Umbraco vs Sitecore

June 14, 2017

Choosing the right CMS

SiteCore and Umbraco are both stable, high-performing .NET content management systems. Let's explore some pros and cons of each.

Sitecore or Umbraco: a Comparison

You know you want a .NET content management system (CMS) in order to manage your web presence. There are several on the market, but it often comes down to a runoff between Sitecore and Umbraco. Sitecore is a commercial CMS platform that requires the purchase of a license. Umbraco is also built on .NET, but it is open source. The platforms are comparable in many ways, but with somewhat different features. As far as which to choose, much of it comes down to cost and support. 

The Ins and Outs of Sitecore

  • Sitecore clients receive full support (covered by the annual license fee), which comes in a few forms (helpline, ticketing system, etc.)
  • Clear path for upgrades and enhancements into the future. 
  • Sitecore includes feature-rich marketing add-ons and the ability to manage email campaigns.
  • It offers enhanced security features.
  • Tons of training opportunities are available. 
  • Full accredited training for developers and users from the software vendor

The Scoop on Umbraco

  • It's open source and free! 
  • The CMS is very easy for use, even for non-technical folks. 
  • The Umbraco community accepts contributions (such as new plugins) from developers around the world, which allows for lots of diversity and testing. 
  • Easy to use for simple websites
  • If you need custom functionality, you'll need to invest in that. 
  • Support is handled differently depending on who built your site, who hosts it, etc. 

Sitecore: The + Column

Let's look at some Sitecore benefits:

  • Like Umbraco, Sitecore has a community that rallies around the product. 
  • Sitecore is relatively easy for content writers and marketers to use. The interface has many useful features. 
  • Sitecore automatically provides a log file viewer, making it easy to troubleshoot any issues that may arise. 
  • It tends to be free of speed-based issues. 
  • Sitecore allows easy integration of third-party tools and add-ins. 

Umbraco Benefits

Umbraco has plenty to offer, including: 

  • An ever-growing staff at Umbraco HQ that aims to grow and market the CMS. 
  • The open source nature of the Umbraco CMS engenders loyalty among users and developers. Members of the community have a genuine interest in helping each other.
  • Configuring an Umbraco site is relatively straightforward. 
  • Large open source community with a small core team of full time developers. This can give more development flexibility than a commercial platform like Sitecore.
  • The Initial installation and deployments of Umbraco are more straightforward.
  • UI/UX - Umbraco makes it easy to address both. 
  • Better caching.
  • Multi-lingual capabilities.

The Big Decision

For larger companies, Sitecore may well be the better option. For most small to mid-size organizations however, the Umbraco option can prove to be an attractive one indeed.