WordPress stays the dominant pressure in content material administration programs, powering 43.3% of internet sites surveyed and holding a 60.7% share amongst websites utilizing a CMS, in keeping with W3Techs (October 2025). That’s nonetheless a commanding lead, nevertheless it marks a sustained decline from its peak of 65.2% in 2022 and is again to the identical degree as 2018, previous to the pandemic growth.
For executives and technical groups, this shift indicators greater than a market statistic.
As WordPress reveals its first vital slide in twenty years, SaaS rivals like Shopify, Wix, and Squarespace are steadily gaining floor, providing companies less complicated, managed options with decrease technical overhead. On the identical time, the share of internet sites working with none CMS has dropped to twenty-eight.6%, which continues the broader business pattern towards structured platforms and hosted builders.
It signifies that choosing the proper CMS in the present day is much less about choice and extra a couple of strategic determination, with measurable influence on website efficiency, safety, prices, and scalability.
This report breaks down the present CMS panorama, compares the highest platforms, and descriptions how the newest shifts affect platform technique and technical execution.
Desk of Contents
- 1. How Giant Is The CMS Market?
- 2. High 10 CMS By Market Share (Globally), October 2025
- 3. WordPress Vs. Joomla Vs. Drupal Market Share
- 4. Web site Builders Market Share: Wix Vs. Squarespace
- 5. Ecommerce CMS Market Share: WooCommerce Vs. Shopify
- 6. Why Does CMS Market Share Matter For web optimization And Enterprise Technique?
How Giant Is The CMS Market?
In line with W3Techs, 71.4% of internet sites have a CMS, and Netcraft studies over 281 million domains.
From this, we will assume that the present market dimension for content material administration programs has risen to over 200 million web sites.
High 10 CMS By Market Share (Globally), October 2025
CMS (as of October 2025)
Launched
Sort
Market Share
Utilization
No CMS
28.6%
1
WordPress
2003
Open supply
60.7%
43.3%
2
Shopify
2006
SaaS
6.8%
4.8%
3
Wix
2006
SaaS
5.7%
4.1%
4
Squarespace
2004
SaaS
3.4%
2.4%
5
Joomla
2005
Open supply
2.0%
1.4%
6
Webflow
2013
SaaS
1.2%
0.9%
7
Drupal
2001
Open supply
1.1%
0.8%
8
Tilda
2014
SaaS
1.1%
0.8%
9
Adobe Techniques
2013
Open supply
1.0%
0.7%
10
Duda
2008
SaaS
1.0%
0.7%
Knowledge from W3Techs, October 2025. (WooCommerce and Elementor should not listed within the desk above as they’re WordPress plugins and never standalone CMS platforms.)
*Graphs are separated because of the dominance of the WordPress market share.
WordPress
WordPress stays probably the most extensively used CMS, a place it has held since its launch in 2003. Its utilization throughout all web sites grew by 105% from 2014 to 2022, cementing its position because the default platform for a lot of the online.
However its long-standing development curve is now in a downturn; we’re seeing a market share decline of almost seven share factors within the final three years. It’s a pattern that might proceed as easier-to-use platforms achieve floor and a few customers report frustrations with plugin compatibility, core updates, and safety administration.
Learn extra: Ought to You Nonetheless Use WordPress?
Shopify
Because the second-most common CMS in the present day, Shopify’s market share stands at 6.8% and is utilized by 4.8% of all web sites surveyed.
Its energy isn’t any accident: Shopify persistently performs nicely in Core Net Vitals benchmarks, making it aggressive even in technical metrics.
From an web optimization and enterprise perspective, which means that Shopify provides executives a CMS possibility designed to help each efficiency and long-term development.
Wix
Wix has made one of many extra noticeable positive factors this yr, now powering 4.1% of internet sites surveyed. The platform’s regular climb displays broader market traction amongst small companies. Living proof: A Reddit enterprise proprietor notes its handy and user-friendly options.
For executives, the takeaway is obvious: Wix is positioning itself past a light-weight web site builder that persistently invests in branding and platform capabilities, making it a viable contender for mid-market adoption.
Squarespace
Squarespace has proven regular development over the previous decade, with its CMS market share rising from 0.3% in 2014 to three.4% in the present day, with 2.4% of web sites surveyed now utilizing the platform.
Its development may very well be attributed to the growing demand for low-maintenance, design-forward platforms.
Learn extra: WordPress Vs. Squarespace – Which One Is Higher?
Joomla, Webflow, And Drupal
Joomla and Drupal had been among the many high 3 till 2021, and since then, they’ve seen a gradual decline in market share, now accounting for less than 2.0% and 1.1%, respectively. This shift doubtless displays a broader pattern the place extra user-friendly, SaaS-based platforms seize the eye of small companies and non-technical customers.
On the identical time, Webflow has emerged as a contender, climbing to 1.2% of the CMS market share. Its development displays demand for design-led platforms that permit companies to streamline growth with out heavy technical dependencies, with professionals noting pace as an actual differentiator.
No CMS
Between 2024 and October 2025, web sites working with no CMS dropped by 2.8 share factors, persevering with a pattern away from custom-coded options. Throughout the identical interval, web sites utilizing WordPress grew by simply lower than 1%.
The decline in “no CMS” web sites indicators an ongoing pattern towards extra structured, manageable platforms for website creation.
WordPress Vs. Joomla Vs. Drupal Market Share
Screenshot from W3Techs, October 2025
Since 2024, Joomla has decreased its market share by 20%, whereas Drupal has declined by 31%. Collectively, they as soon as held virtually 15% of the CMS market share in 2014 – now that determine sits at simply over 3%.
They’ve slipped from the No. 2 and No. 3 spots to No. 5 and No. 6, overtaken by faster-growing platforms like Wix and Squarespace in 2022.
Joomla, particularly, had robust momentum early on – briefly surpassed WordPress in search curiosity till round 2008, in keeping with Google Tendencies – nevertheless it hasn’t stored tempo with fashionable platform calls for.
Screenshot from Google Tendencies, October 2025
Why did these common content material administration programs decline a lot?
It’s most definitely because of the energy of third-party help for WordPress with plugins and themes, making it rather more accessible.
The expansion of web site builders, corresponding to Wix and Squarespace, signifies that small companies need 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 W3Techs, October 2025
Over the complete interval from October 2024 to October 2025, the market share of:
- Shopify grew by 4.6%.
- Wix grew by 32.6%.
- Squarespace rose by 9.7%.
If we have a look at the web site builders, their development is a powerful indication of the place the market would possibly go sooner or later.
SaaS net builders corresponding to 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 online presence rapidly. No want to rearrange a internet hosting resolution, set up an internet site, and arrange your personal e mail. An online builder neatly does all this for you.
WordPress just isn’t generally known as 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 occurring within the again finish.
Learn extra: Wix Modified How Web sites Are Constructed And Why You Ought to Pay Consideration
Elementor
Elementor is probably the most extensively used WordPress web page builder, put in on 18.1% of all web sites with a identified CMS and 12.9% of all websites surveyed (not proven under) – greater than Wix and Squarespace mixed – although it features as a plugin inside WordPress, not a standalone CMS.
Screenshot from W3Techs, October 2025
Whereas not a CMS by itself, it’s a serious participant in shaping how WordPress is used. Nevertheless, as a result of it’s a third-party plugin and never a CMS, it isn’t listed within the high 10 CMS above.
If we examine the quantity of visitors to the variety of CMS, we will see that WordPress is within the golden part, up and to the suitable, clearly favored by websites with extra visitors.
Primarily based on utilization amongst higher-ranked domains, 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 visitors. It strongly signifies 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. This implies 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 house to look at.
Ecommerce CMS Market Share: WooCommerce Vs. Shopify
Screenshot from W3Techs, October 2025
WooCommerce has a market share of 12.4%, whereas Shopify has 6.8%.
The ecommerce CMS house echoes a sample just like that of web site builders. WooCommerce powers 8.9% of all present web sites, making it probably the most extensively adopted ecommerce plugin by far. It doesn’t seem in W3Techs’ high CMS checklist as a result of it’s a WordPress plugin, nevertheless it’s a key think about WordPress’s enduring reputation.
Trying on the distribution, we will see a transparent sample emerge. Compared to different ecommerce CMS platforms, WooCommerce is dominant.
It has extra market share than its rivals mixed: Shopify (6.8%) + PrestaShop (0.8%) + OpenCart (0.6%) = 8.2% market share.
Screenshot from W3Techs, October 2025
Smaller websites would possibly favor WooCommerce, nevertheless it has the WordPress platform’s weight for market entry and, subsequently, extra installs, very similar to Elementor.
Shopify surged in the course of the pandemic, with market share rising by 52.9% from 2020 to 2021 after which 26.9% from 2021 to 2022, outpacing each different platform. After a dip in 2023, it recovered in 2024 and has since leveled off, holding regular at 6.8% this yr.
Why Does CMS Market Share Matter For web optimization And Enterprise Technique?
Because the market fragments, these shifts have an effect on every little thing from website structure, plugin availability, and technical web optimization flexibility.
WordPress continues to guide, however its gradual decline marks a turning level. SaaS rivals corresponding to Shopify, Wix, and Squarespace are steadily gaining traction, providing streamlined platforms that attraction to most companies.
If extra SMBs are switching to web site builders, understanding the restrictions and intricacies of those platforms for web optimization may very well be a aggressive benefit. CMS adoption determines how effectively groups can construct, safe, and optimize websites at scale.
Shopify now runs on 4.8% of all web sites surveyed (not simply websites with a CMS). With its growing market share, specializing in Shopify web optimization may very well be a strategic transfer for an web optimization skilled.
Wix and Squarespace are rising, too. As extra small companies undertake these platforms, getting fluent of their ecosystems might set you aside in a crowded market.
The fact is that WordPress stays the biggest and best ecosystem, however the development curve has shifted towards challengers. This implies one factor for enterprise leaders and web optimization professionals: a possibility to diversify experience.
Understanding the strengths and limitations of assorted CMS platforms can inform strategic selections and align with evolving market calls for.
Extra Sources:
All information collected from W3Techs, October 2025, except in any other case indicated. See the W3techs methodology web page for the place the information is gathered from.
Featured Picture: Paulo Bobita/Search Engine Journal
