糖心Vlog

If you’re searching for the best SaaS CMS, you’re either a SaaS business leader or you’re looking for the type of content management system you 诲辞苍’迟 have to install on your server. Either way — I wrote this article for you.

As someone who has used both a SaaS CMS and a self-hosted/on-premise CMS for various websites, I can tell you that deciding between the two can be tough. But SaaS offers a few distinct advantages, including ease of maintenance, zero installation, and predictable costs.

In this article, you’ll find the best options for SaaS content management systems, including what a SaaS CMS is, its key benefits, and, of course, the best platform for content for SaaS businesses.

Table of Contents

• SaaS CMS Summary
• What is a SaaS CMS?
• SaaS CMS vs Self-Hosted CMS
• SaaS CMS Types
• Best SaaS CMS Selection Criteria
• Best SaaS CMS Options
• Key Benefits of Using a SaaS CMS
• SaaS CMS Frequently Asked Questions

SaaS CMS Summary

A SaaS CMS is a content management system that’s delivered via a software-as-a-service (SaaS) model. The software enables users to upload files and edit content for their website without needing to code, and is hosted in the cloud and delivered on a subscription basis.

A SaaS CMS differs from a self-hosted CMS, which requires you to obtain separate web hosting, install the CMS on your server, and manage all updates yourself. The key benefits of a SaaS CMS are that you can typically manage your website from one account, have infrastructure and updates managed for you by the SaaS CMS vendor, and enjoy predictable costs.

When evaluating SaaS CMSs, look for must-have features based on your business needs, reasonable pricing, ease of use, and available integrations. Ready to try a SaaS CMS that’s natively integrated with a CRM and marketing tools? Sign up for .

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What is a SaaS CMS?

A SaaS CMS is a cloud-based content management system that’s offered on a subscription basis. It’s a great alternative to self-hosted CMSs because you 诲辞苍’迟 have to buy separate hosting and install the CMS software onto your server. Instead, the software is hosted by the CMS vendor, and you pay a monthly or yearly fee for the service. A SaaS CMS also handles all infrastructure, security, and software updates for you. Examples of SaaS CMSs include HubSpot Content Hub, Wix, and WordPress.com.

A SaaS CMS (aka “hosted CMS”) differs from a self-hosted CMS, for which you must acquire separate web hosting, install the CMS onto your server, and handle infrastructure, security, and updates yourself. Examples of self-hosted CMSs include Joomla, Drupal Core, and WordPress.org.

Some CMS software is available in both formats. For example:

• WordPress.com is a SaaS CMS because it combines the open-source WordPress CMS with hosting on one platform. You simply sign up for an account and manage your content, while WordPress.com handles infrastructure, security, and software updates.
• WordPress.org is a self-hosted CMS because it allows you to download the CMS software for free, but you must buy hosting separately and install the software there. You handle the infrastructure, security, and software updates yourself.

Alternatively, a SaaS CMS might refer to a content management system designed to support SaaS businesses. Like all good CMS platforms, a SaaS CMS will offer the same key features as a self-hosted CMS. You’d expect to manage content, create pages, log activity and changes to your site, and more.

A CMS specifically for SaaS will ideally have CMS features that support the SaaS business. For example, you might want a CMS that integrates with your product’s users so you can manage user accounts, including sign-ups, billing, account management, trials, renewals, and more.

SaaS CMS vs Self-Hosted CMS

SaaS CMS Types

Before we get into the five best SaaS content management systems, let’s define different types of CMSs and who they’re best for.

Traditional or Coupled CMS

A traditional CMS, also known as a coupled CMS, is a content management system in which the data stored in the back end and the data displayed on the front end are directly linked.

Most people are familiar with the traditional coupled CMS; providers such as WordPress, Squarespace, and Wix have made it popular. WordPress is typically used as a traditional CMS, and it powers — pretty impressive!

The coupled elements of a traditional CMS are commonly referred to as the front end (the website, or the content, as the user sees it) and the back end (content storage, media libraries, content fields, WYSIWYG editors, etc.). The primary focus of this type of CMS is to make building a product (in many cases, a website) accessible to anyone, as it has low barriers to entry.

The advantage of a traditional CMS is that the product can usually be built very quickly and can be built by anyone, even if they lack technical skills. The disadvantages of this type of system are that it can be very rigid (especially if hosted as a SaaS CMS), with limited customization options. The stored data is baked into the output and therefore cannot be used in any other way.

Examples of coupled CMSs include , WordPress, Squarespace, and Wix. Note: Content Hub can also be used as a headless CMS.

Best for: Traditional CMSs are the most popular for a reason. They’re pretty suitable for all sorts of businesses, from solopreneurs to large corporations.

Decoupled CMS

Unlike a coupled CMS, a decoupled CMS separates the content management back end from the front end, allowing for easier content delivery while maintaining flexibility.

In a decoupled system, the CMS is used to define and store data, unlike a coupled system, where the CMS is used to design and build layouts or visual elements.

The advantage of this system is that the data is separate from the front end. Making significant changes to the product, such as a rebrand, is much easier because the CMS data is independent of the front-end output.

The disadvantage of this system, compared to coupled, is that it requires expertise from software developers and designers to build the front end. However, this does allow for much more customization.

WordPress and Drupal can be used as decoupled CMSs.

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Headless CMS

In the traditional sense, a CMS typically has a “body” and a “head.” The body refers to the content and the content manager, and the head refers to the front end, i.e., what the user sees.

As the name might suggest, a headless CMS does not include the front end. A headless CMS is a type of decoupled CMS. A headless CMS is used to define and store data, which can then be queried by external systems. Those external systems then decide how to present that data.

The headless option, compared to traditional, offers more flexibility in delivering content to various platforms, whether that’s a blog, a smart TV, or a smart fridge.

A headless CMS depends on an API. Editors add content to the CMS, and external publishing tools use APIs to access the content.

Ahrefs uses a great pizza analogy to show how content (or ingredients) is pieced together to deliver different types of content. It’s an approachable example of how content can be served in diverse formats.

Examples of headless CMSs include Strapi, Contentful, and ButterCMS.

Best for: Businesses with a large amount of content being displayed on multiple channels

Best SaaS CMS Selection Criteria

Here’s how I evaluated each SaaS CMS for this article.

Key Features

I looked for the common, expected CMS features (such as a WYSIWYG visual editor) as well as the standout features that make each particular CMS unique (such as a built-in CRM).

Pricing

I made sure to include pricing ranges so that everyone — from small businesses to enterprises — could find something within their budget.

Recommendations from SaaS Companies

To help fellow SaaS business leaders, I asked SaaS companies for their CMS recommendations and included their quotes.

Best SaaS CMS Options

I wanted to gather the best SaaS CMS options, so I reached out to people working for SaaS companies. I asked them which CMS they were using and what made it the best CMS for SaaS.

HubSpot is one of the with its own CMS, . Considering that HubSpot developed the CMS, you can bet that it was centered around SaaS businesses.

Content Hub is an AI-powered CMS designed to help marketers manage content with ease and power that content with customer data from the built-in Smart CRM. The drag-and-drop editor makes it easy to build pages, and the Breeze suite of AI tools means you can chat with AI for assistance or use it to refine content.

Features

• is a suite of AI tools that refines your content.
• Drag-and-drop editor makes for easy designing without code.
• Built-in CRM, marketing, sales, and service tools power business growth.
• allows you to leave useful feedback on CMS assets like blog posts.
• Role permissions and content approvals help you manage multi-author workflows.

Pricing: You can use . offer advanced features and start at $9/month/seat on annual billing.

Best for: 糖心Vlog teams focused on business growth

I launched my very first blog on WordPress.com in 2009 with zero website experience. WordPress powers , making it the most popular CMS. But let’s clear up a big confusion about it: There are two different types of WordPress, WordPress.com (SaaS CMS) and WordPress.org (self-hosted CMS).

So, if you’re looking specifically for a cloud-based SaaS CMS, choose WordPress.com. But, if you’re a SaaS business looking to self-host your site, go with the software you can download for free at WordPress.org.

Because WordPress is open source, many developers have created plugins that will solve almost any problem you can think of. This means you can build your perfect solution using a range of plugins, many of which are free.

, Global Chief 糖心Vlog Officer at , uses self-hosted WordPress. One of Pegg’s considerations when choosing the best platform for content for SaaS businesses was a CMS with the functionality to integrate with HubSpot.

Pegg says, “WordPress does this seamlessly. We want to track metrics such as churn rate and customer lifetime value (CLV). Plus, we want to expand into using lead scoring and adding our website engagement into renewal management. All of this is data where website metrics can help. Without a CMS that‘s able to integrate effectively, we wouldn’t be able to make it happen.”

Using WordPress with HubSpot, Pegg says they were able to “leverage the strengths of both platforms. WordPress, with its flexibility, open-source nature, and extensive ecosystem of plugins, allows us to create a highly customizable and scalable website.”

Meanwhile, HubSpot’s powerful marketing automation, CRM, and lead management capabilities enhance their customer engagement, streamline lead capture, and nurture workflows directly from their site. This integration ensures they deliver personalized content and experiences to their visitors while optimizing their marketing efforts through detailed analytics and automation, Pegg explained.

“This combination provides us with the best of both worlds: the creative freedom and control of WordPress alongside the comprehensive marketing and CRM tools of HubSpot, enabling us to grow our business effectively while maintaining flexibility and scalability.”

Pro tip: Before you build any complex functionality in WordPress, try the plugin library first. So many problems have been solved with modular plugins on WordPress.

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Features

• Thousands of themes in the .
• Most popular CMS in the world, meaning you can find lots of documentation and resources made for WordPress.

Pricing: Hosted on annual billing at . Self-hosted WordPress means the CMS is free.

Best for: Businesses of all sizes serious about blogging on the most popular platform for it

Storyblok is a headless content management system. It offers developers and content creators the flexibility they need to build and manage content-rich experiences.

With Storyblok, you can use the editor to edit and preview content without needing technical knowledge. As a non-developer, I found testing out Storyblok to be much easier than another headless CMS I’ve tried to demo before (Strapi). Because I tried to use the self-hosted Strapi, it asked me to install Node.js and Python (which I 诲辞苍’迟 know how to do). Although I should note that even using Strapi Cloud (its SaaS solution), I still couldn‘t easily test the free plan because it required me to import a git repository (which, as a marketer, I 诲辞苍’迟 have).

But because Storyblok is a SaaS CMS, it set me up in a demo environment with a prebuilt site as soon as I signed up. It even let me choose my role as a marketer so it could tailor it to me.

Storyblok was recommended as the best CMS for SaaS by , Content and SEO Manager at .

Aviram says, “Things in SaaS change fast. With new features being developed at speed, we needed a CMS that can keep up.

“Storyblok allows us to stay agile and change content at scale easily. With easy drag-and-drop for content editors, it caters to our non-tech staff. The devs love it because it’s a headless CMS and integrates easily with our wider tech stack. A feature I’ve personally been impressed with is the app directory. I can pick and choose useful plugins by myself without developer help.”

Pro tip: Like WordPress plugins, you can solve many problems with the Storyblok apps (though Storyblok has far fewer apps than WordPress does). Use the before you engage developer support to see if there’s an existing solution.

Features

• Headless CMS framework.
• Intuitive visual editor.
• Real-time collaboration lets you leave comments on the visual page editor.
• App directory.

Pricing: To access premium features, start at $90.75 per month (billed annually) for the Growth plan, which includes five team member seats.

Best for: Teams managing complex content strategies and looking to strike a balance between a marketer-friendly yet developer-focused CMS

Sanity

Sanity is another headless SaaS CMS that is particularly beloved by SaaS companies, including Figma, Loom, and Cloudflare. Unlike Storyblok, however, Sanity bills itself as “developer-first.” When I signed up to trial it, it even advised me to connect with a developer due to its more technical setup:

Pro tip: If you need technical support during Sanity setup and management, choose from one of the many .

Features

• Headless CMS framework.
• Visual editor available, but not as intuitive for non-developers as Storyblok.
• Real-time collaboration and commenting.
• 250+ tools and plugins in the .

Pricing: There are , including a free forever plan. The Growth plan is $15/seat/month. To get pricing for the Enterprise plan, contact sales.

Best for: SaaS website teams wanting a developer-focused headless CMS favored by other SaaS companies

Webflow is a great CMS for SaaS businesses, and it is worthy of consideration for businesses of all sizes.

There are two things that stand out to me. First, like WordPress, Webflow allows you to use a visual editor so you can create a site without a developer, but if you want something custom, you can add code, too.

Second, the is really cool. You can turn designs into pages with the plugin.

Webflow also includes hosting and CMS capabilities, so if you want one platform to do it all, Webflow could be the one for you.

, Head of Growth at , relies on Webflow and makes the most of its CMS, too.

Rymkiewicz says, “Webflow empowers Default to move fast. Its no-code tools let us make real-time updates without developer bottlenecks, while the flexible CMS helps us scale content like product pages and blogs. With built-in SEO and third-party integrations, it's perfect for a SaaS like ours focused on agility and growth.”

Features

• Visual editor so you can create your website without the need for developers. Though it’s worth noting you can also add custom code so you can customize your site as you like if you’ve got a developer.
• You can sync Webflow to Figma with a plugin.

Pricing: You can start with Webflow for free, but you are limited to two static pages. start at $14/month, billed annually.

Best for: Web-design-focused teams looking for a complete web design and hosting solution

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Key Benefits of Using a SaaS CMS

Centralized Management

A self-hosted CMS requires website owners to maintain separate accounts for the CMS, hosting, and security tools. But a SaaS CMS keeps all of those under one account, one vendor.

Additionally, here’s an aspect I 诲辞苍’迟 think many website owners consider: There are many other costs and software tools associated with running a website. Some SaaS CMS solutions, like Content Hub, eliminate many of those because they wrap so many useful tools into one platform.

For example, when I ran a travel blog, I chose self-hosted WordPress. That meant I had a separate web hosting provider, email marketing platform, and landing page software. If I’d used Content Hub, however, it comes with a CMS, email marketing, and landing page builder built into the platform.

No Installation Required

A SaaS CMS doesn’t require any installation, whereas a self-hosted CMS does.

Easy Maintenance

With a SaaS CMS, your CMS vendor handles infrastructure, security, and software updates, which makes it easier on your team to maintain a website. With a self-hosted CMS, you would be responsible for all of that.

Predictable Costs

Because SaaS CMSs come at a monthly or yearly subscription fee, your costs are very predictable. Compare that to a self-hosted CMS, where your CMS and hosting are separate, making costs a little less predictable.

Can Be More Secure

A major downside of self-hosted CMSs like WordPress.org is that because the maintenance falls into the responsibility of the website owner, software updates can go uninstalled. Outdated software and plugins are a major site security vulnerability. Therefore, an argument can be made that SaaS CMSs, which handle updates for you, are more secure.

A SaaS CMS that’s used as a headless CMS offers yet another security advantage. As Paul Bratslavsky, a developer advocate for headless CMS Strapi, writes on : “A headless CMS improves data protection by separating the backend from the frontend, reducing the attack surface. With fewer internet-facing components, there are fewer entry points for attackers.”

Scalability

With a self-hosted CMS, you need to adjust your infrastructure as your site grows. That might look like needing to contact your web host and upgrade to a plan with more bandwidth if your site reaches a certain traffic threshold. But a SaaS CMS would offer automatic infrastructure scaling.

SaaS CMS Frequently Asked Questions

Is a CMS considered SaaS?

A content management system (CMS) is only considered a software as a service (SaaS) if it offers a cloud-based CMS on a subscription basis. The opposite of this would be a self-hosted or on-premise CMS, which is not SaaS because it requires installation on your server and isn’t offered on a subscription basis.

How does a SaaS CMS differ from a traditional CMS?

First, 诲辞苍’迟 get the two terms confused: It’s actually “SaaS CMS versus self-hosted CMS” and “traditional CMS versus headless CMS.” A SaaS CMS can still be a traditional CMS. A traditional CMS is one that is “monolithic” or “coupled,” meaning the backend admin dashboard is connected to the frontend presentation layer. Think WordPress, Content Hub, and Wix. The opposite of a traditional CMS is a headless CMS, which is a type of decoupled CMS where the backend is detached from the front-end presentation layer. Think Storyblok, Sanity, and Contentful.

Second, the true opposite of a SaaS CMS is a self-hosted or on-premise CMS. The way that they differ is that a SaaS CMS is offered on a cloud-based, subscription basis, whereas a self-hosted/on-premise CMS is offered as software that you install on your server, usually for free or a one-time fee.

How much does a SaaS CMS cost?

The good news is that many SaaS CMSs are available for free. However, you still need to factor in the cost of registering a custom domain and upgrading to premium plans as your traffic or needs grow. You can get started with Content Hub for free, with paid plans starting at $9/month/seat on annual billing.

Can I migrate from WordPress to a SaaS CMS?

Yes, you can migrate from self-hosted WordPress to a SaaS CMS, with varying levels of difficulty depending on where you’re migrating your WordPress site to.

• Moving from self-hosted WordPress to a SaaS CMS is challenging but doable. This requires moving to a proprietary platform, so often, you’ll need to manually rebuild the site onto the new SaaS CMS platform. For example, if you wanted to move your self-hosted WordPress.org website to Squarespace, you wouldn’t be able to transfer the exact website design and layout. Content, like text, images, and videos, can usually be exported from WordPress and imported to your new SaaS CMS. Design, however, such as the exact website theme or layout, cannot usually be imported to your new CMS, so you must manually rebuild this part.
  
  HubSpot has a feature called that lets you import your WordPress blog into HubSpot. Alternatively, the can take care of everything for you by rebuilding your WordPress content into Content Hub.
• Moving from self-hosted WordPress to (a SaaS CMS) is your best bet. That’s because they’re both the same CMS, just using a different delivery model, so they connect better. In fact, you simply use a plugin called that walks you through the process.

Do SaaS CMS platforms handle SEO?

Many SaaS CMS platforms do include SEO tools. For example, HubSpot Content Hub includes to help you optimize your content to rank in search engines.

Is Salesforce a CMS or CRM?

Salesforce is mainly a CRM, though it does offer some CMS capabilities too. However, you can’t purchase the Salesforce CMS as standalone software; rather, for subscribers of its Experience Cloud.

Is SaaS a CRM tool?

No, not necessarily. SaaS simply stands for “software as a service,” which refers to any tool that is delivered on a subscription basis and hosted in the cloud (aka, you 诲辞苍’迟 have to install anything). A CRM is customer relationship management software, which sales and marketing teams use to keep records of and manage customer interactions. While a CRM tool can be a SaaS tool, not all SaaS tools are CRMs.

Ready to try a new SaaS CMS?

In this article, I reviewed five of the best SaaS CMS options. After talking to people working in SaaS and trying out different CMSs, I found that developers want flexibility, while content creators want ease of use. Integrations with other systems and functionality to track metrics were desirable, too.

Consider what you and your team need before taking the leap and trying a new SaaS CMS. No doubt, there will be a perfect solution for you.

Content Hub is the only SaaS CMS on this list that comes with a built-in CRM as well as sales, marketing, and customer service tools. It’s a great option for marketing teams that want to tie content to ROI. Sign up to get started with the free website builder.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in October 2024 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

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• Pre-built themes and templates.
• Built-in marketing tools and features.
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