In a digital world driven by agility, performance, and personalization, legacy platforms like Sitecore are coming under increasing scrutiny.
Once considered the gold standard for enterprise content management, Sitecore now faces growing criticism due to its complexity, high cost of ownership, and evolving market relevance.
If you're currently on Sitecore, you might be wondering: Is it still the right fit for our organization - or is it time to migrate?
Sitecore earned its place in the enterprise tech stack by offering a powerful, integrated digital experience platform (DXP).
For organizations seeking deep personalization, structured workflows, and enterprise-level scalability, Sitecore ticked all the boxes.
Its tight integration between content, commerce, and customer data was a major advantage. However, the digital landscape has changed, and so have the expectations of marketing and IT teams.
Today, businesses are prioritizing flexibility, speed, and lower maintenance overhead.
Sitecore’s traditional architecture and licensing model often fall short in delivering these modern needs.
Let’s look at some of the most common reasons organizations are reconsidering their commitment to Sitecore:
One of the biggest pain points for Sitecore customers is cost.
Not just the licensing fees and infrastructure, but also the cost of developer resources to build and maintain a high-performance Sitecore site. Sitecore implementation can be expensive.
This becomes even more pronounced when considering upgrades or migrations - especially for users still on Sitecore XP (Experience Platform), which Sitecore is gradually deprecating in favor of XM Cloud.
With cloud-native competitors offering transparent, consumption-based pricing and reduced infrastructure costs, the value proposition of Sitecore is no longer as clear-cut.
Sitecore’s shift toward a SaaS-first future (XM Cloud) may sound like progress, but for existing users, it can present a massive migration headache.
Moving from XP to XM Cloud isn’t a straightforward upgrade - it often requires re-platforming and re-architecting your entire digital experience stack.
For organizations that have heavily customized their Sitecore implementations, which is most of the companies we speak to, this can be an expensive and risky endeavor.
Speed matters. Whether launching a new microsite, iterating on digital experiences, or simply updating content, organizations need to move fast.
Unfortunately, Sitecore’s complexity - especially for content editors - can slow down marketing teams. The platform often requires developer intervention for what should be routine tasks, resulting in delayed campaigns and missed opportunities.
By contrast, modern platforms like Xperience by Kentico and Payload prioritize usability. Their low-code/no-code capabilities and intuitive interfaces empower marketers to act independently of IT, accelerating content delivery cycles.
Today’s customers expect seamless experiences across web, mobile, social, and emerging channels. Delivering this kind of omnichannel content requires a flexible backend - and that’s where Sitecore’s traditional architecture can show its age.
Headless CMS platforms like Kontent.ai or Contentful are built with omnichannel delivery in mind. Their API-first architecture allows organizations to publish content anywhere, instantly, while maintaining a centralized content hub.
This flexibility is a game-changer for organizations trying to meet audiences where they are - on whatever device or platform they prefer.
It’s becoming increasingly difficult to find good, experienced Sitecore developers who want to keep working with the platform.
Modern development teams expect a modular, service-oriented architecture.
Sitecore, while customizable, often demands specialized skills and complex deployments. Integrating with third-party services, deploying updates, or experimenting with new features can be time-consuming.
In contrast, cloud-native CMS and DXP solutions offer easier integration via APIs, SDKs, and plug-and-play extensions.
With support for JAMstack and microservices, these platforms make it easier to future-proof your architecture and innovate faster.
Enterprise websites must be secure and up to date, but maintaining on-premise or self-hosted Sitecore installations requires regular patching, performance tuning, and security updates. This not only strains IT resources but also increases risk.
Cloud-native platforms take this burden off your shoulders. Regular updates, automatic scaling, and managed security help organizations stay focused on delivering value rather than maintaining infrastructure.
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer.
For organizations deeply invested in Sitecore, particularly those with complex personalization requirements and dedicated development resources, staying the course might still make sense - especially with a well-executed move to XM Cloud.
However, for many others - especially those seeking faster time-to-market, reduced operational overhead, and a future-proof tech stack - the argument for migration is compelling.
If you’re exploring a move away from Sitecore, your next step is to evaluate platforms that align with your strategic goals. Here are a few standout contenders:
Digital transformation isn’t just about upgrading technology - it’s about choosing platforms that enable your team to innovate, respond to change, and deliver exceptional customer experiences.
If Sitecore is holding you back - whether through cost, complexity, or lack of agility - it may be time to consider a strategic migration. But do it with eyes wide open: build a business case, engage stakeholders early, and map out your ideal future-state architecture.
Because in today’s fast-moving digital world, standing still is rarely the best option.
