Decoupled CMS: pros and cons vs legacy CMS

So, you’ve got an understanding of a decoupled CMS and how it’s different from the tightly coupled legacy CMS. But how do they compare with each other?

Here’s where a decoupled CMS shines:

Decoupled CMS pros

1. Flexibility to use frameworks as they arrive and as browsers change
2. Rapid design iterations and simpler deployments
3. Easier to access third-party software and integrate into solutions within your own tech stack
4. Fewer dependencies on IT
5. Future-proof
6. Enables omnichannel delivery
7. Better security
8. Updates affect only the CMS, not the website
9. Infrastructure flexibility
10. Improve speed
11. Convenience

1. Flexibility to use frameworks as they arrive and as browsers change

The reason that front-end frameworks became so prominent is that browsers evolved to improve the customer experience. Back-end frameworks weren’t enough to meet the evolving demands being placed on them.

However, whereas a traditional CMS might struggle to account for changes in frameworks and browsers as we move further into the future, a decoupled CMS is front-end agnostic and flexible enough to adapt to any changes that occur.

2. Rapid design iterations and simpler deployments

A legacy CMS doesn’t provide language and framework flexibility of a decoupled CMS, restricting developers to the built-in frameworks and tools. As a result, content is viewed as a single entity, and it is difficult to make changes, slowing down design time and deployments.

On the other hand, a decoupled provides the ability to create building blocks that can be reused from project to project.

These building blocks are used to create content and enable developers to mix and match tech at the front-end to achieve the best results in terms of speed and UX.

3. Easier to access third-party software and integrate into solutions within your own tech stack

A decoupled CMS uses APIs to connect to templates and front-end interfaces. These APIs also make it easy to integrate third-party solutions into a tech stack instead of the difficulties legacy CMS platforms have integrating with disparate systems.

4. Fewer dependencies on IT

When working with a decoupled CMS, content creators have access to pre-built templates that make it easy for them to configure content in the way they want for each unique channel.

This makes them less dependent on IT to make changes to content for different channels like they would be with a traditional CMS platform.

5. Future-proof

If a new digital touchpoint was created tomorrow, a legacy CMS would struggle to integrate with it. However, a decoupled CMS can use APIs to easily integrate new technologies and innovations, essentially making it future-proof.

6. Enables omnichannel delivery

A decoupled CMS can connect to various front-end channels, including smartwatches, mobile apps, smart speakers, and more with the help of APIs. This makes it easier for it to deliver content across multiple channels simultaneously and create a cohesive user experience, thus facilitating omnichannel delivery, unlike a legacy CMS that can be limited to one channel at a time.

7. Better security

With a front-end and back-end tightly coupled together, any security issues that affect the front-end of a website can impact the entire CMS. However, with a decoupled CMS, this risk is mitigated as a separation of concerns provides improved security.

8. Updates affect only the CMS, not the website

Just as with security issues, if updates need to be made to the CMS, then it impacts the entire system, including the website where content needs to be delivered.

With a decoupled CMS, these updates don’t affect the website or any other channels since the back-end database, and front-end delivery layer is separated.

9. Infrastructure flexibility

A decoupled CMS provides the ability to use modern infrastructure tools like content delivery networks (CDNs), proxies, and web application firewalls (WAFs) to better control the access to content and delivery of the UX. With a CDN, the distance between users accessing a site and the server is reduced, minimizing any delays in content delivery. But also, WAFs are used to shield web applications and mitigate the risks of cyberattacks.

10. Improve speed

With Legacy CMS the platform and the data is tightly coupled, this means that every request is handled by the platform. This approach can degrade website performance during spikes in traffic volumes. Bottlenecks in the technology can delay responses or flood critical parts of the system like the database. A decoupled CMS can share the traffic loads by using different systems to remove the overall load on the platform. As an example, infrastructure tools like caching and auto-scaling the platform deliver high-quality performance during peak periods as the traffic volumes can be spread across multiple systems.

11. Convenience

One major benefit of a decoupled platform is the convenience of the inbuilt templating language. This offers developers the choice and flexibility to apply the most appropriate solution of a project. In some cases having a site developed quickly using templating rather than coding a solution from scratch may meet deadlines imposed by the business.

However, despite these positives, there are some areas where a decoupled CMS falls short.

Decoupled CMS cons

1. More complex than traditional to configure and deploy
2. Need different skill-sets
3. Higher upfront costs associated with developing the front-end
4. More complex testing due to different applications and frameworks
5. Higher learning curve

1. More complex than traditional to configure and deploy

A decoupled CMS provides more options, but this makes it more challenging for teams to configure and deploy content since it needs to be connected to each channel with an API. Since a traditional CMS is tightly coupled, it is easy to set up and deploy content to a website.

2. Need different skill-sets

Historically, full-stack developers are responsible for building the user experience and managing the entire system with a traditional CMS. Now front-end experts are required to integrate the various front-end frameworks and get the most out of them.

3. Higher upfront costs associated with developing the front-end

A traditional CMS already includes a pre-built front-end, whereas the front-end needs to be developed from scratch and then connected with a decoupled CMS. This means that there are higher upfront costs to build a new front-end each time.

4. More complex testing due to different applications and frameworks

A decoupled CMS requires developers to work with multiple applications and frameworks. While this does provide the benefit of more options, it also means that testing before deployment becomes tougher because developers have to manage various applications and codebases with every framework.

5. Higher learning curve

More technical experience is required to operate a decoupled CMS and successfully deploy it to multiple channels. As a result, there is a higher learning curve since developers with front-end expertise are required instead of full-stack developers.