A Content Management System (CMS) is software that allows you to create, edit, organize, and publish digital content (typically for websites) without needing to write code. It separates content from design, letting non-technical users manage their site.
How a CMS Works
A CMS has two main parts:
- Content Management Application (CMA): The admin interface where you create and edit content
- Content Delivery Application (CDA): The system that takes your content and displays it to visitors
Popular CMS Platforms
Traditional CMS
- WordPress: Powers 40%+ of all websites. Flexible, huge plugin ecosystem
- Drupal: Enterprise-grade, highly customizable, steeper learning curve
- Joomla: Middle ground between WordPress and Drupal
Headless CMS
- Contentful: API-first, great for multi-channel content
- Sanity: Real-time collaboration, highly customizable
- Strapi: Open-source, self-hosted option
E-commerce CMS
- Shopify: Hosted e-commerce platform
- WooCommerce: WordPress plugin for e-commerce
- Magento: Enterprise e-commerce solution
Traditional vs. Headless CMS
Traditional CMS: Content and presentation are coupled. WordPress themes control how content looks.
Headless CMS: Content is stored separately and delivered via API. You build the frontend however you want: React, mobile app, or both.
When You Need a CMS
Consider a CMS when:
- Multiple people need to update content
- Content changes frequently
- Non-developers need to make updates
- You want to separate content from code
When to Skip the CMS
For simple sites that rarely change, a static site without a CMS can be faster, more secure, and easier to maintain.