Let’s start with what most people already know: a CMS.
Step 1: What a CMS does (in plain English)
A Content Management System (CMS) is software that helps you create, edit, organize, and publish digital content (like website pages, blog posts, images) without needing to code everything by hand. IBM
Think of a CMS like a publishing tool for your website:
- You write content
- You upload images
- You hit publish
- Your site updates
That’s perfect for marketing sites, blogs, and basic company websites.
Step 2: Where a CMS starts to feel “not enough”
A CMS is great at content, but modern businesses often need more than content:
- “Show different info to different users after login”
- “Let customers raise service requests”
- “Pull order status from our ERP”
- “Give partners access to only their documents”
- “Make the experience consistent across web + mobile”
- “Track what users do and improve the journey”
You can bolt these things onto a CMS using plugins and extra tools… but that’s usually where things get messy.
Step 3: So what is a DXP?
A Digital Experience Platform (DXP) is enterprise software designed to help companies deliver connected, personalized digital experiences, often as a suite of products that work together. Liferay
If a CMS is a “publishing system,” a DXP is more like a full experience system—content plus the stuff needed to run real digital journeys.
A Digital Experience Platform (DXP) is enterprise software that seeks to meet the needs of companies undergoing digital transformation, with the ultimate goal of providing better customer experiences. DXPs can be a single product, but are often a suite of products that work together. DXPs provide an architecture for companies to digitize business operations, deliver connected customer experiences, and gather actionable customer insight.
The simplest way to remember the difference
CMS = Manage content
DXP = Manage the whole digital experience
Analogy: Restaurant vs. Airport
- A CMS is like a restaurant menu board: easy to update what’s shown.
- A DXP is like an airport system: signs (content), boarding passes (identity/login), gates (permissions), baggage systems (integrations), and live updates across screens (multiple channels).
What DXPs usually add beyond a CMS
A DXP often includes (or integrates deeply with) things like:
- Login + roles/permissions (different users see different things)
- Personalization (tailored experiences)
- Workflows (approvals, publishing governance)
- Integration with systems like CRM/ERP/support tools
- Multiple channels (web, mobile, etc.)
Liferay also explains that many DXPs come from “heritage” categories like CMS, portal servers, and commerce servers, which is why DXPs vary: some lean marketing-heavy, others are better for portals and long-term customer relationships. Liferay
When a CMS is enough
Choose a CMS-first approach if you mainly need:
- A marketing website
- Blogs and landing pages
- Simple content workflows
- Minimal personalization/logins
When you should consider a DXP
A DXP becomes worth it when you need:
- A portal (customer/partner/employee) with secure logins
- Complex permissions (“show this only to Region A partners”)
- Deep integrations (ERP, CRM, ticketing, identity systems)
- A connected journey across multiple touchpoints (web + mobile, etc.) Liferay+1
Quick takeaway
A CMS helps you publish.
A DXP helps you serve experiences—especially when those experiences involve identity, personalization, and integrations at enterprise scale. Liferay
If you tell me what you’re building (marketing site vs customer portal vs intranet), I can recommend whether you should stay CMS-only, go DXP, or do a hybrid (CMS + portal layer).