CMS Market Share in 2024: WordPress Still Dominates, But the Landscape Is Shifting

The content management system (CMS) market continues to evolve at a rapid pace. As businesses, bloggers, and entrepreneurs build their online presence, the platform they choose to power their website matters more than ever. In 2024, WordPress remains the undisputed leader in the global CMS market, but newer, simpler platforms are steadily gaining ground. This article breaks down the latest CMS market share data, explores the key trends shaping the industry, and helps you understand which platform might be right for your needs.

WordPress Market Share: Still the King of CMS

When it comes to raw numbers, WordPress is in a league of its own. According to the latest global data, WordPress powers approximately 43.3% of all websites on the internet. When measured strictly within the CMS market – excluding sites with no CMS at all – WordPress commands an extraordinary 60.7% of the CMS market share.

To put that into perspective, consider that there are estimated to be over 200 million websites globally that use some form of content management system. WordPress alone accounts for well over 120 million of those sites. No other platform comes close to matching that level of adoption.

So why has WordPress maintained such a dominant position for so many years? The reasons are straightforward. WordPress is open source, meaning it is completely free to use and customize. It supports a vast ecosystem of over 59,000 plugins and thousands of themes, giving users virtually unlimited flexibility. It is also backed by a massive global community of developers, designers, and content creators who continuously improve the platform and provide support.

However, despite its dominance, WordPress’s overall market share has been slowly declining in recent years. This is not because WordPress is losing users – it continues to grow in absolute terms – but because newer, all-in-one platforms are growing even faster and capturing a larger share of new website creation.

The Rise of SaaS Website Builders

One of the most significant trends in the CMS space is the rapid rise of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) website builders. These platforms – which include Shopify, Wix, and Squarespace – offer a fundamentally different approach to building and managing a website. Rather than requiring users to handle their own hosting, security updates, and technical configuration, these platforms bundle everything into a single monthly subscription.

The appeal is obvious. For a small business owner, a freelance professional, or an entrepreneur launching an e-commerce store, the ability to get a professional-looking website live within hours – without writing a single line of code – is incredibly attractive. This ease of use is the primary driver behind the growth of managed website platforms.

Shopify

Shopify now holds 6.8% of the global CMS market, making it the second most popular CMS platform after WordPress. Shopify’s success is closely tied to the explosive growth of e-commerce. The platform is purpose-built for online stores, offering built-in payment processing, inventory management, shipping integrations, and a polished storefront experience right out of the box. For anyone looking to sell products online without the complexity of configuring WooCommerce or Magento, Shopify has become the go-to choice.

Wix

Wix holds 5.7% of the CMS market and has become one of the most recognizable names in website building. Its drag-and-drop editor, wide range of industry-specific templates, and affordable pricing tiers have made it especially popular among small businesses, creative professionals, and individuals building personal websites. Wix has also invested heavily in artificial intelligence features, including an AI website builder that can generate a complete site layout based on a few simple prompts.

Squarespace

Squarespace accounts for 3.4% of the CMS market and has carved out a strong niche among design-conscious users. Known for its visually stunning templates and clean aesthetic, Squarespace is a favorite among photographers, artists, restaurants, and lifestyle brands. Its all-in-one approach includes hosting, domain registration, e-commerce tools, and email marketing within a single platform.

The Decline of Traditional CMSs: Joomla and Drupal

While WordPress, Shopify, Wix, and Squarespace are either holding steady or growing, two once-popular CMS platforms have been on a consistent downward trajectory. Joomla and Drupal, both open-source platforms that rivaled WordPress in the early days of the CMS market, have seen their market shares erode significantly over the past decade.

Joomla, which once positioned itself as a more flexible alternative to WordPress, has struggled to keep up with modern development practices and user expectations. Drupal, while still highly respected in enterprise and government contexts for its security and scalability, requires a significant level of technical expertise to use effectively. As the broader market moves toward simplicity and accessibility, both platforms have found it difficult to attract new users.

The story of Joomla and Drupal serves as an important lesson: in a market driven by ease of use and speed of deployment, even technically superior platforms can lose ground if they fail to reduce the barrier to entry for everyday users.

No-CMS Sites Are Shrinking

Another notable trend in the current data is the continued decline of websites that operate without any CMS at all. As of the latest estimates, only 28.6% of websites worldwide run without a CMS. This figure has been falling steadily over time, reflecting the growing adoption of content management tools across all segments of the web.

In the early days of the internet, most websites were built with hand-coded HTML and CSS, maintained by developers who updated files directly on a server. Today, that model is increasingly rare. Even simple personal websites and small business pages are typically built on some form of CMS or website builder, because the tools available make it faster, cheaper, and easier than coding from scratch.

This trend suggests that CMS adoption will continue to rise in the coming years, particularly as AI-powered website builders lower the barrier to entry even further.

What Is Driving the Shift Toward All-in-One Platforms?

The gradual shift away from self-hosted CMS platforms like WordPress toward managed, all-in-one solutions like Shopify, Wix, and Squarespace is being driven by several converging factors.

• Ease of use – Managed platforms eliminate the need to deal with hosting configuration, software updates, security patches, and plugin compatibility issues.
• Speed to launch – A business can have a fully functional website live in a matter of hours rather than days or weeks.
• Predictable costs – Monthly subscription pricing makes budgeting simpler compared to the variable costs of hosting, premium plugins, and developer fees associated with WordPress.
• Integrated tools – Features like e-commerce, SEO tools, analytics, and email marketing are often built in, removing the need to manage multiple third-party services.
• Mobile optimization – Modern SaaS builders are designed from the ground up to deliver responsive, mobile-friendly websites without any extra configuration.

Which CMS Should You Choose in 2024?

The right CMS depends entirely on your goals, technical comfort level, and budget. Here is a quick breakdown to help guide your decision.

1. Choose WordPress if you need maximum flexibility, plan to build a content-heavy website or blog, have access to developer support, or want full control over your hosting environment and data.
2. Choose Shopify if your primary goal is selling products online and you want a streamlined, reliable e-commerce experience without extensive technical setup.
3. Choose Wix if you are a small business owner or individual who wants an affordable, easy-to-use platform with a wide range of design options.
4. Choose Squarespace if visual design and brand aesthetics are a top priority, and you want an elegant, all-in-one solution.
5. Consider Drupal or Joomla only if you have specific technical requirements or are working within an organization that already uses these platforms.

Looking Ahead: The Future of the CMS Market

The CMS market is not standing still. Artificial intelligence is already beginning to reshape how websites are built and managed, with tools that can generate content, suggest design improvements, and even automate SEO optimization. Headless CMS architecture is also gaining traction among developers who want to separate content management from front-end delivery, enabling faster and more flexible website experiences.

WordPress has responded to these trends with continued investment in its block editor, full site editing capabilities, and a growing ecosystem of headless-compatible tools. Meanwhile, Shopify, Wix, and Squarespace continue to roll out AI-powered features and expanded integrations to keep their platforms competitive.

One thing is clear: the CMS market will continue to grow, and the competition between open-source flexibility and managed simplicity will define the next chapter of the industry. Whether you are building your first website or evaluating platforms for a large-scale digital project, understanding the current market landscape is the first step toward making the right choice.