms, Joomla site owners are responsible for hosting, extensions, backups, and ongoing maintenance. Automatic update capabilities don’t eliminate the need to review extensions and maintain the surrounding website environment.
Best for: Businesses and organizations that want an open-source CMS with built-in multilingual capabilities and flexible site administration, especially when they have technical resources.
What we like: Joomla provides a broad range of content management and administration capabilities within an open-source platform. Its multilingual features, access controls, and extension ecosystem suit businesses that need more than a basic website builder.
Pricing
Joomla software is free to download and use. Businesses generally pay for web hosting, a domain name, and any premium extensions, templates, development, or maintenance services they need. Costs vary according to the site’s complexity and the level of outside technical support required.
Example of a Brand Using Joomla: Moussa & Omeiri Foundation
Moussa & Omeiri Foundation features in Joomla’s website showcase as an example of an organization that has used the CMS. Its inclusion illustrates Joomla’s use in a nonprofit website. Joomla tools were used to improve SEO performance and search engine indexing.
6. Shopify
Shopify is an all-in-one ecommerce platform that helps businesses create and manage online stores. It combines content management with product catalogs, checkout, payments, managed hosting, and tools for running an online retail business.
According to W3Techs, Shopify powers 7.9% of websites whose CMS can be identified, making it the second-most-used CMS after WordPress as of October 2026. Shopify is designed primarily for ecommerce. Businesses that need an informational website or blog without online selling capabilities may find another CMS more appropriate.
Key Features
- Online store management: Shopify includes product management, checkout, payment options, order management, analytics, and other tools for running an online business.
- Themes, apps, and customization: The official Shopify Theme Store lists more than 1,300 themes, and the Shopify App Store offers more than 16,000 apps. Businesses can use these tools to customize their stores and connect additional services.
- Managed hosting and security: Shopify maintains its hosting infrastructure, handles platform updates, and provides online commerce security features.
Shopify offers templates and visual editing tools to help merchants set up their stores. It also provides blogging capabilities and marketing-related features. Businesses that need more specialized functionality can install apps or modify their themes. Developers can customize Shopify themes using Liquid, Shopify’s template language.
Because Shopify is a hosted, proprietary platform, businesses have less control over its underlying software and hosting than they would with a self-hosted, open-source CMS.
Shopify states that its stores are PCI compliant by default, helping merchants meet important payment security requirements. Businesses remain responsible for other security practices relevant to their operations.
Best for: Ecommerce businesses, online retailers, and first-time sellers that want an integrated platform for managing products, payments, orders, and their websites.
What we like: Shopify puts the essential tools for operating an online store in one place. Its combination of checkout, payments, product management, hosting, and apps makes it a practical choice for businesses whose websites primarily support ecommerce.
HubSpot's Free Website Builder
Create and customize your own business website with an easy drag-and-drop website builder.
- Build a website without any coding skills.
- Pre-built themes and templates.
- Built-in marketing tools and features.
- And more!
Pricing
Shopify’s main plans, based on annual billing, include the following.
- Basic: $29/month.
- Grow: $79/month, with additional staff accounts and features for growing teams.
- Advanced: $299/month, with more advanced reporting, international selling, and shipping-related capabilities.
- Plus: From $2,300/month on a three-year term, with additional features for larger and more complex businesses.
Shopify plans include hosting and SSL certificates. Businesses may pay separately for a custom domain, premium themes, apps, and other services. Payment processing charges and additional transaction fees can also affect the overall cost, depending on the plan and payment provider.
Example of a Brand Using Shopify: Briogeo
Briogeo is a hair care brand whose direct-to-consumer store runs on Shopify, according to a Klaviyo customer case study. Its online store illustrates how an ecommerce website can bring together product pages, navigation, customer accounts, checkout, and other shopping features.
The example is useful for seeing Shopify’s ecommerce capabilities in practice, although individual store features and third-party integrations may change over time.
7. Storyblok
Storyblok is a headless content management system that combines API-based content delivery with visual editing tools for content teams. In a headless CMS, content is managed separately from the website or application that displays it. Developers build the front end and connect it to the CMS through APIs, while editors manage the content behind the scenes.
Storyblok aims to make this architecture accessible to marketers by offering a visual editor, reusable content components, and collaboration tools. According to Storyblok, more than 177,000 developers and content professionals use its platform.
Key Features
- Visual content editing: Storyblok’s visual editor lets content teams preview and edit content in the context of a webpage, using reusable components and editing controls.
- Headless content delivery: APIs allow developers to deliver managed content to websites, apps, digital displays, and other channels.
- Localization and collaboration: Tools for multilingual content, roles, workflows, and collaboration help organizations manage content across teams and regions. Available capabilities depend on the subscription.
Storyblok’s visual editor helps content teams work with a front-end preview rather than relying entirely on a form-based editing interface. Developers can define reusable content structures and extend the CMS with plugins, including field, tool, and space plugins. Organizations can also use Storyblok’s localization features to create and manage content for different languages and markets.
Storyblok is hosted using cloud infrastructure and provides security features such as access controls, monitoring, and a web application firewall. Organizations should review available security features and contractual commitments for their chosen plan.
Best for: Organizations with development resources that want a headless CMS while providing marketers and content editors with a visual editing experience.
What we like: Storyblok combines the flexibility of a headless CMS with a visual editing environment that can make content management more approachable for nontechnical team members. Its reusable content components and localization tools are particularly helpful for businesses managing content across multiple markets or digital channels.
Pricing
Storyblok’s plans, with annual billing where applicable, include the following.
- Starter: Free, with one included user seat, one space, 100 GB of monthly traffic, 100,000 monthly API requests, and 25,000 monthly AI credits.
- Growth: $90.75/month, with five included seats, 400 GB of monthly traffic, 1 million monthly API requests, and 100,000 monthly AI credits.
- Growth Plus: $319.91/month, with 15 included seats, 1 TB of monthly traffic, 4 million monthly API requests, and 200,000 monthly AI credits.
- Premium and Elite: Custom pricing, with advanced enterprise features and usage allowances determined by the agreement.
Businesses should compare their expected traffic, API usage, seats, locales, and additional feature requirements before choosing a plan.
Example of a Brand Using Storyblok: Oatly
Swedish oat milk company Oatly used Storyblok to expand its international web presence. According to a Storyblok case study, Oatly launched 16 global websites in two months, using Storyblok’s content management and localization tools.
The case study illustrates how a headless CMS with visual editing and localization capabilities can support international website projects. The implementation timeline is a vendor-reported customer result.
How to Build a Website with a Content Management System
Building a website with a CMS generally involves six steps. The exact process depends on whether the business chooses a self-hosted CMS or a managed website platform.
- Choose hosting and a domain. Self-hosted CMS platforms typically require separate web hosting and a domain name. Hosted platforms provide hosting, and some let businesses start with a platform-branded subdomain before buying a custom domain.
- Set up the CMS. For self-hosted software such as WordPress or Joomla, install the CMS through the hosting provider or another supported setup method. With a hosted platform such as HubSpot Content Hub, create an account and follow the website setup process instead.
- Choose and customize a website design. Use the CMS’s themes, templates, or design tools to establish the site’s appearance and layout. For example, the HubSpot Marketplace offers website themes that businesses can customize.
- Add website content. Create the necessary pages, upload images, organize navigation, and add content using the CMS editor.
- Configure additional features. Install compatible extensions, apps, or integrations when the website needs functionality beyond what the CMS provides. Configure user permissions, SEO settings, and other relevant options.
- Test and publish the website. Review pages on different devices, test navigation and forms, check key links, and confirm the site’s settings are correct. Then publish the website or connect its domain, depending on the platform’s launch process.
After launch, businesses should continue updating their content, monitoring performance, and maintaining any software or integrations they manage.
Frequently Asked Questions About CMS Platforms
What is the most commonly used CMS?
WordPress is the most commonly used CMS. According to W3Techs data, it powers approximately 39.6% of all websites and 58.3% of websites whose CMS W3Techs can identify as of October 2026.
What is the easiest CMS for beginners?
An all-in-one website platform is often a good starting point for beginners, combining content management with website-building tools and managed hosting. HubSpot Content Hub is useful for businesses that want website content connected to CRM and marketing tools. Shopify is designed for businesses that want to create online stores, while WordPress.com offers managed hosting.
The best choice depends on the website type, required features, and how much technical work the business wants to manage.
What are the main types of CMS?
Three common CMS architectures are traditional, headless, and hybrid.
A traditional CMS connects content management and presentation. A headless CMS separates content management from the front end, while a hybrid CMS supports both traditional publishing tools and API-based content delivery.
CMS platforms can also be categorized by hosting model, such as self-hosted or software-as-a-service, and by intended use, such as enterprise content management.
Do I need technical skills to use a CMS?
Not necessarily. Many CMS platforms offer visual editors and publishing tools that allow nontechnical users to update content without writing code.
However, setting up and maintaining a self-hosted CMS may require technical knowledge, while implementing a headless CMS generally requires developers to build or connect the front end.
How much does a CMS really cost?
CMS costs depend on the platform, hosting model, and website requirements.
WordPress.org and other open-source CMS platforms are free to download, but businesses typically pay for hosting, a domain, and any premium themes, plugins, or development services they need.
Hosted platforms often combine CMS software, website-building tools, and hosting within a subscription. For example, HubSpot Content Hub offers free tools, while Starter has standard pricing beginning at $20/month per Core Seat. HubSpot also advertises temporary introductory offers for eligible new customers.
When comparing platforms, businesses should consider the total cost of hosting, design, maintenance, integrations, support, and any usage-based charges.
Can I switch CMS platforms later?
Yes, but moving a website between CMS platforms can require substantial work.
For example, a business moving from Squarespace to a self-hosted WordPress website may be able to export some content. Still, it generally cannot transfer the Squarespace design as a ready-to-use WordPress theme.
The business may need to recreate page layouts, move content and media, reconnect integrations, and set up redirects to preserve important URLs.
Before choosing a CMS, businesses should review its content export options and consider how difficult a future migration might be.
Picking the Best CMS for Your Business
The right CMS depends on what a business needs to publish, which tools its team uses, and how much control it wants over website hosting and development. Before choosing a platform, compare the features that matter most, test the content-editing experience, and account for the full cost of running the website.
For businesses that want website-building tools connected to CRM data and marketing features, HubSpot Content Hub offers a managed option with free tools available. Get started with HubSpot’s Free Website Builder.
Editor’s note: This post was originally published in February 2020 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.
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