The Envelope, Please: We Proudly Present the Winners of the 13th Annual CMS Critic Awards
Lights... Camera... Community action! It was another year of banner participation, and a few vendors really brought the rain.
The Oscars might have Conclave, but we have content.
And Demi Moore can have The Substance – because we've got the schema.
Sure, it would be great for Conan O'Brien to host the 13th edition of our world-famous CMS Critic Awards, but we've got something even better than the Academy: You.
That's right. YOU.
You activated your communities and rallied the vote. You brought enthusiasm for these platforms, showing up to support your favorite tools. You inspire us – and for that, our cup runneth over.
While our little awards program has a streak of competitiveness, it's all about celebrating our industry and the continued innovation we see from all corners. From the vendor's perspective, it's an opportunity to highlight the power of your users – from marketers to developers – and let their voices sing.
Most of all, the CMS Critic Awards is a chance to have some fun in our fast-paced, nose-to-the-grindstone world. It reminds us that people, not platforms, are at the heart of this content game.
From all of us at CMS Critic, thank you for participating. Keep carrying a torch for the tools you love.
The Envelope, Please…
Dramatic pause: Before we break the seal, we have a few notes on this year's list of champions:
As you'll see, a couple of vendors showed up in a big way, owning more than one category. Still, several newcomers popped up in our nominations wave – no one we would call A Complete Unknown, but some smaller solutions that managed to make the cutoff. Congrats to all of you, and bring the thunder again next year. Because you never know what can happen.
Here are your winners in the 13th Annual CMS Critic Awards:
- Best Enterprise CMS: Umbraco
- Best DXP: Sitecore
- Best Free CMS: Umbraco
- Best Headless CMS: Umbraco
- Best Open Source CMS: Joomla
- Best ECM: Microsoft SharePoint
- Best Flat File CMS: Statamic
- Best Website Builder: uSkinned
- Best Static Site Generator: Statamic
- Best DAM: Sitecore
- Best PIM: Pimcore
- Best e-Commerce Solution: Shopify
- Best Headless Commerce Solution: Shopify
- Best Composable Solution: Umbraco
- Best AI Solution in a CMS or DXP: Umbraco
- Best Development/Hosting Platform: Azure
Congratulations to this year's winners!
What can we say? We’re thrilled to have such a passionate community of readers, and we’re already looking forward to next year’s Awards. Given the shifting landscape of categories, we'll be making some changes for our 14th annual program, and even expanding a few things (don't worry, CMS is still closest to our heart).
Remember to sign up for alerts about additional events this year, and check below for some upcoming conferences that we'll be attending and speaking at.
Vendor Marketing Departments: Looking to promote the good news? Email us at info@cmscritic.com to request your exclusive badges and claim your 30 day Product Directory upgrade.
Upcoming Events
CMS Summit 25
May 13-14, 2025 – Frankfurt, Germany
Don't miss the first European edition of our prestigious international conference dedicated to the global content management community! CMS Summit 25 will bring together top-notch speakers, our renowned learning format, and engaging social events. Hear from leading practitioners like Deutsche Bahn, Dr. Oetker, and more – and join customers, agencies, and CMS vendors as we discuss current trends and what's ahead for the content and digital experience fields. Connect and network at the only vendor-neutral, in-person conference focused on CMS. Space is limited for this exclusive event, so book your seats today.
CMS Connect 25
August 5-6, 2025 – Montreal, Canada
We are delighted to present the second annual summer edition of our signature global conference dedicated to the content management community! CMS Connect will be held again in beautiful Montreal, Canada, and feature a unique blend of masterclasses, insightful talks, interactive discussions, impactful learning sessions, and authentic networking opportunities. Join vendors, agencies, and customers from across our industry as we engage and collaborate around the future of content management – and hear from the top thought leaders at the only vendor-neutral, in-person conference exclusively focused on CMS. Space is limited for this event, so book your seats today.