What is a CMS?
A CMS, or content management system, is a web application that lets users create, edit and publish content on a website or app without advanced technical knowledge. These systems typically include an intuitive interface for organising content, user and permission management tools, search engine optimisation (SEO) and other advanced features that make running the site easier.
What are the main CMS features?
Common CMS features include:
Web page creation and editing: Content can be created with visual or code-based editors. Multimedia management: Images, video and audio. Access control and permissions: Roles and users to limit or extend access. Social and platform integration: Simultaneous or automated publishing across channels. Visit statistics: Built-in tools to analyse site performance. SEO tools: Features to improve visibility in search engines.
There are two main categories:
Open source: Examples include WordPress, Joomla, Strapi, Sanity, TinaCMS, and others. Paid: Options such as Adobe Experience Manager, Sitecore, etc.
Differences between Strapi, Sanity and TinaCMS
Strapi: Built on relational databases (e.g. MySQL or PostgreSQL), making it a good fit for traditional content management. It is built with JavaScript and runs on Node.js. Its interface offers drag-and-drop and a solid ecosystem of community-built plugins and integrations.
Sanity: Uses a document-oriented database (e.g. MongoDB) for more flexibility and scalability with complex content structures. It combines JavaScript and React to provide a powerful, customisable studio. It is more developer-oriented, with strong content management customisation.
TinaCMS: A headless CMS focused on the back-end and designed to work with static site generators (e.g. Gatsby or Next.js). Built with JavaScript and React, its inline editing interface supports real-time changes. It uses GraphQL as its main API for efficient querying and data management.
Choice depends on the project: Strapi suits traditional implementations. Sanity is ideal for custom, complex structures. TinaCMS is a good fit for projects that need static site generator integration and real-time editing.
Marte Website Builder: A More Robust Alternative
Marte Website Builder is an all-in-one solution that goes beyond a traditional CMS. Its design and architecture aim to deliver better performance and a complete user experience, natively integrating aspects that other CMSs often need via plugins or extra development:
High-performance web design and development: Uses modern frameworks such as Next.js and Tailwind CSS for minimal load times and optimised performance even under traffic spikes. Continuous updates and built-in CI/CD: Automated integration and continuous deployment for fast, safe updates without disrupting the site. Security and scalability: With cloud technology (e.g. Vercel and Google Cloud Platform), Marte Website Builder provides a robust infrastructure, SSL certificates, automatic backups and dynamic scalability. Built-in premium features: Besides content management, the platform natively integrates payment gateways, multilingual support, online bookings, PDF viewers and other advanced tools. Regulatory compliance: Privacy compliance (e.g. Google Consent Mode v2) is built into the system, making it easier to meet legal requirements. Intuitive interface and visual editing: Its content manager allows online editing with an intuitive visual system, giving users full control and flexibility.
Comparison: Traditional CMS vs. Marte Website Builder
Architecture: Traditional CMSs use relational or document databases, with a split between back-end and front-end (especially TinaCMS). Marte: All-in-one solution combining back-end and front-end optimised for high performance. Updates and CI/CD: Traditional CMSs often need extra setup for continuous deployment. Marte: Native CI/CD pipelines for fast, secure updates. User interface: Traditional CMSs range from visual (Strapi, TinaCMS) to more technical (Sanity). Marte: Intuitive visual editor for online editing and collaborative management. Security and scalability: Traditional CMSs follow good practices but may need external config or extra modules. Marte: Cloud-scalable architecture, SSL, automated backups and traffic-spike optimisation. Premium features: Traditional CMSs often need plugins or custom work for e-commerce, bookings, etc. Marte: Built-in payment gateways, multilingual support and interactive modules. Regulatory compliance: Traditional CMSs depend on configuration and add-ons. Marte: Privacy-ready with Google Consent Mode v2 from the start.
Which is best?
Choosing the "best" system depends largely on the project's specific needs and the development team's preferences:
Traditional CMSs (Strapi, Sanity, TinaCMS): Ideal for those who want flexible, content-focused solutions with strong customisation per use case. Marte Website Builder: Recommended for projects that need not only advanced content management but also high performance, strong security, built-in scalability and a continuous-update environment. Its all-in-one approach removes the need for external add-ons and offers a single solution that speeds up development and lowers operational costs.
In conclusion, while traditional CMSs serve a range of needs through a mix of tools and plugins, Marte Website Builder stands out as a more robust, complete alternative for businesses that want to optimise every aspect of their digital presence without sacrificing performance, security or scalability. Get started: /contacto