To stand out in the digital world, it is essential to create quality content through multiple channels. That is why many businesses decide to adopt a content management system to ensure an optimal user experience, regardless of the device or channel used.
In this context, dotCMS stands out, a hybrid CMS capable of providing developers and marketing specialists with the necessary tools to make their content stand out from their competitors'.
Combining the flexibility of a headless CMS and the intuitive use of a traditional content management system, dotCMS Cloud is a perfect option for large companies looking for a cloud solution. But… is it the CMS your business needs?
What is dotCMS Cloud and how does it differ from dotCMS?
Before starting our analysis, we find it appropriate to differentiate dotCMS from dotCMS Cloud. Both allow the management of enterprise content such as websites, intranets, and applications, but in different ways.
dotCMS
dotCMS is a software as a service (SaaS) that offers developers and marketing teams the freedom and flexibility of a headless CMS as well as the ease of use of a traditional content management system. Thanks to its API-first structure, this CMS allows multichannel content publishing, ensuring the company’s brand reaches a larger number of people and can proactively adapt to possible changes.
dotCMS Cloud
dotCMS Cloud is a cloud-based platform as a service (PaaS) with an AWS infrastructure. It offers the same benefits as its hybrid counterpart, but with an extra layer of security and a scalable hosting system. That is why it is an ideal option for large companies seeking a multichannel service to publish their content and, in addition, securely host their website.
Why choose dotCMS Cloud?
After analyzing this platform and checking its results, we have given this platform a score of 7.3 out of 10.
As we have already mentioned, this is a perfect option for all companies looking for a hybrid CMS to manage their content, while also wanting to enjoy the benefits of a cloud platform.
Among its main attractions we find:
- Flexibility of a hybrid CMS to create, publish, and manage content across different channels.
- High loading speed for your website and applications thanks to dotCDN, dotCMS's content delivery network. This translates into a better user experience.
- Wide range of security and data protection features, such as two-factor authentication (2FA) and single sign-on (SSO).
- Enterprise-level SPA hosting, accelerating both development and content publishing without wasting time looking for third-party hosting.
The Best of dotCMS Cloud
After thoroughly analyzing the features and benefits of this platform, we believe its greatest advantage is its versatility. Its hybrid characteristic offers the best of headless CMS content management, allowing content to be published directly through its API. In addition, the platform includes powerful NoCode tools to create posts smoothly and effortlessly.
The worst of dotCMS Cloud
Despite having many attractive features, dotCMS Cloud also has some aspects that we haven’t liked as much. The most notable is the complexity when configuring and customizing the platform. This means that the adoption time for this CMS is much longer than that of many of its competitors and requires an expert team to guide the entire process.
Nevertheless, this should not be a decisive factor when ruling out dotCMS Cloud. The platform has a customer service dedicated exclusively to the platform adoption process (separate from traditional support). This way, companies can request help from an agent specialized in dotCMS.
Who do we recommend dotCMS Cloud for?
Not all companies have the same needs or resources, so it is common to wonder if this is the optimal content management system for your business. We recommend dotCMS for:
- Medium and large companies looking for a platform to manage multichannel content.
- Organizations that need the benefits of a hybrid CMS.
- Businesses with a specialized technical team and developers capable of configuring the platform.
In short, this is a perfect solution for all those businesses looking for a flexible and highly scalable CMS, but that also have a technical team with the necessary knowledge to manage its configuration.
Key Features: What is dotCMS Cloud for?
As we have explained throughout the analysis, dotCMS Cloud is a hybrid cloud-based CMS that not only manages enterprise-level publishing, but also handles the hosting of that website. Its key features are:
Simple and intuitive page creation
With dotCMS Cloud, enterprise teams can create, edit, and publish landing pages or content quickly and easily. The platform includes a wide range of themes and templates to shape the company’s content from minute one. Additionally, its intuitive drag-and-drop interface greatly simplifies the creative process for any users without technical knowledge.
WYSIWYG editor and multichannel distribution
dotCMS Cloud includes a WYSIWYG editor (What You See Is What You Get), ideal for users without technical skills. Besides being able to preview your content before going live, the editor can publish it simultaneously across different media. This makes distributing your content on various platforms and devices much easier.
High level of scalability
As a cloud-based solution, dotCMS Cloud features a structure with a high level of enterprise scalability. In addition to receiving automatic updates and having backups of all your content, the platform handles the hosting of the company website. Thanks to its service level agreement (SLA) of 99.98% uptime, content performance is always optimal, enhancing not only SEO but also the user experience.
SEO optimization and monetization
Besides its own content creation tools, dotCMS Cloud includes SEO optimization features for better search engine performance. These allow adding meta tags, creating friendly URLs, and XML sitemaps. But that’s not all; the platform also has marketing automation features, such as commercial email newsletters or A/B testing, as well as integration with e-commerce services.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Using dotCMS Cloud
Before choosing a content management system (CMS), it is important to make a balance of its strengths and weaknesses. To help you with this, we have compiled the main pros and cons of dotCMS Cloud. They are as follows:
Pros of dotCMS Cloud
- Hybrid Cloud CMS: Combines the benefits of a headless CMS and a traditional CMS with the versatility of a cloud platform.
- Integrations and Customization: Allows connection with AWS, Google Analytics, Magento, Salesforce, SharePoint, or Zapier from its dotCMS Market.
- Enterprise-Grade Security: dotCMS Cloud features AES-256 bit encryption and complies with GDPR and CCPA security regulations.
- Collaboration and Staff Management: Allows assigning job roles and permissions.
- Includes: Management tools, push publishing, OSGi, and the ability to back up all content.
- Flexibility to Host Your Content in the Cloud on dotCMS servers or on the company’s own servers (with assistance from the dotCMS team)
- dotCDN Distribution Network: Speeds up the workflow, enhancing team productivity.
- Good customer service.
Cons of dotCMS Cloud
- Limited Customization: Requires a team with technical knowledge to perform advanced configurations.
- Sometimes, the platform has bugs that, although temporary, make its use difficult.
- Being a cloud service, control over its infrastructure is limited.
- dotCMS implementation can be complicated if technical knowledge is lacking. However, migration to dotCMS Cloud is very simple.
- Not compatible with plugins available for dotCMS, such as dot AI.
Should my company adopt dotCMS Cloud?
dotCMS Cloud is an excellent option for any company already using the hybrid structure of dotCMS. This platform as a service (PaaS) provides secure and scalable hosting for all those businesses looking for a hosting service for their content. It is also an excellent option for any business that needs a secure and very easy-to-use CMS, with the flexibility and scalability of a cloud service.
Why do some companies abandon dotCMS Cloud?
Despite being a highly recommended service, not all dotCMS Cloud users continue to use this platform. This is largely due to the difficulty the development team faces in modifying some of its services. Another area where the platform falls short is its integrations and plugins. Since it is a cloud-based platform, its list is quite more limited than competitors like WordPress or Contentful.
Plans and Pricing: How much does dotCMS Cloud cost?
dotCMS Cloud is a PaaS included in different dotCMS payment plans. They are the following:
- Starter: (from €1696/month) Includes 1 website, 1 region, visual editor, unlimited users.
- Business: (custom pricing) Includes 5 websites, 2 regions, APIs and integrations, 99.9% uptime guaranteed.
- Enterprise: (custom pricing) Includes a to-be-determined number of websites, a to-be-determined number of regions, analysis and experimentation tools.
To try each of the plans, it is possible to schedule a free demo with the sales team. As a result, a budget is generated that fits your business needs.
It is also important to note that if you wish to test firsthand the basic functions of this content manager, it is possible to download dotCMS completely free of charge.
Implementation: How to adopt dotCMS Cloud?
dotCMS Cloud has a very simple content migration process, where the company's own agents carry out this step for you. This not only greatly reduces the time required to start using the platform, but also ensures that the company's website will be back online in record time.
Regarding tutorials and documentation, the platform has a database, forums, and guides designed to facilitate the transition to this new platform. Additionally, the company also offers technical support packages aimed at resolving any issues with the platform.
Is dotCMS Cloud secure?
dotCMS Cloud incorporates rigorous data protection and compliance measures for your business. The platform is continuously updated, preventing any breach from putting your data at risk. Additionally, dotCMS Cloud offers its users a private virtual cloud (VPC) so they do not have to share their databases with the company.
All content in dotCMS Cloud is encrypted with the 256-bit AES standard and complies with the GDPR and CCPA regulations. It also allows adding an extra layer of protection when accessing the platform, enabling two-factor authentication (2FA) and single sign-on (SSO).
Customer Service: How to Contact dotCMS Cloud?
dotCMS Cloud has a 24/7 customer service that can be reached either by email or through its support portal. Users highlight that their agents are not only very polite but also able to resolve any questions in record time.
The only downside is that response times can sometimes be somewhat long. Despite this, all platform customers agree that it is excellent.
Contentful: The Best Alternative to dotCMS Cloud
Contentful is a headless CMS designed to create, manage and publish content through multiple channels. Similar to dotCMS Cloud, Contentful is a cloud-based service (SaaS) supported by AWS. These are its main attractions:
- Ease of use and configuration.
- Compatible with a large number of third-party services.
- Content rollback functions.
- High level of scalability.
Contentful is an excellent alternative to dotCMS for all those companies looking for a cloud CMS with a higher number of integrations and quick, easy adoption. However, it is important to mention that, unlike dotCMS Cloud, Contentful does not allow hosting the platform on the same company's cloud.
Do we recommend dotCMS Cloud?
Yes, without a doubt. This is an ideal solution for all businesses looking for a content management system that is scalable, easy to use and offers a seamless hosting experience.
The platform provides a simple and intuitive interface, accessible to users without technological knowledge. It also includes enterprise-level protection measures, tools designed both to generate publications and to optimize them as well as a high-speed content delivery network.
That is why, after conducting our review, we believe it is a perfect option for companies looking for efficiency and who do not want to waste time or resources managing infrastructure.
