CMS Market Share 2025: WordPress Leads, But Competition Grows

WordPress remains the leading Content Management System (CMS), but the landscape is evolving. While still powering 43.5% of all websites, WordPress's market share among sites using a CMS has dipped to 61.2% as of May 2025, according to W3Techs. This marks the first sustained decline for WordPress since its 2003 launch.

Competitors like Wix, Squarespace, and Shopify are steadily gaining ground. The number of websites without a CMS has also decreased, indicating a growing preference for managed platforms.

CMS Market Size and Top Players

With approximately 71.1% of websites using a CMS, and nearly 200 million live websites reported by Netcraft, the CMS market encompasses roughly 143.5 million websites.

Top 10 CMS Platforms (May 2025):

  • WordPress: 61.2% market share (43.5% of all websites)
  • Shopify: 6.7% market share (4.7% of all websites)
  • Wix: 5.3% market share (3.8% of all websites)
  • Squarespace: 3.3% market share (2.3% of all websites)
  • Joomla: 2.1% market share (1.5% of all websites)
  • Drupal: 1.2% market share (0.8% of all websites)
  • Webflow: 1.2% market share (0.8% of all websites)
  • Adobe Systems: 1.1% market share (0.8% of all websites)
  • Tilda: 0.9% market share (0.7% of all websites)
  • Duda: 0.9% market share (0.7% of all websites)

Data source: W3Techs (May 2025). Note: WooCommerce and Elementor are WordPress plugins, not standalone CMS platforms.

WordPress Facing New Challenges

Despite its dominance, WordPress faces challenges. User frustrations with plugin compatibility, core updates, and security contribute to its declining market share. Easier-to-use platforms are attracting users seeking simpler solutions.

The Rise of Website Builders

Website builders like Wix and Squarespace offer user-friendly, hosted solutions that appeal to small businesses. Their growth reflects a trend toward simplified website creation.

Ecommerce CMS Landscape

WooCommerce, a WordPress plugin, leads the ecommerce CMS market with a 12.7% share, followed by Shopify at 6.7%.

Why CMS Market Share Matters for SEO

Understanding CMS market share is crucial for SEO professionals. Different platforms require different optimization strategies. The rise of website builders and ecommerce platforms presents new opportunities for specialized SEO expertise.

As the CMS market diversifies, staying informed about these trends is key to effective SEO and digital marketing.