The Best CMS Options for 2025: What You Need to Know

In 2025, choosing the right Content Management System (CMS) is more important than ever for anyone building or managing websites. Whether you’re a blogger, business owner, or developer, the right CMS can help you streamline content creation, improve SEO, and scale your site efficiently.

In this post, the team at Qwerkly explores the top CMS platforms to consider this year—and what makes each of them shine.

1. WordPress – The King of CMS

Best for: Blogs, business websites, portfolios, and e-commerce.

WordPress still reigns supreme, powering over 40% of the internet. It’s beginner-friendly, incredibly flexible, and backed by a huge community. With thousands of plugins and themes, you can customize it to fit nearly any need.

Why WordPress Is Great:

• Massive ecosystem of plugins and themes

• Strong SEO tools out-of-the-box and via plugins like Yoast

• Easy integration with tools like WooCommerce, Mailchimp, and more

• Scales from blogs to enterprise sites

What to Watch Out For:

• Needs regular updates and security patches

• Can get bloated with too many plugins

🔗 Learn more about WordPress

2. Joomla – The Flexible CMS for Power Users

Best for: Developers and advanced users needing layered content structures.

Joomla sits comfortably between WordPress and more developer-centric CMS options. It offers great multilingual support and advanced user management features.

Why Joomla Is Great:

• Great for multi-language sites

• More flexible content structuring than WordPress

• Strong built-in user management and access control

What to Watch Out For:

• Smaller extension library than WordPress

• Learning curve for beginners

🔗 Explore Joomla

3. Payload CMS – The Developer’s Modern Choice

Best for: Developers who prefer JavaScript/TypeScript and want full control.

Payload is a headless CMS built for developers using React, Next.js, and TypeScript. If you’re building custom web apps and need an API-first content backend, Payload is a top-tier option.

Why Payload Is Great:

• Fully customizable codebase with TypeScript

• Works seamlessly with modern frontends

• Self-hosted and open-source

• Built-in GraphQL and REST API support

What to Watch Out For:

• Requires development knowledge

• Not ideal for non-technical users

🔗 Check out Payload

4. Shopify – The Best CMS for E-Commerce

Best for: Selling products online, from small stores to global brands.

Shopify is the go-to CMS for e-commerce. With integrated payment processing, inventory management, and themes optimized for shopping experiences, it’s the all-in-one solution for online retailers.

Why Shopify Is Great:

• Fast setup with beautiful e-commerce themes

• Secure, reliable hosting with PCI compliance

• Great app marketplace and built-in SEO

• Handles inventory, shipping, and taxes with ease

What to Watch Out For:

• Limited design flexibility unless you’re on a higher-tier plan

• Transaction fees (unless you use Shopify Payments)

🔗 Learn more about Shopify

5. Ghost – The Cleanest CMS for Bloggers

Best for: Writers, publishers, and creators who want speed and simplicity.

Ghost is a minimal, performance-optimized CMS built for publishing. It’s focused on speed, writing, SEO, and even monetization through subscriptions or memberships.

Why Ghost Is Great:

• Lightning-fast performance

• Built-in SEO and social integrations

• Clean writing experience with a Markdown editor

• Memberships and paid content built-in

What to Watch Out For:

• Limited flexibility compared to WordPress

• Fewer themes and integrations

🔗 Discover Ghost

Which CMS Should You Choose?

Ultimately, your ideal CMS depends on your goals, skill level, and the type of website you’re building. At Qwerkly, we help startups, creators, and companies choose and implement the best tools for the job. Contact us if you’d like help selecting or deploying your CMS in 2025.

Editor’s Note: Payload. You should use Payload CMS.