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Umbraco in simple terms
Umbraco is a CMS that enables you to create, edit, and publish websites without writing code every day. Editors get a clean, intuitive back office, while developers keep full control over content models, templates, and integrations.
Back office panel in Umbraco
Treat Umbraco as a content platform you can tailor precisely to your project - from editorial workflows to front‑end design and APIs. Build classic server-rendered sites (Razor/MVC) or use Umbraco as a headless backend, supplying content to React, Vue, Angular, or mobile apps. One environment, many channels - consistent and predictable.
A Brief History of Umbraco
Umbraco began in Denmark in 2005 as an open‑source project by Niels Hartvig. It started as a simple page editor and evolved into a robust enterprise‑grade system.
In 2021, Umbraco transitioned from the classic .NET Framework to ASP.NET Core, retaining its transparency, flexibility, and open-source spirit. Today, development occurs entirely in the public domain on GitHub, with the community and partners actively co-creating code, documentation, and roadmaps. Few CMSs combine this level of openness with commercial stability.
Recommended read: Umbraco now uses .NET Core
Umbraco at a Glance
License
MIT
Open source, no license fees.
Installations
700k+
Deployed across many industries.
Stack
ASP.NET Core
High performance and Microsoft‑grade security.
Architecture
MVC & Headless
One CMS, many delivery channels.
Why Teams Choose Umbraco
⚙️Flexibility without vendor lock-in
Public GitHub repository and MIT license. Full control over data models, APIs, and front-end.
✍️Editor‑friendly back office
Versioning, scheduled publishing, workflows, and granular permissions keep content moving fast.
🚀Performance and scale
Built‑in caching, horizontal/vertical scaling, cloud, and container support.
🌍Multilingual and SEO
Language variants in one tree, per‑domain setup, full metadata control, SEO best‑practice ready.
Umbraco is featured by a widely recognized G2 platform as the software leader in 2023⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Recent recognitions
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🏆 CMS Critics Award - Best Enterprise CMS
New to Umbraco? See how we approach Umbraco web development from discovery to delivery.
The Umbraco ecosystem
Every platform succeeds through its ecosystem. Umbraco draws strength from a global community of developers, partner agencies, and package authors who drive the roadmap and build thoughtful extensions.
Umbraco Marketplace allows you to search for great packages
Marketplace and packages
The Umbraco Marketplace offers ready-made solutions for SEO, forms, analytics, performance, and integrations. You will find both free and paid packages curated by the community and agencies.
Recommended read: Best packages for Umbraco (free & paid)
Community and Open Development
Contributors propose features, fix bugs, improve documentation, and discuss direction in public. That transparency reduces vendor surprises and helps you plan for the long term.
Umbraco Project repository on GitHub
Partner agencies and specialization
Need extra hands? Our certified Umbraco developers can augment your team for migrations, upgrades, integrations, and ongoing improvements.
Extensions and Custom Packages
Umbraco’s architecture favors minimalism and extensibility - add only what your project needs to keep performance and security tight.
📽️ Video URL: https://www.youtube.com/embed/X5JSkJaag4E
Example: Dedicated Media Folder
Large editorial teams often struggle with cluttered media libraries. This problem inevitably arises in every CMS over time. Our Dedicated Media Folder add‑on organizes folders and enables efficient collaboration.
Common add-ons
- SEO suites, meta, sitemaps, schema helpers
- Forms and marketing automation connectors
- Analytics for Google or Adobe, consent tools
- Media management, image processing, CDN helpers
- CRM, ERP, and BI integrations
- Payment gateways and e-commerce integrations
Build Your Own Add‑On
If the Marketplace doesn’t have a perfect fit, build your own - from simple editorial tools to advanced business integrations.
Program the server-side in C#, and extend the back office using AngularJS (version ≤ 13) or TypeScript with Web Components (version > 14). Create custom property editors, event handlers, surface controllers, and NuGet packages that integrate with any API, database, or CRM/ERP. Ship it within your project or publish it to the Marketplace to strengthen the open‑source ecosystem.
Need something bespoke? We design and ship custom Umbraco plugins and packages.
What You Can Build with Umbraco CMS
✅Great fit
- Brand and corporate websites
- News and content portals
- Multilingual projects with strong SEO
- Membership portals and protected content
- Intranets and internal tools
- Headless apps (SPA, mobile)
- Integrations with CRM, ERP, BI, and tools
❌Consider alternatives
- Micro‑sites and single‑shot campaigns
- Very small brochure sites
- Pure e‑commerce
- Social platforms or forums
- Visual landing‑page builders
- Simple blogs
- No‑code or low‑code use cases
Front‑End Options
- MVC/Razor - server‑rendered pages.
- Headless - JSON via the Delivery API for React/Vue/Angular or mobile apps.
- Hybrid - combine both within one platform.
Deployment and Hosting
Host on Windows or Linux containers, on‑prem or in the cloud. Add a CDN for global reach and image optimization.
Want a quick architecture validation? Get in touch.
See the complete list: what we can build in Umbraco.
Performance, Scalability, and Security
ASP.NET Core provides a strong baseline, but your Umbraco architecture and configuration ultimately determine the success of your project.
.NET Core advantages
- High performance and modern JIT improvements
- Cross‑platform hosting and container support
- Regular security patches
- Integrates with Visual Studio, GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps, Docker
Caching strategies
Use output/partial caching on templates and app‑level caches. Add a CDN for static assets and media to serve global audiences with low latency.
If performance is an issue, explore our Umbraco optimization services.
Scaling examples
- Horizontal: multiple instances behind a load balancer
- Database: SQL with read‑only replicas
- Async: queues and background workers
Security basics
Use actively supported .NET and Umbraco LTS versions, apply patches promptly, enforce least‑privilege access, and use HTTPS and modern security headers.
Integrations
Modern CMSs must play nicely with the rest of your stack. Umbraco integrates with popular platforms:
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Web Analytics - Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics
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CRM Systems - Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho CRM
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ERP Systems - SAP, Microsoft Dynamics 365
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Payment Platforms - Stripe, PayPal, Square
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Social Media - Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn
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Email Marketing - MailChimp, Constant Contact
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Customer Support - Zendesk, Intercom
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Business Intelligence - Power BI, Tableau
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Automation Tools - HubSpot, Zapier, ActiveCampaign
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APIs - REST, GraphQL, and custom endpoints
SEO and Multilingual
Umbraco supports modern SEO practices while giving editors and developers full control.
- Language variants in one tree
- Per‑language domains and settings
- Language switchers in the back office and front end
- Metadata: titles, descriptions, Open Graph, Twitter
- Friendly URLs, redirects, and canonical tags
- Sitemaps, robots.txt, schema.org
Language switcher in the Umbraco back office
Costs and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)
License cost is only one piece of the puzzle. The real cost lies in discovery, implementation, and long‑term maintenance. With Umbraco’s license‑free model, your budget goes into real value: feature development, polished UX, stronger content, and robust integrations.
💸Typical cost drivers
- Discovery workshops & UX
- Content model (IA) & permissions
- Architecture & integrations
- Automated tests, monitoring, and backups
- Hosting & security hardening
- Upgrades aligned with LTS cycles
💡Budgeting tips
- Iterative delivery (incremental)
- Automate deployments (CI/CD)
- Use caching and performance optimization
- Avoid plugin bloat
- Plan Umbraco upgrades proactively
Risks and Limitations
Learning curve
Umbraco requires knowledge of .NET, ASP.NET Core, and C#. If your team is accustomed to PHP or no-code tools, consider planning onboarding time or working with an experienced agency.
Our Umbraco developers can join your team or lead the project from start to finish.
Package ecosystem
The Marketplace is smaller than WordPress, but the quality is strong. When selecting packages, verify version compatibility, downloads, documentation, maintainer activity, and reviews.
We can ship custom Umbraco plugins tailored to your use case.
Upgrades
Treat upgrades as part of your roadmap, not emergencies, and budget accordingly.
Need a safe plan? Explore our Umbraco upgrade services.
Performance optimization
High-traffic sites require sound architecture, caching, data hygiene, and active monitoring - a natural part of any serious web project.
If maintenance costs or performance are a concern, consider our Umbraco speed optimization service.
Is Umbraco Right for You?
If you’re building for the long term, value clear architecture and cost control, Umbraco is a solid foundation.
✅Choose Umbraco
- You need full control over code, architecture, and integrations.
- You value performance, security, and the Microsoft (.NET, Azure) ecosystem.
- You manage a large site with extensive content, multiple languages, and numerous editorial users.
- You want editors to have a stable, friendly back office, and developers to have a flexible environment.
- You want influence over SEO, UX, and content management without SaaS‑style lock‑ins.
- You think strategically - investing in product, content, and team over license fees.
❌Consider alternatives
- You need a ready no‑code builder that works without developers.
- You lack a .NET team or an experienced Umbraco partner.
- You expect thousands of plug‑and‑play themes and plugins like WordPress or Shopify.
- Your priority is to go live instantly without content modeling and architecture design.
How to Start an Umbraco Project (5 Steps)
- Define goals and context. Set KPIs, business requirements, and potential risks.
- Run a technical analysis. Evaluate real‑world behavior - from editor experience to environment configuration, data structures, and integrations. Check performance, security, and readiness to scale.
- Design the content model. Define document types, relationships, and templates. Set editor permissions and workflows. A good content model is the foundation of editorial speed and sustainable growth.
- Choose the architecture. MVC or headless (Delivery API)? Cloud (Umbraco Cloud, Azure) or self‑hosted? Define CI/CD, automated tests, monitoring, and upgrade strategy.
- Plan launch & operations. Production go‑live, UAT, upgrade cadence aligned with LTS/STS, iterative delivery, monitor Core Web Vitals.
Is Umbraco the Best Choice for Your Project?
Please send us a note, and we’ll provide a brief and honest assessment. We’ll review your requirements, risks, and growth potential. If Umbraco isn’t the best fit, we’ll suggest a better alternative.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Umbraco is open-source under the MIT license, so there are no per-environment or per-user license fees. You pay for hosting, development, and optional services
Umbraco benefits from .NET security updates and regular patches. Good practice: run supported .NET versions and Umbraco LTS, enforce least privilege in hosting and DB access, use HTTPS and modern security headers, and keep dependencies up to date.
Front-ends can be fully responsive (e.g., Tailwind/Bootstrap). The back office is responsive and works best on desktop or tablets. Lightweight edits are possible on small screens.
Yes. You control meta tags, URLs, redirects, canonicals, XML sitemaps, and structured data. Umbraco’s templating gives precise markup control for Core Web Vitals and crawlability.
Yes. Developers have full access to HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Razor. Implement any design system or brand components without fighting a theme layer.
Yes. Manage language variants in one tree, map locales to domains, and align workflows and permissions for regional teams.
Yes. The editor UI supports Block Grid, media management, previews, and workflows. It’s designed for clarity and speed for content teams.
Anywhere .NET runs: Windows or Linux, on-prem or cloud (Azure/AWS/GCP). Common stack: Azure App Service or containers, managed SQL, and a CDN.
Yes, with development support. There’s no universal “one-click” importer. Migration involves mapping content types and writing import scripts or API jobs.
Not in the core. Add e-commerce functionality with packages such as Vendr or Ucommerce, or integrate a custom checkout solution.
Free: documentation, forum, GitHub, Discord.
Paid: Umbraco HQ support & certified partners.
Custom: Contact us for tailored help or mentoring.
The CMS is open-source and free to use. Budget for hosting, development, maintenance, and optional services (e.g., Umbraco Cloud, CDN, monitoring).