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 accordance with W3Techs, which affords 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 advanced over the previous decade, how totally different content material administration methods stack up in opposition to each other, and why this issues for somebody working in search engine marketing.
How Giant Is The CMS Market?
In response to W3Techs, 70.2%Â of internet sites have a CMS, and Netcraft stories 1.13 billion dwell web sites.
From this, we are able to 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 utility | 0.9% | 0.6% |
Information from W3Techs, November 2024
What Is The Most Broadly Used CMS?
*Graphs are separated because of the dominance of the WordPress market share.
- WordPress’s market share has diminished by practically 5% within the final two years. This might probably proceed with the problems it has skilled this yr.
- Shopify’s market share took a dip of just about 14% in 2023, but it surely bounced again and gained some floor this yr.
- Wix’s market share is on the upswing, with simply over 3% of all web sites utilizing its platform. This might be attributed to the work they do on branding.
- Joomla and Drupal are seeing a downward development these days, whereas Duda is gaining some momentum, which might 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 practically 5%.
Between 2023 and 2024:
- Web sites with no CMS system have declined by practically 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 practically 15%.
- Since 2023, Drupal has decreased its market share by practically 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 outmoded 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 accordance with Google Traits.
Screenshot from Google Traits, November 2024Why did these in style content material administration methods decline a lot?
It’s almost certainly because of the power of third-party assist for WordPress with plug-ins and themes, making it way more accessible.
The expansion of web site builders, equivalent to Wix and Squarespace, signifies that small companies need a extra simple managed answer. And so they 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 yr, from January to November.
- Squarespace has elevated by 3.3% this yr from January to November.
If we have a look at the web site builders, their progress is a robust indication of the place the market would possibly go sooner or later.
From 2023 to 2024:
- Shopify grew by 15.8%.
- Wix grew by 25%.
- Squarespace grew by 3.3%.
Once we evaluate the 5% contraction of WordPress during the last yr to the opposite gamers, we’ve to ask, why is that occuring?
SaaS internet builders equivalent to Wix and Squarespace don’t require coding data and supply a hosted web site that makes it extra accessible for a small enterprise to get an online presence shortly.
No want to rearrange a internet hosting answer, set up an internet site, and arrange your individual e-mail. An online builder neatly does all this for you.
WordPress isn’t often called an advanced platform to make use of, but it surely does require some coding data and an understanding of how web sites are constructed.
Alternatively, an internet site builder is a a lot simpler path to market, with out the necessity to perceive what is occurring within the again finish.
Take into account that, in the course of the pandemic, a lot of the inhabitants labored from dwelling, resulting in extra curiosity and a spotlight positioned on how being on-line might 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 evaluate the quantity of visitors to the variety of CMS, we are able to see that WordPress is within the golden part, up and to the best, clearly favored by websites with extra visitors.
Joomla matches 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 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 visitors.
The urge for food is rising for drag-and-drop, plug-and-play options that make having an online presence accessible for anybody. That is the area to observe.
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 area 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 area, so it’s value contemplating and mentioning.
9.2% of all present web sites use WooCommerce.
Wanting on the distribution, we are able to see a transparent sample emerge. Compared to different ecommerce CMS platforms, WooCommere is dominant.
It has extra market share than its opponents mixed: Magento + OpenCart + PrestaShop + Shopify = 8.8% market share.
Screenshot from W3Techs, November 2024Smaller websites would possibly favor WooCommerce, but it surely has the WordPress platform’s weight for market entry and, due to this fact, extra installs – very like Elementor.
Shopify has extra market share, however the visitors ranges are just like WordPress.
Shopify noticed progress in the course of the pandemic, by 52.9% from 2020 to 2021 after which 26.9% from 2021 to 2022 – excess of every other 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 search engine marketing?
WordPress retains its dominance within the CMS market share, however web site builders equivalent to 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 search engine marketing might 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 search engine marketing might be a strategic transfer for an search engine marketing skilled.
Equally, specializing in Wix and Squarespace is a technique to differentiate your self from the competitors.
WordPress may be dominant now, however that additionally signifies that many different persons are servicing that particular CMS.
Aligning with a extra area of interest CMS could be a strategic transfer for brand spanking new shopper alternatives.
Extra assets:
All information collected from W3Techs, November 2024, except 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 information supply imply that hosted Tumblr and WordPress.com websites are usually not included, as the information assortment doesn’t rely subdomains as multiple website.
Featured Picture: Genko Mono/Shutterstock