Introduction
2023 was a turning point for content management systems in the web design world. Traditional platforms continued to dominate, but headless solutions, visual builders, and developer-friendly hybrids gained serious ground. For designers and businesses making decisions during that year, the question was no longer simply "which CMS is most popular?" but rather "which CMS fits the way our team actually works?" Looking back at the top CMS choices of 2023 is more than a history lesson; many of those platforms still shape the decisions teams make today.
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The CMS Landscape in 2023
By 2023, the CMS landscape had clearly split into several camps. Traditional, all-in-one platforms continued to power most small and mid-sized business websites. Headless CMS options were rapidly maturing, attracting product teams that wanted flexibility across web, mobile, and other channels. Visual website builders had grown sophisticated enough to compete with custom development for many marketing sites.
This diversity meant that "top CMS" lists looked very different depending on the audience. Marketing teams, developers, and enterprise IT leaders all had legitimate but different favorites. Understanding why each platform earned its place helps clarify which legacy choices still make sense in the current era.
WordPress: The Familiar Powerhouse
WordPress was, unsurprisingly, near the top of nearly every 2023 CMS list. Its enormous plugin ecosystem, mature theme marketplace, and large pool of available developers made it the default choice for countless small and mid-sized sites. The introduction of block-based editing had also pushed it closer to the visual flexibility of newer competitors.
However, 2023 also exposed familiar challenges. Performance, security, and plugin sprawl remained ongoing concerns, and many teams struggled to keep their sites lean and maintainable. The platforms that succeeded with WordPress in 2023 were the ones that disciplined their plugin choices and invested in solid hosting and maintenance.
Webflow: Designer-Driven Builds
Webflow had firmly established itself as a top choice for marketing and brand websites by 2023. Its visual canvas allowed designers to build production-ready sites with strong control over typography, layout, and animation. Designers could ship work directly without a heavy development handoff, which appealed to small teams and agencies alike.
The trade-off, then as now, was that complex back-end logic and large content models could push Webflow past its sweet spot. Teams that needed advanced application functionality often paired Webflow with external tools or eventually migrated to more flexible stacks. Still, for design-led marketing sites, it was hard to beat in 2023.
Shopify: The E-Commerce Standard
For online stores, Shopify continued to dominate as a 2023 CMS choice. Its hosted infrastructure, strong app ecosystem, and continually evolving theme system made it relatively easy to launch and scale e-commerce experiences. The platform’s focus on commerce-specific features, from checkout optimization to multi-channel selling, gave it a clear edge for product-driven businesses.
Shopify also benefited from a maturing developer ecosystem. Custom storefronts, headless implementations, and advanced integrations were all increasingly common, allowing larger brands to push the platform far beyond its starter templates. For many businesses, 2023 was the year Shopify graduated from "small store solution" to a credible enterprise platform.
Headless CMS Platforms
2023 was a breakout year for headless CMS platforms. These systems separated content management from the front end, allowing teams to deliver the same content across websites, apps, kiosks, and other surfaces. Developers gained the flexibility to build front ends with their preferred frameworks, while content teams worked in clean, structured editorial interfaces.
The best headless platforms of 2023 invested heavily in editor experience, real-time previews, and structured content modeling. They appealed especially to product-led organizations, media companies, and any business that planned to deliver content across multiple channels. The complexity of headless setups still demanded strong development teams, but the payoff in flexibility was significant.
Drupal and Enterprise Open Source
Drupal remained a strong choice in 2023 for large, complex websites with sophisticated permissions and content workflows. Government agencies, universities, and major nonprofits continued to rely on its powerful structured content capabilities. The platform’s commitment to accessibility and security also kept it relevant for organizations with strict compliance requirements.
While Drupal’s learning curve discouraged some smaller teams, the organizations that invested in it tended to stay loyal. Its long-term roadmap, including better editor experiences and modern front-end integrations, kept it competitive against newer entrants.
Visual Builders Beyond Webflow
2023 also saw a wave of visual builders that catered to specific niches. Some focused on solopreneurs and creators, offering opinionated templates and integrated marketing features. Others targeted developers, exposing more code and customization while still providing a visual canvas. The breadth of options meant that almost every kind of business could find a builder aligned with its skill set and goals.
The lesson from this wave was clear. Visual builders were no longer toys; they had become serious tools, capable of producing fast, accessible, and well-designed websites when used by skilled teams. Their popularity in 2023 set the stage for even more sophisticated builders in the years that followed.
Lessons That Still Apply
Looking back at the top CMS choices of 2023 reveals some lessons that remain valuable today. First, the "best" CMS is always the one that fits the team’s skills, content needs, and growth plans. Second, ecosystem strength, including hosting, plugins, integrations, and available talent, often matters more than feature checklists. Third, performance, accessibility, and maintainability quietly determine long-term success more than any single feature.
Teams that chose well in 2023 typically did so by starting with their workflow, not with the technology. They asked who would create content, who would maintain the site, and how the business would evolve. Those questions are still the right starting point today.
Conclusion
The top CMS for web design in 2023 reflected a maturing industry that finally accepted there is no single right answer. WordPress, Webflow, Shopify, headless platforms, Drupal, and a wave of visual builders all earned their place by serving different needs exceptionally well. Understanding why each rose to the top helps current teams make smarter, more durable CMS decisions, choosing platforms that fit their reality rather than chasing whichever name happens to be loudest at the moment.