WordPress has held the dominant share of the content material administration methods (CMS) market because it was launched in 2003.
At present, the favored platform stands at 62.2% market share, in response to W3Techs, which gives essentially the most respected and reliable information supply. However within the final two years, WordPress has seen it’s market share begin to cut back for the primary time.
On this report, you’ll study concerning the measurement of the CMS market, the way it has developed over the previous decade, how totally different content material administration methods stack up towards each other, and why this issues for somebody working in web optimization.
How Giant Is The CMS Market?
In keeping with W3Techs, 70.2%Â of internet sites have a CMS, and Netcraft reviews 1.13 billion stay web sites.
From this, we will assume that the present market measurement for content material administration methods is roughly 793 million web sites.
Prime 10 CMS By Market Share (Globally)
| CMS (as of November 2024) | Launched | Sort | Market Share | Utilization | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No CMS | 29.8% | ||||
| 1 | WordPress | 2003 | Open supply | 62.2% | 43.7% |
| 2 | Shopify | 2006 | SaaS | 6.6% | 4.6% |
| 3 | Wix | 2006 | SaaS | 4.5% | 3.2% |
| 4 | Squarespace | 2004 | SaaS | 3.1% | 2.2% |
| 5 | Joomla | 2005 | Open supply | 2.3% | 1.6% |
| 6 | Drupal | 2001 | Open supply | 1.3% | 0.9% |
| 7 | Adobe Techniques (Adobe Expertise Supervisor) | 2013 | Open supply | 1.2% | 0.9% |
| 8 | Webflow | 2013 | SaaS | 1.1% | 0.8% |
| 9 | PrestaShop | 2008 | Open supply | 1.0% | 0.7% |
| 10 | Google Techniques (Google Websites) | 2008 | On-line software | 0.9% | 0.6% |
Knowledge from W3Techs, November 2024
What Is The Most Extensively Used CMS?
*Graphs are separated because of the dominance of the WordPress market share.
- WordPress’s market share has decreased by almost 5% within the final two years. This might probably proceed with the problems it has skilled this 12 months.
- Shopify’s market share took a dip of virtually 14% in 2023, nevertheless it bounced again and gained some floor this 12 months.
- Wix’s market share is on the upswing, with simply over 3% of all web sites utilizing its platform. This may very well be attributed to the work they do on branding.
- Joomla and Drupal are seeing a downward pattern these days, whereas Duda is gaining some momentum, which may very well be attributed to the efforts of leveraging influencers for his or her webinars.
WordPress has held the dominant market share virtually since its launch in 2003.
From 2013 to 2022, it skilled sturdy progress of 148%. WordPress then peaked at 65.2% market share again in January 2022, however, within the final two years has began to contract by almost 5%.
Between 2023 and 2024:
- Web sites with no CMS system have declined by almost 8%.
- Web sites with WordPress have elevated by simply over 1%.
WordPress Vs. Joomla Vs. Drupal Market Share
Screenshot from W3 Techs.com, November 2024- Since 2023, Joomla has decreased its market share by almost 15%.
- Since 2023, Drupal has decreased its market share by almost 28%.
In 2013, Joomla and Drupal used to carry 15.9% of the CMS market share, however they’ve slumped to three.6%.
This decline has seen them drop from positions 2 and three to five and 6, as Wix and Squarespace have risen and at last outdated them in 2022.
That’s fairly a decline for Joomla, which could not have had the identical market share as WordPress, however as much as 2008, it had extra search curiosity, in response to Google Tendencies.
Screenshot from Google Tendencies, November 2024Why did these well-liked content material administration methods decline a lot?
It’s most certainly because of the energy of third-party assist for WordPress with plug-ins and themes, making it far more accessible.
The expansion of web site builders, reminiscent of Wix and Squarespace, signifies that small companies desire a extra simple managed resolution. They usually have began to nibble on market share from the underside.
Web site Builders Market Share: Wix Vs. Squarespace
Screenshot from W3 Techs.com, November 2024- Wix has elevated by 18.4% this 12 months, from January to November.
- Squarespace has elevated by 3.3% this 12 months from January to November.
If we take a look at the web site builders, their progress is a robust indication of the place the market may go sooner or later.
From 2023 to 2024:
- Shopify grew by 15.8%.
- Wix grew by 25%.
- Squarespace grew by 3.3%.
After we examine the 5% contraction of WordPress over the past 12 months to the opposite gamers, we’ve got to ask, why is that taking place?
SaaS internet builders reminiscent of Wix and Squarespace don’t require coding data and provide a hosted web site that makes it extra accessible for a small enterprise to get an internet presence rapidly.
No want to rearrange a internet hosting resolution, set up an internet site, and arrange your individual electronic mail. An online builder neatly does all this for you.
WordPress isn’t often called an advanced platform to make use of, nevertheless it does require some coding data and an understanding of how web sites are constructed.
Then again, an internet site builder is a a lot simpler path to market, with out the necessity to perceive what is going on within the again finish.
Contemplate that, through the pandemic, a lot of the inhabitants labored from dwelling, resulting in extra curiosity and a focus positioned on how being on-line may very well be a supply of revenue.
Elementor
Elementor is a WordPress-based web site builder that has a market share of 16.5% and is utilized by 11.6% of all web sites.
Screenshot from W3 Techs.com, November 2024It additionally has considerably extra market share than Wix and Squarespace mixed.
Nevertheless, as a result of it’s a third-party plug-in and never a CMS, it isn’t listed within the Prime 10 CMS above.
If we examine the amount of site visitors to the variety of CMS, we will see that WordPress is within the golden part, up and to the precise, clearly favored by websites with extra site visitors.
Joomla suits into a distinct segment of fewer installs however extra high-traffic websites, indicating that extra skilled websites are utilizing it.
Squarespace and Wix are to the left and down, highlighting that they’re put in on fewer websites with much less site visitors.
It is a sturdy indication that they’re used extra by small web sites and small companies.
Elementor bridges the hole between the 2 and has the load of the WordPress market share, however is utilized by websites with much less site visitors.
The urge for food is rising for drag-and-drop, plug-and-play options that make having an internet presence accessible for anybody. That is the house to look at.
Ecommerce CMS Market Share: WooCommerce Vs. Shopify
Screenshot from W3Techs, November 2024- WooCommerce has a market share of 13.1%.
- Shopify has a market share of 6.6%.
The ecommerce CMS house echoes a sample just like that of web site builders.
Technically, WooCommerce isn’t a standalone CMS, however a WordPress plug-in – which is why it doesn’t seem within the Prime 10 CMS information desk.
Nevertheless, it’s important to the ecommerce house, so it’s price contemplating and mentioning.
9.2% of all current web sites use WooCommerce.
Wanting on the distribution, we will see a transparent sample emerge. Compared to different ecommerce CMS platforms, WooCommere is dominant.
It has extra market share than its rivals mixed: Magento + OpenCart + PrestaShop + Shopify = 8.8% market share.
Screenshot from W3Techs, November 2024Smaller websites may favor WooCommerce, nevertheless it has the WordPress platform’s weight for market entry and, subsequently, extra installs – very like Elementor.
Shopify has extra market share, however the site visitors ranges are just like WordPress.
Shopify noticed progress through the pandemic, by 52.9% from 2020 to 2021 after which 26.9% from 2021 to 2022 – excess of another platform. After that, it retracted in 2023, however in 2024 has come again to the identical market share as 2022.
Why Does CMS Market Share Matter To Somebody Working In web optimization?
WordPress retains its dominance within the CMS market share, however web site builders reminiscent of Wix, Squarespace, and Shopify are on the rise, indicating the place market progress lies, particularly for small companies.
If extra small companies are switching to web site builders, understanding the constraints and intricacies of those platforms for web optimization may very well be a aggressive benefit.
Shopify is put in on 4.6% of all web sites (not simply websites with a CMS) – a complete potential market of 51.98 million web sites.
With their rising market share, specializing in Shopify web optimization may very well be a strategic transfer for an web optimization skilled.
Equally, specializing in Wix and Squarespace is a approach to differentiate your self from the competitors.
WordPress may be dominant now, however that additionally implies that many different persons are servicing that particular CMS.
Aligning with a extra area of interest CMS generally is a strategic transfer for brand spanking new consumer alternatives.
Extra sources:
All information collected from W3Techs, November 2024, until in any other case indicated.
W3Tech samples its information from the Alexa prime 10 million and Tranco prime 1 million. Web sites with no content material or duplicate websites are excluded. Limitations of the info supply imply that hosted Tumblr and WordPress.com websites will not be included, as the info assortment doesn’t depend subdomains as multiple web site.
Featured Picture: Genko Mono/Shutterstock