Today, Content Management Systems (CMS) are essential tools for people and businesses to build and launch websites without coding.
From blogs and portfolios to e-commerce and business sites, CMS platforms simplify content creation and management.
In this guide, we highlight the top five CMS platforms in 2025: WordPress, Shopify, Wix, Squarespace, and Joomla, and what makes each a favorite and how they stack up in real-world usage.
Table of Contents
5 Most Popular Content Management Systems
WordPress
WordPress remains the undisputed champion of Content Management Systems. As of mid-2025, it controls about 62.7% of the CMS market share, according to W3Techs data.
That dominance translates to roughly 43.3% of all websites globally, even including those without a recognized CMS.
This means nearly two-thirds of all CMS-powered sites and more than 40% of the entire internet run on WordPress.
Why WordPress is so popular.
Flexibility & scalability: From simple blogs to complex e-commerce sites, WordPress grows with your needs.
Vast ecosystem: Tens of thousands of themes and plugins offer endless customization.
Strong community & support: Open-source, frequent updates, and global resources.
Shopify
Next up: Shopify. As e-commerce continues to grow, Shopify holds the second-largest share among Content Management Systems, around 6.4% to 6.7%.
Shopify’s easy integration with marketing tools, payment gateways, and third-party apps makes it appealing for entrepreneurs who want to focus on sales rather than technical upkeep.
Shopify offers:
Turnkey setup for storefronts, optimized checkout, payment processing, and inventory management.
Hosted SaaS model, so users avoid server management.
Scalability is ideal for beginners and large-scale retailers.
Wix
Wix is the fastest-growing CMS platform. Between early 2024 and mid-2025, its share jumped from around 4.8% to 5.5% and continues to grow.
This growth is driven by its feature rollout, including AI-powered design tools, expanded e-commerce capabilities, and stronger SEO settings that appeal to both beginners and small business owners.
Wix has positioned itself as a go-to choice for those who want to launch professional websites quickly without sacrificing style.
Wix offers:
Intuitive drag-and-drop interface with 900+ templates, AI tools, and dev mode flexibility.
All-in-one hosting, design, and app ecosystem, appealing to users seeking convenience.
Strong value for small businesses, freelancers, creators, and anyone prioritizing speed over deep customization.
Squarespace
Squarespace rounds out the top five with approximately 3–3.3% of the CMS market.
It is popular for its ready-made templates that make it easy for everyone who wants a great online presence with minimal setup.
Squarespace has expanded its built-in e-commerce and marketing tools, making it more competitive for users who want a website without relying on multiple external services.
Squarespace features:
Designer-focused templates that prioritize aesthetics and minimalist branding.
Built-in e-commerce tools, analytics, and hosting, all in a cohesive platform.
Perfect for Creative professionals and brands that value visual storytelling.
Joomla
Joomla, an open-source CMS, holds approximately 2.0–2.4% of the CMS market share as of mid-2025.
While its popularity has declined compared to its early years, it continues to attract a loyal base of developers and organizations that value its robust architecture and advanced customization options.
Joomla’s built-in multilingual support, strong security features, and flexibility make it a solid choice for complex websites, government portals, and community-driven platforms.
Why is it still relevant?
Robust architecture featuring MVC, multilingual support, caching, and extensive third-party extension options.
Favored by developers who are looking for advanced control without starting from scratch.
More niche in popularity, yet solid for complex or customized site setups.
Comparison Chart: Top 5 Most Popular Content Management Systems (CMS) in 2025
| CMS Platform | WordPress | Shopify | Wix | Squarespace | Joomla |
| Market Share | 61.3% of CMS websites, 43.5% of all websites. | 6.7% of CMS websites, 4.8% of all websites. | 4.2% of CMS websites, 0.35% of top 1M websites. | 3.3% of CMS websites, 2.3% of all websites. | 2.4% of CMS websites. |
| Launch Year | 2003 | 2006 | 2006 | 2004 | 2005 |
| Type | Open-source, self-hosted (WordPress.org) or hosted (WordPress.com). | Hosted, subscription-based eCommerce platform. | Hosted website builder with CMS features. | Hosted website builder with CMS features | Open-source, self-hosted. |
| Pricing | Free core software. Hosting ~$2.99-$50+/mo. | Starts at $39/mo (Basic); $79/mo (Shopify); $299/mo (Advanced). | $4.50-$35/mo; premium plans for more features. | Starts at $16/mo (Personal); $23/mo (Business); higher tiers available. | Free core software; hosting ~$5-$20/mo. |
| Ease of Use | Beginner-friendly, slight learning curve for advanced features. | Very user-friendly; intuitive dashboard, no coding needed. | Extremely beginner-friendly; drag-and-drop, no coding required. | Beginner-friendly; drag-and-drop, template-based, simple interface. | Moderate learning curve; more complex than WordPress for beginners. |
| Customization | Highly customizable, with many themes and plugins, and code access for developers. | Moderate; many apps, limited theme customization without coding. | Moderate; tied to Wix templates, limited code access. | Moderate; template-based, limited code access, design-focused. | High; many extensions, templates, and requires some technical skill. |
| Best For | Blogs, small to large websites, and eCommerce. | eCommerce stores, small to medium businesses, and online merchants. | Small businesses, personal sites, portfolios, and for beginners. | Small businesses, creatives, portfolios, and design-focused sites. | Medium to large sites, community projects, and multilingual sites. |
| Scalability | Highly scalable. | Scalable for eCommerce. | Limited scalability. | Moderate scalability. | Scalable. |
| Security | Secure with plugins. | Built-in security. | Secure. | Secure. | Secure. |
| SEO Features | Excellent; plugins like Yoast, Rank Math, highly customizable. | Built-in SEO tools, meta tags, sitemaps, app-enhanced. | Built-in SEO tools, meta tags, sitemaps, and app-enhanced. | Built-in SEO, meta tags, responsive, limited advanced control. | Good; built-in SEO, extensions for advanced features. |
| eCommerce | Via WooCommerce. | Native eCommerce. | Basic eCommerce. | Basic eCommerce. | Via extensions. |
| Multilingual | Yes. | Limited. | Limited. | Limited. | Built-in. |
| Community/Support | Forums, tutorials, developers, and extensive docs. | 24/7 support, forums, docs; merchant-focused community. | 24/7 support, help center, community forums. | 24/7 support, help center, and limited community. | Active community, forums, many extensions, and docs. |
| Unique Features | Built-in payment processing, app marketplace, and PCI compliance. | Built-in payment processing, app marketplace, and PCI compliance. | Drag-and-drop builder, Wix Turbo for speed, beginner-focused. | Design-focused templates, built-in analytics, and low maintenance. | Built-in multilingual, user role management, and social publishing. |
| Pros | Free, open-source. Highly flexible. Huge community, plugins. | Easy eCommerce setup. Secure, hosted. 24/7 support. | Beginner-friendly. No coding needed. All-in-one solution. | Attractive templates. Easy to use. Secure, hosted. | Free, open-source. Multilingual support. Customizable. |
| Cons | Requires hosting. Updates. Learning curve for advanced use. | Subscription cost. Limited customization without coding. | Limited scalability. Tied to the Wix ecosystem. | Limited advanced features. Not ideal for high traffic. | Steeper learning curve. Smaller community than WordPress. |
Why These CMS Platforms Lead in 2025
- WordPress: Unmatched flexibility and community.
- Shopify: Streamlined, specialized for e-commerce.
- Wix: Rapid growth thanks to intuitive visual building.
- Squarespace: Elegant templates and integrated hosting.
- Joomla: Developer power and extensibility.
Each platform contributes to the variety of Content management systems, meeting different needs from bloggers to e-commerce businesses and creative brand creators.
Conclusion
The content management systems, WordPress, Shopify, Wix, Squarespace, and Joomla, are at the top of the leaderboard in 2025.
Each of the content management systems offers great usability, flexibility, and design.
No matter if you are launching a blog, a store, a portfolio, or a developer site, there is a CMS perfect for your purpose.
Editorial Staff at WP Daily Coupons is a team of WordPress experts led by Peter Nilsson.
