Best Content Management System to Use in 2025 (Free & Paid)

Content management systems (CMS) are handy tools for website owners who want to manage content effectively. Today, many different CMS are available in the market, each with unique benefits and features.

In this article, we are going to introduce you to the top 10 CMS of 2025 that are most popular with users and developers.

What is a Content Management System?

A Content Management System, more commonly known as a CMS, is a web-based platform that allows website owners to easily manage their content without needing an IT specialist or programmer. These solutions were developed to simplify the creation and management of websites, resulting in an explosion of possibilities.

There are several types of CMS today, each with advantages and disadvantages. Most CMS are free and open source; their code can be modified to meet user needs.

11 Best Content Management System

WordPress.org

Launched in 2003, WordPress is the world’s leading CMS. Open source and accessible, it is a complete content management system in terms of use. With more than a thousand pre-established themes, it ensures the simplified creation of a website or an e-commerce site.

Moreover, as a strongly Google-friendly platform, WordPress provides real-time SEO analysis of a site through its Yoast SEO plugin. The platform also allows web development insiders to analyze the site’s PHP database.

Intuitive, this system allows rapid modification of a site’s content, whether at the textual or visual level. Designed primarily for blogging, WordPress makes it easy to update posts regularly and publish new content. Another strong point is that a forum is available to solve any blockage encountered. With approximately 40% of sites listed, this platform owes its durability to its versatility and responsiveness.

Wix

Suitable for novices, Wix is ​​one of the easiest site-building tools. Indeed, even for users with no HTML knowledge, the platform offers 500 customizable templates. This modular approach aims to align the final site’s branding with the company’s brand. Wix allows for intuitive integration of various image- and video-type media, further showcasing its versatility. Thus, the platform guarantees that any site’s raw creation and content modifications can be made at any time.

Another advantage of the Wix platform is that it offers many features that allow adding social networks or subscribing to the site owner’s newsletter. However, Wix is ​​not a responsive CMS, so the site’s display may differ depending on the device used. To remedy this, it is necessary to organize the displayed content blocks manually.

Also Read: Content Distribution Tools: Amplifying SEM Content Reach

Webflow

Still growing, Webflow is recognized as one of the best code-free website builders, making it an ideal platform for Webflow development. This builder pushes its interface towards its content-moderating functions. Among other things, this CMS includes a drag-and-drop feature that makes it easy to import any element. This platform puts personalization on a pedestal by combining the best features of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. The design can be modified down to the pixel level for greater precision.

Webflow also offers SSL (Secure Sockets Layer), providing security for data and the site’s source code. Each site created with this CMS is also subject to ISO27018, a standard for protecting data hosted in the cloud. This certification also applies to automatic backups performed by the platform. In addition, the elements stored in Webflow are reusable, facilitating the standardization of the site’s design.

PrestaShop

Since its launch in 2007, the PrestaShop solution has grown in popularity. The notoriety of the CMS owes to its reactivity, lightness, and accessibility. PrestaShop offers a fully free native version for personal use or launching a digital activity.

This platform also ensures reliability since it is modular and compatible with many international VPNs. Another strong point of this CMS is that it allows the integration of a large volume of catalogs without limits on referencing.

In addition, PrestaShop is intuitive at all levels, whether in the back office or the front end. On the technical side, this CMS is compatible with most web servers when PHP and MySQL are installed upstream. With a structured navigation window, PrestaShop enables quick, efficient site configuration. In addition, this CMS offers a responsive design for smartphone displays, a significant asset.

Joomla

This platform is the second-most-used CMS after WordPress. From installation to configuration, the Joomla system is intuitive, making learning easier. Joomla enjoys an ergonomic environment where users can list different types of files. This flexibility in content management allows this CMS to integrate several styles on the same site. The free version of Joomla is multilingual, supporting 64 languages, and allows exporting code in the user’s preferred language.

In addition, Joomla has almost infallible security. Although it requires basic knowledge of computer programming, this platform has more than 600,000 users who can help novices. However, the platform still needs to be considered more convenient by Google and is subject to restricted positioning. Joomla is thus oriented to creating large-scale presentation sites for professional use.

Drupal

Because of its security, Drupal is the preferred CMS for large-scale projects. With the addition of multi-functional plugins, this system provides users with great flexibility. A godsend for organization maniacs, Drupal integrates an information classification system. It also has a structured, scalable architecture that enhances ergonomics in content management. Drupal supports a multitude of languages ​​for the necessary copies.  

Powered by a responsive, diverse community, Drupal has become a complete CMS. Moreover, with a back-end for web developers, this tool can be used to create a wide range of sites. Thanks to very advanced personalization, Drupal enables a complete contextualization of the site’s final purpose and regular updates. The latest, innovative version, Drupal 8, offers better functional coverage for blogs or showcase sites.

Contentful

This content infrastructure manages data for a site or application. Focused on responsive design, each site created by this Headless CMS offers a display depending on the support screen. This functionality is the strong point of this revolutionary CMS. Contentful allows users to organize site elements to improve the visitor experience. In addition, this option allows the reuse and distribution of content used on the site.

With its dedicated AWS cloud, the Contentful service manages and secures the site’s data. The pinnacle of international openness, Contentful also uses several CDNs (Content Delivery Networks) located in the four corners of the globe. Also, a site running on Contentful has no latency due to its distance from the central server. Belonging to the new generation of CMS, Contentful offers a cloud migration service to migrate any site to its platform, helping avoid the loss of user data.

Hygraph

Hygraph is a GraphQL-native, API-first headless CMS that allows teams to manage and deliver content across any platform or device. It’s designed for flexibility, enabling developers to build without backend constraints while giving content creators an intuitive, low-code interface for managing complex content models.

With features such as Content Federation (unifying multiple data sources into a single API), real-time previews, localization, granular permissions, and version control, Hygraph is ideal for businesses delivering content at scale. It also offers enterprise-grade security and compliance, including SOC 2 Type 2 and GDPR.

Whether you’re building websites, apps, or multi-channel experiences, Hygraph streamlines content delivery and empowers teams to create rich, consistent digital experiences.

Also Read: Best Campaign Management Software to Use

Sitefinity

Simplicity and efficiency are the watchwords of this CMS. Sitefinity is designed to adapt to the site’s evolutionary growth. Adding new elements is done thanks to the modern and intuitive tools of the platform for a gain in productivity. Content creators, developers, and Sitefinity users are satisfied with the platform’s simplified handling. At the forefront of personalization, Sitefinity guarantees multi-channel delivery and an adaptive UX function.

In sum, Sitefinity is as practical for selling as it is for news. Continuously improving, the platform offers feature updates or bug fixes. A lever for SEO referencing, Sitefinity has several integrated tools to guarantee the visibility of the site’s content in the jungle of the web.

CMS Hub

CMS Hub differs from its competitors by being the only CMS integrated with a CRM by default. This initiative allows you to centralize all your data on a single platform. The latter is therefore dedicated to sales or interactive sites focused on the visitor experience. Its intuitive interface makes data management and editing simple. Moreover, CMS Hub allows users to use customizable, pre-made themes to create sites without web programming.

Additionally, its technical side complements its practicality by creating forms and CTA buttons. In addition, the final site has increased dynamics and allows reactive data collection to support visitors. Finally, this CMS allows for site migration while retaining user data.

Magento

Magento is the CMS par excellence for creating e-commerce sites. It is mainly because of its seniority and community, which improve it daily. This open-source CMS allows managing multiple stores simultaneously and supports a wide range of programming languages. This feature facilitates publishing the same product across different sites and stock pooling.

This system is also rich in native features and requires minimal module installation. Web marketers thus favor Magento for its international scope and marketing optimization tools.

Besides, Magento is the epitome of online selling. Magento provides comprehensive e-commerce configuration, from managing individual products to managing catalogs. For natural referencing enthusiasts, the platform can offer an exciting SEO placement to the final site.

Very connected, Magento has many gateways between users. To make the most of these capabilities and stay competitive in the ever-evolving e-commerce landscape, businesses should explore Magento 2 migration services to ensure a smooth transition and continued success.

What is a paywall?

A paywall is a virtual barrier erected by content providers to restrict access to certain online content, requiring users to pay to unlock premium material. In essence, it acts as a tollgate, preventing unrestricted entry to specific articles, videos, or other digital resources.

The term “paywall” refers to the practice of charging users for access to exclusive content, a strategy publishers and creators use to generate revenue and sustain their digital platforms. The paywall’s meaning lies in the deliberate separation between free, readily available content and premium offerings, urging users to invest in a more comprehensive and specialized online experience.

Also Read: Best Tag Management Solutions

How to Choose a Suitable CMS?

Choosing a suitable CMS is essential because its operation and capabilities will directly impact your website’s quality and performance. It is therefore essential to consider several criteria:

• Flexibility and features
• Utilization facility
• Security
• Updates and maintenance

Once you have considered these points, you will need to choose a web host that provides the disk space, bandwidth, and technical support necessary to make your site accessible on the Internet. Remember that most hosts offer generic solutions that may not be optimized for CMS. Choosing a host that offers specific services for the CMS you want to use is essential.