A custom or proprietary content management system (CMS) sounds like a good idea at the start. However, proprietary “stacks” bring commitments the open source web solves with wider variety and ease of access.

We’ve prepared an overview of how WordPress compares to one of the top proprietary CMS today, Adobe Experience Manager. WordPress delivers business solutions for teams and readers alike. The process begins with the creation of content, which can be done using the WordPress editor. This editor supports various content types, including text, images, and multimedia, and offers features like auto-save and revision history.

Compared to AEM’s heavier authoring workflows, WordPress’s block editor provides a more intuitive and flexible interface for content teams. Enterprises benefit from faster onboarding and less dependency on specialized training.

WordPress supports user roles and permissions, allowing you to control who can edit and publish content. For example, an author can write a post, an editor can review and make changes, and an administrator can approve and publish it.

This role-based model scales naturally for distributed teams and can be extended with enterprise plugins or custom workflows, making it easier for global enterprises to manage permissions across multiple brands or regions. In AEM, role management often requires additional setup and customization, adding cost and complexity.

After the content is approved, it can be published immediately or scheduled for a future date. WordPress also supports automatic publishing to social media platforms, helping to streamline the promotion process. Beyond these basics, WordPress integrates seamlessly with marketing automation, analytics, and CRM tools—capabilities that in AEM often require additional licensing or complex integrations.

AEM offers powerful personalization and integration but carries high costs and long-term vendor lock-in. WordPress delivers comparable enterprise capabilities more efficiently and at a lower cost—without the risk of vendor lock-in—giving organizations the freedom to scale and adapt on their own terms.

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