dotCMS vs Contentful
Why choose dotCMS over Contentful
dotCMS and Contentful are both leading enterprise content management systems that help organizations create, manage, and distribute content across multiple channels.
However, we approach content management differently. Contentful is a headless solution built primarily for developers, which means it lacks visual editing capabilities. Therefore, non-technical content authors and marketers are dependent on developers to manage content and layouts. dotCMS is a universal CMS built for both content authors and developers and has visual editing across both headless and traditional builds.
dotCMS Highlights
Here’s the TL;DR of why companies choose dotCMS over Contentful
Traditional and Headless
dotCMS offers drag-and-drop design capabilities across both traditional and headless views. Contentful is strictly headless which doesn’t adapt to all use cases and creates a dependency on developers.
Visual editing for content teams
dotCMS has universal visual editing, so even if you build headlessly, non-technical content authors can still make copy and design changes without relying on developers.
Ease of Use and Learning Curve
dotCMS offers a significantly easier learning experience for both developers and content contributors. This ease of use can translate to faster adoption, reduced training costs, and improved productivity.
Low TCO
The dotCMS pricing structure is straightforward with no overage fees or a limit on API calls. Pricing at Contentful has a high degree of variability because organizations pay per environment, API call, etc.
FAQs
But I have a few questions…
I’m already using Contentful, is it easy to switch to dotCMS?
Definitely. We’ve done many migrations from Contentful to dotCMS. You’ll work hand-in-hand with our implementation team to scope out the project and ensure a smooth transition to dotCMS.
Honestly, are there areas where Contentful is better than dotCMS?
If the projects that you will use a CMS for will not require any non-technical teams to create, manage, or approve content and layouts, a pure headless solution like Contentful might be a good fit. However, if you foresee any non-technical teams using the CMS, a headless CMS will immediately introduce developer dependency and create bottlenecks in your workflow.
Are there specific feature differences to highlight between dotCMS and Contentful?
When you’re doing your evaluation, it’s important to consider how features are built and how well they fit into your existing tech stack. Both dotCMS and Contentful have extensive feature lists to fit your unique use case.
Explore how dotCMS stacks up against Contentful
| Features | dotCMS | Contentful | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architecture & Approach - Contentful | Architecture & Approach | dotCMS is a Java-based, Universal CMS meaning it’s universally developable on any framework, on any channel, on any infrastructure. | ||
| User Friendliness - Contentful | User Friendliness | dotCMS is built with both technical and non-technical users in mind, and our Universal Visual Editor allows anyone to create and manage pages. | ||
| Scalability - Contentful | Scalability | Perfect for mid-market and enterprise companies, dotCMS’ multi-tenant architecture can scale across teams and projects. dotCMS doesn’t limit things like users, API calls, and content types. | ||
| Cost - Contentful | Cost | The dotCMS pricing structure is clear and predictable. There are no overage fees or limits on API calls, keeping the total cost of ownership low. |
Case Studies
You're in Good Company
From Fortune 500 brands, government agencies, to higher education, our powerful and flexible CMS delivers proven business results across a wide range of industries and organizations.
A global leader in HVAC markets decreases operational costs and increases marketing effectiveness by replatforming multiple brands to dotCMS
A global leader in air conditioning and refrigeration markets partnered with Nebbiu to launch all their brands' websites on dotCMS under one multi-tenant content management solution.
Before dotCMS, our client was wasting a lot of money struggling to maintain numerous technologies that hosted each of their companies under different environments. Implementing dotCMS has given them the freedom to focus more on their bottom line rather than juggling outdated software and constant bug fixes. dotCMS was the perfect solution to simplifying their complex needs.
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