MODX vs Webiny Headless CMS: What are the differences?

Introduction

MODX and Webiny Headless CMS are two popular content management systems that offer a range of features and functionality for building and managing websites. While both CMSs serve similar purposes, there are key differences between them that set them apart. The following paragraphs outline these differences in detail.

1. Architecture and Approach: MODX follows a traditional monolithic architecture, where the front-end and back-end are tightly coupled. It offers a full-stack content management system with integrated templating and a robust backend. On the other hand, Webiny Headless CMS follows a headless architecture, separating the frontend and backend entirely. It provides a flexible and decoupled approach, allowing developers to choose their front-end technology and integrate with the CMS using API calls.

2. Customization and Extensibility: MODX offers a high degree of customization and extensibility. It provides a powerful API and a wide range of built-in functionalities, including custom plugins and snippets. Webiny Headless CMS also provides customization capabilities but focuses more on flexibility. It offers a serverless framework that enables developers to build custom server-side functions using JavaScript, offering more scalability and ease of deployment.

3. Content Modeling and Management: MODX provides a comprehensive content management system that allows users to create and manage structured content easily. It offers a visual content editor, customizable content types, and a robust versioning system. Webiny Headless CMS, on the other hand, prioritizes an API-first approach and provides a flexible content modeling system. It allows users to define custom content models using JSON schemas and provides powerful querying capabilities for retrieving content.

4. Technology Stack: MODX is built on PHP and uses MySQL or MariaDB as its database. It has a large community and a wide range of plugins and extensions available. Webiny Headless CMS is built on Node.js and uses MongoDB as its database. It leverages modern technology stack, including GraphQL and React, providing a more modern and scalable solution.

5. Deployment and Hosting: MODX can be deployed on various hosting platforms, including shared hosting, virtual private servers, and cloud platforms. It requires a web server running PHP and a supported database. Webiny Headless CMS, on the other hand, provides an all-in-one solution for deployment and hosting. It offers a serverless computing environment, enabling developers to deploy their websites as serverless functions and leverage cloud resources effortlessly.

6. Community and Support: MODX has a well-established and active community, with a large number of developers contributing to its ecosystem. It has a dedicated support team and extensive documentation. Webiny Headless CMS is relatively new but is growing rapidly. It has an active community and provides support through its official channels.

In summary, MODX and Webiny Headless CMS differ in architecture, customization capabilities, content modeling, technology stack, deployment options, and community support. While MODX offers a full-stack CMS solution with integrated templating, Webiny Headless CMS takes a headless approach, emphasizing flexibility and scalability.