CMS Market Share 2025: The Latest Trends and Statistics

CMS Market Share 2025: The Latest Trends and Statistics

Interested in the state of the content management system market?

Knowing the latest trends, statistics, and even future predictions in the CMS market share can give you a competitive edge.

Here’s what you will learn:

  • An overview of the global CMS market
  • Detailed insights into the top players
  • Future predictions on key trends

Let’s get started!

Global CMS Market Overview

When I first started blogging, I was overwhelmed by the many options available for content management.

However, WordPress stood out for its ease of use and extensive community support, which is probably why it dominates the market.

Here are general statistics in the market:

  • Today, there are over 1.11 billion websites in the world, with an estimated 3 new websites created every second.
  • As of August 2023, WordPress powers a whopping 44.62% of those websites (according to BuiltWith).
  • Wix follows at a distant second with 10.42%, and Squarespace is at 3.76%. Other platforms like Plesk, Joomla, and Drupal also have their share of the pie but are relatively smaller players.

Let’s go over the top content management systems, their market share, and usage statistics:

Top Players in CMS

Despite having a billion websites on the internet, not all of them use a content management system.

As you may know, there are a host of content management systems available — for blogging, web hosts, and even website builders.

Here are the ten most popular content management systems and their statistics:

1. WordPress.org

WordPress is not just another content management system.

wordpress: flex your freedom

It’s a phenomenon that has revolutionized the way we create and manage websites.

With a staggering market share of 44.62%, WordPress is the undisputed leader in the CMS world.

⚠️ Note: Don’t confuse wordpress.org and wordpress.com. WordPress.com is a hosted, easy-to-use platform with limited customization. WordPress.org is a self-hosted, fully customizable platform but requires you to manage hosting and technical details.

📊 Market Share

As of the latest data, WordPress holds a commanding 44.62% of the global CMS market. That translates to over 34 million live websites.

Its closest competitor, Wix, trails far behind with a 10.42 % market share. This dominance speaks volumes about WordPress’s reliability and user-friendliness.

đź’» Key Features

  1. Ease of Use: Known for its user-friendly interface — you don’t have to be a developer to start building a website on it
  2. Customization: With thousands of themes and WordPress plugins, you can customize your website to look and function exactly how you want
  3. Scalability: Whether you’re running a blog or a full-fledged online store, WordPress can scale to meet your needs
  4. SEO-Friendly: WordPress offers various SEO plugins like Yoast and All in One SEO that help you optimize your website for search engines
  5. Open-Source: Being open-source means that WordPress is continuously updated by a community of developers (it also means you can dig into the code yourself if you need to)
  6. Ecommerce Capabilities: With plugins like WooCommerce, you can turn your WordPress site into a full-fledged ecommerce platform

🔎 Best For

WordPress is incredibly versatile, making it suitable for a wide range of websites.

Whether you’re a blogger, a small business owner, or running a large corporation, WordPress has something to offer.

It’s particularly beneficial for:

  1. Bloggers
  2. Ecommerce Websites
  3. Small Businesses
  4. Nonprofits
  5. Portfolio Websites

đź’° Pricing

  • Open-source CMS — free to download and use

However, you will need to invest in a domain name and hosting service, which come with their own costs.

Various premium themes and plugins may also require a one-time or recurring fee.

WordPress indisputably leads the pack, which could be due to its flexibility, particularly through versatile themes and templates.

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2. Wix

Wix has carved out a niche for itself as a user-friendly, drag-and-drop website builder.

create a website without limits with wix

It’s a platform that allows you to create a website without touching a line of code, making it a go-to choice for many who are new to website development.

📊 Market Share

Wix holds a 10.42% market share in the CMS world, according to the latest statistics.

While it may not be as dominant as WordPress, it’s a significant player, especially among those who prioritize ease of use and design flexibility.

đź’» Key Features

  1. Drag-and-drop builder: Provides a user-friendly drag-and-drop website builder for easy design without coding skills
  2. Wix ADI (Artificial Design Intelligence): Auto-generates a website based on your answers, catering to those who want a quick online presence without design and setup hassle
  3. App market: Discover numerous third-party and Wix-developed apps in the app market to expand your website’s capabilities, including eCommerce, SEO, and marketing tools
  4. Mobile optimization: Modify your site’s mobile appearance and functionality separately from the desktop version with the mobile editor
  5. SEO tools: Offers various SEO tools to enhance your website’s search engine ranking, including customizable URLs, meta descriptions, and integration with Google Analytics
  6. Built-in hosting: Eliminates the need for separate web hosting, making website setup easier, especially for beginners

🔎 Best For

Wix is best suited for individuals and small businesses that want a visually appealing website without a steep learning curve.

It’s particularly good for:

  • Beginners
  • Small business websites
  • Portfolios
  • Personal blogs
  • Non-Technical Entrepreneurs

đź’° Pricing

  • Website plans start at $24.50/month, with 35 GB storage space
  • Business and ecommerce plans start at $35/month, with a 50 GB storage space

Wix offers a free plan that comes with a Wix-branded domain.

However, if you’re serious about your website, you will likely want to upgrade to one of their premium plans, which start at $24.50 per month.

These plans come with additional features like a custom domain, more storage, and ecommerce capabilities.

3. Squarespace

Squarespace is another key player in the CMS landscape, known for its design-centric approach to website building.

everything to sell anything with squarespace

If you’re someone who values aesthetics and wants a platform that makes your content look good without much effort, this is a good choice.

📊 Market Share

According to the latest data, Squarespace holds a 3.76% market share in the CMS world.

While it may not have the massive reach of WordPress or Wix, it has carved out a solid niche among users who prioritize design and aesthetics.

đź’» Key Features

  1. Design-focused templates: Offers a variety of professionally designed, visually stunning templates that cater to a range of industries and aesthetics
  2. Built-in ecommerce: Has robust built-in eCommerce features, allowing for easy management of products, inventory, orders, and payments
  3. Content blocks: Uses a block system for content management, allowing users to insert, arrange, and style content in a modular fashion
  4. SEO optimization: Provides SEO-friendly settings like customizable URLs, meta descriptions, and mobile optimization to help your site rank better in search results
  5. Blogging tools: Offers a suite of blogging tools including post scheduling, categories, tags, and analytics
  6. Integrated analytics: Has its own analytics platform that gives insights into visitor behavior, helping you make data-driven decisions

🔎 Best For

Squarespace is particularly well-suited for creative professionals and small ecommerce sites that want a visually stunning website.

It’s ideal for:

  • Design-conscious users
  • Freelancers and portfolio sites
  • Artists
  • Designers
  • Small ecommerce stores
  • Personal blogs

đź’° Pricing

  • The personal plan costs $23/month (only includes templates)
  • The business plan costs $33/month (includes advanced website analytics and a fully integrated ecommerce)

Squarespace offers a 14-day free trial to get you started. After that, their premium plans start at $16 per month when billed annually.

These plans offer a range of features including a custom domain (only for annual plans), SSL security, and unlimited bandwidth and storage.

4. GoDaddy Website Builder

GoDaddy Website Builder, also known as GoDaddy Studio, is a platform that’s often associated with domain registration and hosting services.

your free website is just the beginning with godaddy

However, it’s also a noteworthy player in the CMS market, particularly for those looking for an all-in-one solution for their online presence.

📊 Market Share

GoDaddy Website Builder holds a 2.26% market share in the CMS industry.

While it may not be a dominant force like WordPress or Wix, it’s a convenient option for those who are already using GoDaddy’s other services.

đź’» Key Features

  1. Simple drag-and-drop editor: Offers a user-friendly drag-and-drop editor for easy website creation
  2. Integrated marketing tools: With features like email marketing, SEO tools, and social media integration to promote your website
  3. Quick setup: Designed for quick website creation, with ready-to-use templates and themes

🔎 Best For

GoDaddy Website Builder is best suited for small businesses and individuals who are looking for a quick and easy way to establish an online presence.

It’s particularly good for:

  • Quick launch requirements
  • Small business owners
  • Freelancers
  • Non-technical users
  • Individuals who already use GoDaddy’s other services

đź’° Pricing

  • The basic plan costs $9.99/month (no website optimizer and ecommerce features)
  • The ecommerce plan costs $16.99/month (with website optimizer and ecommerce features)

You can basically create a free site with them, with access to premium features with their free trial (after which pricing starts at $9.99 per month).

However, you won’t be able to connect your website with a custom domain, and you will lose access to premium features once the trial is over.

The basic plan has most things you need. However, if you’re after ecommerce features, it’s only available in their highest plan.

5. Joomla

Joomla is another heavyweight in the CMS arena, offering a middle ground between the user-friendliness of WordPress and the developer-oriented capabilities of Drupal.

the flexible platform empowering website creators

If you’re looking for a platform that offers more built-in functionalities than WordPress but doesn’t require extensive coding skills, Joomla might be the right fit for you.

📊 Market Share

Joomla holds a 1.45% market share in the CMS industry.

While it may not be the most popular CMS platform, it has a dedicated community of users and developers who appreciate its flexibility and robust features.

đź’» Key Features

  1. Content management: Known for its robust content management system that allows complex site structures and content hierarchies
  2. Customizable templates: Offers a range of templates that can be customized to fit various design requirements
  3. Extensibility: Can be customized to offer a variety of functions, from eCommerce to social networking with thousands of extensions available
  4. User access control: Has strong user role and access control functionalities, allowing you to manage who can access and modify your site
  5. Multi-lingual support: Offers strong multi-language support, making it easier to create websites in multiple languages
  6. SEO-friendly: Includes built-in SEO features, like metadata and URL rewriting, to improve search engine rankings

🔎 Best For

Joomla is best suited for users who need more advanced functionalities but don’t want to delve into extensive coding.

It’s particularly good for:

  • Experienced web developers
  • Medium to large enterprises
  • Ecommerce websites
  • Social networking sites
  • Online magazines and newspapers

đź’° Pricing

  • Open-source and free-to-use

One of the appealing aspects of Joomla is that it’s open-source and free to use.

However, you will need to invest in hosting and may also choose to purchase premium extensions to add more functionalities to your website.

6. Duda

Duda is a CMS platform that’s gaining attention for its focus on team collaboration and client management.

the professional website builder you can call your own

If you’re an agency or a freelancer who works closely with clients, Duda offers features that make the design and approval process more streamlined.

📊 Market Share

Duda holds a 1.22% market share in the CMS industry.

While it’s not a major player in terms of market share, it’s carving out a niche among agencies and professionals who prioritize client collaboration and white-label solutions.

đź’» Key Features

  1. White label solution: Allows agencies and freelancers to white-label their service (they can brand the platform as their own when presenting to clients)
  2. Personalization and dynamic pages: Enables website personalization features that can dynamically change content, calls-to-action, and other site elements based on user behavior and profile
  3. Team collaboration: Provides team collaboration tools that allow multiple users to work on a project simultaneously
  4. Widget builder: Offers a widget builder to create custom widgets without needing to write code, extending the functionality of your site easily
  5. Site comments: Allows for direct commenting on specific parts of a website during the design phase, facilitating better communication between teams and clients

🔎 Best For

Duda is best suited for agencies and freelancers who need to collaborate with team members and clients.

It’s particularly good for:

  • Digital marketing agencies
  • Freelancers
  • Businesses that require white-label solutions

đź’° Pricing

  • The basic plan costs $25/month (for one site only)
  • The agency plan (best value) costs $69/month (4 sites, client management, client billing, etc.)

Duda offers a 14-day free trial to get you started. After that, their premium plans start at $19 per month when billed annually.

These plans offer additional features like client management tools, ecommerce capabilities, and more.

7. Weebly

Weebly is a user-friendly CMS platform that has gained popularity for its simplicity and drag-and-drop interface.

get started with our powerful free website builder

If you’re a beginner or someone who wants to get a website up and running quickly without the technical hassle, this might be the platform for you.

📊 Market Share

Weebly holds a 1.14% market share in the CMS industry.

While it’s not a dominant player like WordPress or Wix, it has carved out a niche among users who value ease of use and quick setup.

đź’» Key Features

  1. Drag-and-drop builder: Features an intuitive drag-and-drop interface that makes it easy for anyone to build a website without coding skills
  2. Integrated ecommerce: Offers built-in eCommerce features such as product listings, inventory management, and a secure checkout process
  3. SEO-friendly: Includes basic SEO tools to help your site rank better on search engines
  4. App center: Offers a wide range of third-party integrations to extend the functionality of your website
  5. Hosting included: A fully hosted platform (you don’t need to purchase hosting separately)

🔎 Best For

Weebly is best suited for individuals and small businesses that want a simple, hassle-free way to create a website.

It’s particularly good for:

  • Personal blogs
  • Small business owners
  • Non-profits
  • Online retailers

đź’° Pricing

  • Weebly-branded domain free plan
  • The personal plan costs $13/month (can connect to a custom domain)
  • The professional plan costs $16/month (unlimited storage, free domain, no square ads, etc.)

Weebly offers a free plan with basic features, but it comes with a Weebly-branded domain.

For more advanced features and a custom domain, their premium plans start at $10 per month when billed annually.

8. Blogger (Google Blogger Software)

Blogger, owned by Google, is one of the oldest players in the CMS market.

publish your passions, your way

Known for its simplicity and integration with other Google services, Blogger remains a popular choice for those looking to start a blog without the complexities of website management.

📊 Market Share

Blogger holds a 0.36% market share in the CMS industry.

While it may not be a major player compared to giants like WordPress, it has a loyal user base, particularly among those who are new to blogging.

đź’» Key Features

  1. Simple editor: Features a straightforward post editor that makes it easy to create and publish blog posts
  2. Customizable templates: Offers a range of templates that can be customized to fit various design requirements
  3. Monetization: Allows easy monetization through Google AdSense, enabling you to earn revenue from ads
  4. Free hosting: Provides free hosting, with the option to use a custom domain or a free subdomain from Blogger

🔎 Best For

Blogger is best suited for individuals who want to start a blog without the hassle of website management.

It’s particularly good for:

  • Personal blogs
  • Hobbyist writers
  • Those new to blogging
  • Users heavily invested in the Google ecosystem

đź’° Pricing

  • Completely free

One of the most appealing aspects of Blogger is that it’s completely free.

This includes hosting on Google’s servers. However, if you want a custom domain, you will have to purchase it separately.

9. Drupal

Drupal is a robust and flexible CMS that offers a range of advanced features for those who need more than just a basic website.

drupal 10.1 is here and packed with amazing improvements

Known for its scalability and security, Drupal is a preferred choice for complex, high-traffic websites.

📊 Market Share

Drupal holds a 0.63% market share in the CMS industry.

While it may not have the mass appeal of WordPress or the simplicity of Wix, it’s a go-to choice for enterprises and advanced users who require a high level of customization and control.

đź’» Key Features

  1. Modularity: Known for its modular architecture, allowing you to extend functionalities using a vast library of modules
  2. Custom content types: Allows you to define your own content types, providing greater flexibility for specialized use cases
  3. User role management: Has robust user role and permission features to manage who can access and edit different parts of your website
  4. Multilingual support: Provides extensive multilingual features to create websites in multiple languages
  5. High scalability: Designed to handle high-traffic websites and can easily scale to accommodate growing user bases

🔎 Best For

Drupal is best suited for organizations and individuals who need a highly customizable and scalable website.

It’s particularly good for:

  • Large enterprises
  • Government websites
  • News and media outlets
  • Educational institutions
  • Complex ecommerce platforms

đź’° Pricing

  • Free to use

Drupal is an open-source platform, meaning it’s free to download and use.

However, the costs can add up when you consider hosting, development, and any premium modules you may need for additional functionalities.

10. Webflow

Webflow is a rising star in the CMS world, offering a unique blend of visual design tools and code-free customization.

build with the power of code - without writing any

If you’re a designer who wants to bring your visions to life without relying on a developer, Webflow might be the perfect platform for you.

📊 Market Share

Webflow holds a 0.54% market share in the CMS industry.

While it’s a relatively new player and doesn’t have the widespread adoption of platforms like WordPress, it’s quickly gaining traction among designers and agencies for its unique capabilities.

đź’» Key Features

  1. Visual design and code synthesis: Offers a design platform that simultaneously generates production-ready code as you design
  2. Animation and interactions: Enables intricate animations and interactions without requiring you to write custom JavaScript
  3. Hosting and export: Provides fast, secure hosting, but also allows you to export your design and code to host elsewhere

🔎 Best For

Webflow is best suited for designers and agencies who want a high level of visual customization without the need for coding.

It’s particularly good for:

  • Design agencies
  • Freelance designers
  • Marketers who want visually stunning landing pages
  • Small to medium-sized businesses with specific design needs

đź’° Pricing

  • Free plan with webflow.io domain
  • The basic plan costs $18/month (50 GB bandwidth)
  • The CMS plan (the most popular) costs $29/month (200 GB bandwidth)

Webflow offers a free plan with basic features, but to unlock its full potential, you will need one of its premium plans, which start at $14 per month (annual billing).

These plans offer additional features like custom domains, CMS items, and ecommerce capabilities.

Prediction for the next few years

If you have been following the trend of content management systems, you will notice that WordPress market share actually dropped (from 60+%).

The content management system market is expected to generate around $50.5 billion in the year 2026 (according to Statista).

So what will happen in the next few years? Well, here is what I think:

1. Continued Dominance of WordPress

WordPress has been the dominant player in the CMS market for years, and there are several reasons to believe this trend will continue:

  • User-friendly interface: Known for its ease of use — even those with minimal technical skills can set up a website quickly
  • Extensive plugin library: Offers a wide range of plugins that extend its functionality, from SEO tools to ecommerce solutions, making it adaptable to various needs
  • Community support: Being open-source, it has a large community of developers and users who contribute to its ecosystem, providing updates, security patches, and new features
  • SEO capabilities: Has robust SEO features, and with additional plugins like Yoast SEO, it becomes a powerful tool for driving organic traffic

While WordPress is strong, it’s not without challenges.

The platform must continue to innovate to stay ahead of emerging competitors and meet the evolving needs of users, especially in areas like page speed and mobile optimization.

2. AI and Automation

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is poised to revolutionize the CMS landscape in several ways:

  • Content personalization: AI algorithms can analyze user behavior to deliver personalized content, enhancing user engagement and conversion rates
  • Automated analytics: AI can automatically analyze website performance metrics and suggest improvements, reducing the manual effort required in data analysis
  • Chatbots: AI-powered chatbots can handle customer service inquiries, freeing up human resources for more complex tasks

The integration of AI into CMS platforms will raise questions about data privacy and the ethical use of user information.

Moreover, the technology must be fine-tuned to avoid errors that could negatively impact user experience.

3. Open Source vs. Proprietary Battle

The choice between open-source and proprietary CMS platforms has always been a point of contention:

  • Open-source advantages: Platforms like WordPress offer greater flexibility and control, allowing users to modify the source code to fit specific needs
  • Proprietary benefits: Systems like Wix and Squarespace offer ease of use with drag-and-drop features but are generally less flexible than their open-source counterparts

As both types of platforms evolve, the lines between them may blur.

Open-source platforms might offer more user-friendly interfaces, while proprietary systems could provide greater customization options.

The ‘best’ choice will increasingly depend on the specific needs and skills of the user or organization.

It’s evident that WordPress is poised to maintain its lead.

Innovations like Elementor enhance its user-friendliness and power, but keeping up can be costly and complex.

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Don’t miss out on this chance to future-proof your WordPress site as we enter a new era in the CMS world.

Alan Anthony Catantan
Alan Anthony Catantan

Welcome to Darrel Wilson's corner of the web! While he's the genius behind this blog and YouTube channels, I'm the fun sidekick ensuring everything's in tip-top shape. From writing articles to video magic, we deliver content with a splash of fun! 🚀📝🎬

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