The CMS market trends in 2016 show a clear transition phase in which traditional platforms still held strong control, but new players began quietly reshaping the future. WordPress continued to dominate, while platforms like Shopify, Wix, and Squarespace began to gain attention for addressing specific user needs.
This year was less about disruption and more about direction. The market started moving toward simplicity, specialization, and ease of use. These early shifts laid the foundation for how CMS platforms would evolve in the years that followed.
CMS Platforms Dominating the Market in 2016
Below is a snapshot of CMS market share based on January 2016 data, showing how major platforms are positioned across the web.
CMS Platform Market Share (January 2016)
| CMS Platform | Market Share (%) |
|---|---|
| WordPress | 58.8% |
| Joomla | 7.5% |
| Drupal | 4.9% |
| Squarespace | 0.8% |
| Shopify | 1.0% |
| Wix | 0.4% |
| Duda | 0.2% |
| GoDaddy Website Builder | 0.1% |
WordPress: The Market Leader
Market Share: 58.8% of CMS-powered websites.
Why it Leads: WordPress continues to dominate the CMS market due to its open-source framework and high flexibility. Its growing ecosystem of plugins and themes allows users to build everything from simple blogs to complex websites. The platform’s strong community support also plays a key role in maintaining its leadership position.
Notable Users: TechCrunch, TIME, and major publishing platforms.
Joomla: The Established Alternative
Market Share: 7.5% of CMS-powered websites.
Why it Leads: Joomla remains one of the leading CMS platforms, especially for developers who need more structure than WordPress but less complexity than enterprise systems. Its long-standing presence and stable framework continue to support a wide range of websites.
Notable Users: Government portals, community-driven platforms.
Drupal: The Enterprise-Focused CMS
Market Share: 4.9% of CMS-powered websites.
Why it Leads: Drupal is widely used for complex, high-traffic websites that require robust security and customization. It is often preferred by enterprises and organizations with advanced technical requirements.
Notable Users: Government agencies, large institutions.
Shopify: The Growing eCommerce Platform
Market Share: 1.0% of CMS-powered websites.
Why it Leads: Shopify is steadily gaining adoption as a dedicated ecommerce platform. Its hosted solution, combined with built-in payment and inventory tools, makes it a practical choice for online stores.
Notable Users: Emerging ecommerce brands and small businesses.
Squarespace: The Design-Oriented Builder
Market Share: 0.8% of CMS-powered websites.
Why it Leads: Squarespace is known for its clean templates and design-focused approach. It attracts creatives and small businesses seeking visually appealing websites without the technical complexity.
Notable Users: Creatives, portfolio websites.
Wix: The Beginner-Friendly Platform
Market Share: 0.4% of CMS-powered websites.
Why it Leads: Wix appeals to users who want a simple website creation process. Its drag-and-drop builder and all-in-one setup make it accessible for non-technical users.
Notable Users: Small business owners, personal websites.
Emerging Website Builders
Platforms such as Duda and GoDaddy Website Builder hold smaller shares but are gradually gaining market share.
Why They Matter: These platforms focus on ease of use and quick deployment. While still limited in adoption, they reflect early demand for simplified website creation tools.
Key Trends in the CMS Market in 2016
The CMS market in 2016 showed early signs of a structural shift. While traditional platforms still dominated, new categories like website builders and ecommerce-focused systems began gaining measurable traction.
Continued Dominance of Open-Source CMS Platforms
Open-source CMS platforms remained the foundation of the web in 2016. WordPress alone held close to 58.8% market share, far ahead of any competitor, continuing a multi-year trend of steady growth and dominance.
Joomla and Drupal also maintained strong positions, especially among developers and enterprise users. However, their growth had slowed compared to earlier years, signaling a gradual shift in the market.
Early Growth of eCommerce-Focused Platforms
2016 marked a clear rise in e-commerce-driven CMS adoption. Platforms like Shopify started gaining momentum, increasing their share from under 1% in previous years to around 1.0%. This growth reflected a broader shift toward online retail. Businesses began prioritizing platforms with built-in commerce features over adapting general-purpose CMS systems.
Emergence of Website Builders for Non-Technical Users
Website builders such as Wix and Squarespace continued to grow, though still at a relatively small scale in 2016. Their combined growth signaled a rising demand for simple, all-in-one solutions.
These platforms appealed to small businesses and individuals who wanted to launch websites quickly without relying on developers. This trend laid the foundation for the rapid growth these platforms would see in later years.
Gradual Decline of Legacy CMS Platforms
Legacy systems like Joomla and Drupal began showing early signs of decline in 2016. While still widely used, their market share started decreasing compared to previous years. This decline was driven by increasing competition from more user-friendly and specialized platforms. Complexity, maintenance requirements, and slower innovation cycles made them less attractive for new projects.
Shift Toward Specialized CMS Use Cases
The CMS market in 2016 became more segmented. Instead of one-size-fits-all solutions, platforms started positioning themselves around specific use cases.
- WordPress focused on flexibility and publishing
- Shopify focused on ecommerce
- Wix and Squarespace focused on ease of use and design
This specialization helped newer platforms grow despite the dominance of established systems.
Early Signals of No-Code Adoption
Although still in its early stages, 2016 showed the beginning of the no-code movement. Drag-and-drop builders and visual editors started gaining attention, particularly in platforms like Wix. This shift reduced the barrier to entry for website creation and hinted at a future where non-technical users could build and manage websites independently.
Increasing Importance of Ease of Use and Speed
Ease of use became a more important factor in CMS selection. Businesses and individuals began prioritizing faster setup, lower maintenance, and simplified workflows. Hosted platforms and SaaS solutions gained attention because they removed the need for server management, updates, and technical overhead.
Conclusion
The CMS market in 2016 remained stable at the top but began to change beneath it. Open-source platforms like WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal still dominate, but their growth slowed as newer platforms entered the space with focused solutions.
Ecommerce platforms, website builders, and early no-code tools began attracting users who wanted speed and simplicity over complexity. This shift marked the beginning of a more segmented CMS market, where platforms compete based on specific use cases rather than trying to serve everyone.