Reference Map
The CMS Landscape Map
A reference of the platforms readers commonly encounter, grouped by category and tagged for momentum. Neutral descriptions. Not a ranking. Not a recommendation.
By Jae S. Jung 
By Jae S. Jung Looking for which platforms fit your situation?
This page describes what each platform is. Fit recommendations by business situation live in our CMS selection guide.
The content management space is split between platforms designed for traditional website use cases (a CMS that owns content and presentation together, serving HTML to browsers) and platforms designed for content-everywhere use cases (a CMS that owns content only, with content flowing to websites, mobile apps, AI assistants, partner APIs, and other surfaces simultaneously).
"Modern" here does not mean "better universally." It means designed for the constraints of how software is now built. An organization with a single marketing website does not need the architecture of a content-everywhere platform. An organization shipping content to web, iOS, Android, and a partner API at the same time cannot use a traditional CMS sensibly. The honest framing is not old versus new. It is designed for old constraints versus new constraints.
The labels below indicate momentum, not quality: Established means mature, widely deployed, and under ongoing development. Modern means newer, designed for current architectures, and gaining momentum. Legacy means still in use but rarely chosen for new builds.
Traditional Website CMS
Platforms that own both content and presentation. Strong for sites where the CMS-managed website is the primary product.
WordPress
EstablishedOpen source. Self-hosted or managed (WordPress.com, WP Engine, WordPress VIP). Runs roughly 40 percent of the web.
Drupal
EstablishedOpen source. Self-hosted. Strong public-sector track record. Accessibility and security considered as core platform concerns.
Joomla
LegacyOpen source. Self-hosted. Once a major WordPress competitor. Still actively maintained but rarely chosen for new projects.
Modern Headless CMS
Platforms that own content only, exposing it through an API. The website or application is built separately and consumes content via the API. Designed for content flowing to many surfaces.
Payload CMS
ModernOpen source. Self-hosted (or Payload Cloud). Code-first content modeling. TypeScript-native. Full ownership.
Sanity
ModernHosted (Sanity managed). Strong API. Real-time collaboration. Structured content with portable text.
Strapi
ModernOpen source. Self-hosted (or Strapi Cloud). Node.js-based. Customizable admin interface.
Contentful
ModernHosted SaaS. Enterprise-mature. Strong editor experience. Vendor-locked infrastructure.
Storyblok
ModernHosted SaaS. Visual editor for non-technical content creators. Component-based structure.
Directus
ModernOpen source. Self-hosted (or Directus Cloud). Database-first, wraps any SQL database with an API and admin panel.
Hosted Website Builders
Fully hosted platforms with bundled hosting, themes, and editing tools. Trade flexibility for simplicity. The right tool when speed to launch and ease of use are the primary requirements.
Squarespace
EstablishedHosted. Polished templates. Built-in commerce. Limited customization beyond what the platform offers.
Wix
EstablishedHosted. Drag-and-drop editor. Large template library. Locked into the Wix ecosystem.
Webflow
ModernHosted. Designer-oriented visual editor. Generates clean code. Bridges the gap between builder and code.
Shopify
EstablishedHosted. Commerce-first platform with a CMS attached. Strong for e-commerce, light for content-led sites.
Enterprise CMS
Large-scale platforms typically licensed by enterprise organizations with substantial in-house technical teams. High capability, high cost, high implementation complexity.
Adobe Experience Manager
EstablishedCommercial. Enterprise-scale. High licensing cost. Used primarily by large organizations with substantial in-house technical teams and an existing Adobe ecosystem investment.
Sitecore
EstablishedCommercial. Enterprise digital experience platform. Strong personalization and marketing automation. .NET-based. Substantial licensing and implementation costs.
Less Common for New Builds
Platforms still in active use at organizations that adopted them years ago, but rarely chosen for new development today. Reasons vary: shrinking developer pools, ownership changes, or simply being supplanted by newer alternatives.
Mura CMS
LegacyColdFusion-based. Open source variant Masa CMS continues development. Active deployments remain in education and mid-market organizations.
Hippo CMS / Bloomreach Content
LegacyJava-based. Acquired by Bloomreach and folded into a broader commerce platform. Standalone deployments remain in enterprise contexts.
This catalog is a reference. The platforms that fit your specific situation are named in the CMS selection guide. A platform's category indicates its current momentum, not its quality. Some "Legacy" platforms remain the right choice for specific organizations. Some "Modern" platforms will not be the right choice for organizations whose constraints have not changed.
Companion Guide
Now you have seen the landscape. Which one fits your situation?
Our CMS selection guide walks through how to choose, organized by business situation: small business, government and compliance, application development, high-volume publishing, and platform switching.
Need help choosing the right platform?
The recommendation follows the situation. Let us understand yours first, then advise honestly, even when the answer is to stay where you are.