I tested content experience platforms to find the best one — here are the result...

I tested content experience platforms to find the best one - here are the results

Updated: 07/21/25

For years, I relied on a solid CMS to create digital experiences, but no matter how much I tweaked templates or optimized for SEO, the results always felt flat. The missing piece? Dynamic content experiences. That's when I discovered content experience platforms (CXPs)-tools built to deliver personalized, immersive experiences that a traditional CMS just can't match.

In this post, I'll walk you through what a content experience platform is, how it differs from a CMS, what I look for when trying these tools, and the best platforms I discovered through research.

Table of Contents

• What is a content experience platform?
• CXP vs. CMS
• What to Look for in a Content Experience Platform
• Best Content Experience Platforms
• Create More Engaging Content Experiences With CXPs

What is a content experience platform?

Let me cut through the jargon: A content experience platform (CXP) is not just a glorified CMS. After wrestling with tools like WordPress and Sitecore for years, here's how I define it:

A CXP is a system that lets you create, manage, and deliver contextually relevant content across every channel (websites, apps, emails, IoT devices) while maintaining brand consistency and measuring real-time engagement.

Let's take a look at how content experience platforms (CXPs) differ from content management systems (CMS).

CXP vs. CMS

A CXP builds on the CMS foundation, as they both manage content, support content publishing, and can integrate with other tools, but a CXP takes it further by enhancing how that content is experienced and measured.

What's a CMS?

A CMS (Content Management System) is like a digital filing cabinet. Tools like WordPress or Squarespace store and organize your content (blogs, images, pages) so you can publish it to a website. I used WordPress for years; it's perfect for simple blogs or brochure sites where "publish and forget" is the goal.

But here's where I think CMS falls short:

• Limited Design Flexibility: Most traditional CMS platforms are rigid when it comes to layout and interactivity, making it hard to build dynamic, immersive content experiences without heavy developer support.
• Content is Often Treated as Static: CMSs tend to treat content like isolated files, not as evolving, interconnected journeys that adapt to user behavior or personalization needs.
• Poor Previewing of User Experience: You can preview how a blog looks, but not how it feels. There's no real-time way to simulate how a user interacts with content in context, across devices, touchpoints, or different stages of the funnel.
• Fragmented Analytics: Content performance analysis is often siloed, making it difficult to measure engagement holistically (e.g., scroll depth, time on interactive modules, clicks on embedded CTAs).
• Scaling Personalization is Hard: Most CMSs aren't built to deliver personalized content experiences at scale without complex integrations or custom development.
• SEO > Experience Bias: Many CMS features are optimized for search engine visibility, which is important, but they often overlook user experience design, which is just as critical for conversions.

Content Experience Platform (CXP), on the other hand, is like your CMS's smarter, more strategic cousin. They don't just store content; they play a major role in orchestrating how it's delivered across channels (web, app, email, IoT) based on real-time user behavior.

Key Differences Between CMS and CXP

To make the distinction even clearer, here is a side-by-side comparison of CMS and CXP

Feature	CMS	CXP
Purpose	Store, manage, and publish content	Create engaging, personalized content experiences
Focus	Backend content organization	Frontend user experience
Customization	Template-based	Highly customizable layouts and flows
Personalization	Limited	Built-in personalization tools
Analytics	Basic page views	Engagement, scroll depth, conversion insights

Always bear in mind that traditional CMS tools focus on storing and publishing content, while content experience platforms are designed to shape how that content is delivered, personalized, and experienced across different touchpoints.

As for a team of individuals, you might be wondering, since CMS and CXP are closely related, when should I use either of them?

From my experience, you should stick with a CMS if:

• You're running a simple blog or static site.
• Your team just needs to publish content, not personalize it.
• You're on a tight budget (most CMS tools are cheaper).

And, you can upgrade to a CXP if:

• You're managing omnichannel campaigns (e.g., web + app + email).
• Personalization is non-negotiable (e.g., e-commerce, SaaS onboarding).
• You're tired of duct-taping plugins for analytics, A/B testing, or localization.

What to Look for in a Content Experience Platform

I have come across several content experience platforms in the past, and there are some common factors I always look out for whenever I encounter one, such as how well it helps me create, personalize, and optimize content without getting in the way.

Over time, I've developed my checklist that helps me evaluate whether a CXP is truly worth the investment.

Ease of Use

The first thing I notice is how intuitive the platform feels. If I can't figure out how to create and publish an experience within the first hour, that's a red flag. I look for drag-and-drop editors, clean interfaces, and clear documentation. I want to spend my time crafting content and not learning yet another tool.

When considering ease of use, can I personalize content without begging developers for help? I'm a coder, but not everyone is, and I don't think they will buy into the idea of waiting hours for a developer to tweak a homepage banner. My litmus test: Does the platform offer no-code personalization rules?

Personalization Capabilities

Personalization is non-negotiable. I test how easily I can tailor experiences for different audiences, whether by segment, behavior, or funnel stage. I ask myself: Can I show different headlines to first-time visitors? Can I serve dynamic content blocks based on user actions? The more flexible the rules, the better.

Integrations

I always check whether the CXP plays nicely with my existing tools, like my CMS (if i still need one), CRM, analytics, and email platforms. A great CXP fits into your stack without creating extra work. I also look for API support in case I need to build custom connections.

Don't go spending thousands of dollars on a CXP that can't connect to your email service provider and may still require pre-built integrations or flexible APIs for custom workflows.

Analytics & Insights

I don't just want to publish content. Otherwise, I would have stuck with a CMS. It's important to know how that content performs. I test how easy it is to track engagement, clicks, scroll depth, and conversions. Bonus points if the platform gives me actionable insights or even suggests optimizations.

Speed & Performance

No matter how slick the editor is, if the experiences load slowly or break on mobile, it's a dealbreaker. I run performance checks and test the mobile responsiveness of the pages I build. I want my users to have a seamless experience on every device.

Scalability

Finally, I think long-term, and every business should. Can this platform handle dozens of campaigns, users, and content variations without slowing down or getting messy? I test how well it manages permissions, roles, and content libraries, especially for larger teams.

Each time I come across a new platform, I keep these six factors in mind. They help me separate the platforms that just talk a good game from the ones that actually deliver.

Let's take a look at some of the best content experience platforms, in my opinion, that have these six factors.

Best Content Experience Platforms

There are a lot of good content experience platforms out there, most of which have the 6 factors discussed above. However, when selecting a content experience platform, you must not only consider those 6 factors, but also your team's needs, core features, and pricing.

In this section, I will give you my 5 favorite content experience platforms. You will get to see their core features, pricing, and also my opinion on what kind of team it's best for. Let's dive in.

Contentstack

Contentstack is a headless content experience platform designed for enterprises needing omnichannel scalability. Unlike traditional CMS tools, it decouples content from presentation, letting teams manage content once and deploy it everywhere (websites, apps, IoT devices).

Core Features:

• Headless architecture with RESTful APIs.
• AI-powered content tagging and automation.
• Multi-language support for global teams.

Pricing: Starts at $3,500/month (custom enterprise plans).

What I Like:

• No-code personalization: you can set rules like "Show winter coats to Canadian users and swimwear to Australians" without developer help.
• Real-time previews: you can check previews like how banners look on smartwatches vs. desktops before publishing.

Best for: Enterprises juggling complex localization or omnichannel campaigns.

G2 Insight: "Contentstack's scalability is unmatched, but pricing is opaque until you negotiate."

Storyblok

Storyblok markets itself as a "visual" headless CMS, blending drag-and-drop ease with developer flexibility. It's ideal for teams tired of CMS rigidity but not ready for full headless complexity. Their visual editor feels like Webflow for developers; you could drag components into place while backend logic is updated automatically.

Core Features:

• Visual editor with React/Vue.js support.
• Built-in SEO tools and A/B testing plugins.
• Real-time collaboration and version control.

Pricing: Free tier (up to 10K visits/month); Pro starts at $99/month.

What I Like:

• No more dev-marketing wars: Designers previewed changes without breaking the dev environment.
• Affordable scaling: The Pro plan covered everything my mid-sized agency needed.

Best for: SMBs or agencies needing speed and collaboration without coding.

G2 Insight: "Storyblok's plugin ecosystem is growing, but advanced features require workarounds."

Adobe Experience Manager (AEM)

Adobe's enterprise-grade CXP combines content management, digital asset management (DAM), and AI-driven insights. It's built for large organizations with deep resources and complex needs.

Core Features:

• AI auto-tagging and predictive analytics.
• Multi-site management for global brands.
• Tight integration with Adobe Creative Cloud.

Pricing: Custom quotes (starts at about $15,000/year).

What I Like:

• Enterprise muscle: Handled 15 regional sites without breaking a sweat.
• Granular permissions: Restricted access by role (e.g., interns couldn't accidentally delete the homepage).

Best for: Large corporations with a budget and IT teams to manage complexity.

G2 Insight: "AEM's power is undeniable, but expect a steep learning curve."

HubSpot CMS Hub

HubSpot's CXP blends CMS ease with CRM smarts. It's ideal for marketers who want personalized content tied directly to contact records and sales pipelines.

Core Features:

• CRM-native personalization (e.g., "Show this CTA to contacts in 'Lead' stage").
• Drag-and-drop editor with SEO recommendations.
• Serverless hosting and built-in security.

Pricing: Starts at about 20/month (BasicCMS); advanced CXP features from 600/month.

What I Like:

• All-in-one reporting: Tracked blog visits → email sign-ups → deals closed in one dashboard.
• No DevOps drama: Automatic updates and SSL certificates kept IT happy.

Best for: Marketing teams wanting CRM-CMS synergy without coding.

G2 Insight: "Detailed content performance analytics help users measure the success of individual pieces of content, including page views, click-through rates, and conversions. This data integration is seamless with other HubSpot tools, giving a holistic view of marketing efforts."

Bloomreach

Bloomreach focuses on commerce-driven content, using AI to personalize product recommendations and search results. It's a go-to for e-commerce brands blending content and sales.

Core Features:

• AI-powered search and merchandising.
• Unified content + product data management.
• A/B testing built into workflows.

Pricing: Custom (enterprise-tier; starts at $10K+/month).

What I Like:

• Content-to-commerce magic: Bundled blog posts with dynamic product carousels.
• Real-time inventory sync: Avoided showing out-of-stock items in related content.

Best for: E-commerce brands prioritizing content-driven revenue.

G2 Insight: "Bloomreach's AI is brilliant, but implementation requires technical chops."

Create More Engaging Content Experiences With CXPs

Content experience platforms go beyond traditional CMS tools and are great for creating dynamic, personalized, and immersive content experiences, and choosing the right one depends on your team's goals, technical needs, and most importantly, your team's budget.

To find the best platform for your specific needs, start by identifying the gaps in your current workflow - whether it's localization, personalization, or cross-channel analytics. Then, take advantage of the free demos most content experience platforms offer to test which one best bridges those gaps.

Topics:Content Management System

Don't forget to share this post!