Sitecore vs Progress Sitefinity
Sitecore is a closed-source enterprise DXP that runs on the vendor's cloud. Progress Sitefinity is a closed-source enterprise DXP that you can host yourself or run on the vendor's cloud. The table below sets them side by side on 28 features. They get a different status on 8.
- Sitecore Enterprise DXP · Closed source · 22 of 28 built in
- Progress Sitefinity Enterprise DXP · Closed source · 22 of 28 built in
Sources checked: Sitecore on 29 Sept 2026, Progress Sitefinity on 29 Sept 2026. Plans and releases can change after those dates.
WAYF is an official Payload partner and top contributor. Every platform in the table is classified by the same published definitions, and each answer lists the vendor page it came from.
Feature comparison
Built inPaid tierPlugin or add-onLimitedNot available
| Platform |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| What it is | Sitecore's SaaS digital experience platform, formerly XM Cloud. Sitecore hosts the CMS. Sites render in a separate front-end app. | Progress's .NET CMS and DXP for websites, run self-hosted or on the Sitefinity Cloud PaaS, with ASP.NET Core and Next.js renderers. |
| Edition compared The product and release each column describes. | SitecoreAI, formerly XM Cloud, Sitecore's current flagship SaaS platform SaaS, continuously updated | Sitefinity CMS 15.4 DX edition, self-hosted or on Sitefinity Cloud Version 15.4.8639, released 29 Sept 2026 |
| Vendor | Sitecore sitecore.com | Progress Software progress.com |
| Licence | Closed source Proprietary | Closed source Proprietary |
| Hosting | No self-hosting Vendor cloud SitecoreAI is SaaS only. Self-hosting needs Sitecore XP 10.5, a separate product. | Self-hosting Vendor cloud |
| Built with | .NET, Next.js Content SDK | .NET, ASP.NET Core and Next.js renderers |
| Database | Managed by Sitecore | Microsoft SQL Server |
| Pricing Public list prices only. Hosting and implementation are extra everywhere. | No free option Pricing on request. | No free option Pricing on request. DX and DX+Enterprise editions, self-hosted or on Sitefinity Cloud. |
| Content modelling | ||
| Content model in code You define content types in files in your repository, review them like any other code and apply them from there. Imperative migration scripts alone count as limited. | Built in Templates serialize to files in the repo with Sitecore Content Serialization. 2 | Built in Export for deployment writes module and field changes to files for source control. 3 |
| Content model in the UI Admins can create and change content types and fields in the admin interface without writing code. | Built in Templates are items edited in the Content Editor. | Built in Module Builder. |
| Reusable blocks Editors compose pages from reusable, typed components or blocks, and can reorder them. | Built in Page builder with reusable components. | Built in Page editor widgets. |
| Localization Editors translate content per locale inside the CMS, by field or by entry, without a separate site for each language. | Built in Language versions per item. | Built in Multilingual content per item. |
| Image transformations The CMS resizes, crops or converts images on request, through URL parameters or generated sizes, with no external service. | Built in Experience Edge media CDN resizes images with query string parameters. 3 | Built in Resize through URL parameters and thumbnail profiles. 4 |
| APIs and delivery | ||
| REST API A documented REST or JSON HTTP API returns content. | Built in Content Items REST API since September 2026. Delivery through Experience Edge is GraphQL. 4 | Built in OData REST web services. 5 |
| GraphQL API The vendor or an official module provides a GraphQL API for content. | Built in Experience Edge delivery API. 5 | Built in GraphQL on the web services layer. 6 |
| Webhooks The CMS can call an external URL when content is created, changed or published. | Built in Authoring webhooks and Experience Edge publish webhooks. 65 | Built in Service hooks with a webhook action, available on all licences. 7 |
| Renders the website The CMS itself renders and serves the public pages through themes or templates. Headless-only products answer no. | Not available Headless. Sites render in a separate app, with built-in Vercel and Netlify integrations. 7 | Built in ASP.NET Core, Next.js or legacy MVC renderers. 1 |
| Editorial workflow | ||
| Drafts Editors save changes as a draft and publish them later. The live version stays untouched until then. | Built in Saved changes stay unpublished until pushed to Experience Edge. 11 | Built in |
| Scheduled publishing An editor can set a future date and time for content to publish or unpublish. | Limited Publishing restrictions set availability dates. A publish must still run on the date. 89 | Built in Scheduled publish and unpublish per item. 9 |
| Version history The CMS keeps earlier versions of an entry, and editors can compare or restore them. | Built in Numbered item versions. | Built in Revision history. |
| Preview Editors can see unpublished content rendered as it will appear on the site before publishing. | Built in | Built in |
| Visual editing Editors can click on the rendered page and edit content in place or in a side panel next to it. | Built in Page builder. | Built in Page editor with widgets. |
| Approval workflows Content moves through review stages you configure, such as draft, review and approved, with permissions per stage. | Built in Item workflows with states and commands. 6 | Built in One or two approval levels, or a custom workflow. 8 |
| Content releases Editors group changes across several entries and publish them together as one release. | Not available No release bundles. Publishing jobs cover items, subitems and related items. 11 | Not available Publishing and scheduling work per item. 9 |
| Real-time co-editing Two or more editors can work on the same entry at once and see each other's changes live. | Limited Page builder saves concurrent edits per field. Others get a reload prompt. No live updates. 10 | Not available Pages lock while another user edits them. 10 |
| Access and governance | ||
| Custom roles Admins define their own roles with granular permissions instead of picking from a fixed set. | Built in Roles with item access rights. 12 | Built in 11 |
| Field-level permissions Admins can restrict access to single fields, on top of content types and entries. | Built in Field read and field write access rights. 12 | Limited Module Builder types only, in the classic editing UI. Built-in content types have none. 12 |
| Single sign-on Editors can sign in through SAML or OpenID Connect against a company identity provider. | Built in SAML or OIDC through the Sitecore Cloud Portal. 13 | Built in OpenID Connect and external providers such as Azure AD. 13 |
| Audit log The CMS logs who changed what and when across the whole installation, and admins can review the log. | Limited Common Audit Log covers only the Cloud Portal and leaves out SitecoreAI content. Item actions show in CM logs. 1415 | Paid tier DX + Enterprise includes Audit Trail. Progress sells it as an add-on for DX. 142 |
| Platform and extensibility | ||
| Multiple sites One installation or account can manage several separate websites or brands with shared users. | Built in Site collections with shared content. | Built in Multisite with shared content and per-site permissions. 15 |
| Extensible admin UI Developers can add their own components, views or fields to the editing interface. | Built in Marketplace apps add custom fields, panels and dashboard widgets. 17 | Built in Custom fields, widgets and AdminApp extensions. |
| Plugin marketplace The vendor runs an official directory or marketplace of installable extensions. | Built in Sitecore Marketplace. 16 | Built in Sitefinity integrations directory. 16 |
| Form builder Editors can build and publish forms and collect submissions without code. | Built in Built-in Forms with webhook submission handling. 18 | Built in Forms module with a drag-and-drop builder. |
| Site member accounts The platform handles sign-up and login for public site users or members, separate from editors. | Not available Developers have to build visitor login in the front-end app. | Built in Front-end users with registration and login widgets. |
| AI writing assistant A first-party AI feature in the editing interface generates, rewrites or translates content. | Built in Content, variant and translation assistants. Brand kits need Stream Premium. 19 | Plugin or add-on Sitefinity AI subscription for text generation and agents. 17 |
| Official MCP server The vendor publishes a Model Context Protocol server so AI agents can read or write content. | Built in Sitecore Marketer MCP server. 20 | Plugin or add-on Sitefinity MCP Server, 15.4.8633 or later, needs a Sitefinity AI subscription. 18 |
Sitecore sources
Checked 29 Sept 2026. SitecoreAI, formerly XM Cloud, Sitecore's current flagship SaaS platform.
- SitecoreAI documentation for business users
- Sitecore Content Serialization in SitecoreAI
- Sitecore Experience Edge for XM (media resizing)
- SitecoreAI changelog: Components, Content Types and Content Items APIs
- Experience Edge
- SitecoreAI webhooks
- Front-end hosting applications
- Schedule publishing availability of a page
- KB1003446: Specifics of publishing in SitecoreAI
- Editing in the Page builder (concurrent editing)
- Publish content in SitecoreAI
- The access rights
- Sitecore Cloud Portal single sign-on
- Sitecore Common Audit Log
- Logging in Sitecore XM Cloud (Fishtank)
- SitecoreAI Marketplace
- Sitecore Marketplace starter (extension points)
- SitecoreAI Forms
- Sitecore Stream tiers
- Sitecore Marketer MCP server
Progress Sitefinity sources
Checked 29 Sept 2026. Sitefinity CMS 15.4 DX edition, self-hosted or on Sitefinity Cloud.
- Sitefinity CMS 15.4.8639 release notes
- Sitefinity packaging and deployment options
- Export and deploy database changes
- Resize images through the URL
- Set up a web service
- Use GraphQL protocol
- Service hooks
- Content lifecycle and workflow
- Manage scheduled tasks
- Unlock pages
- Permissions
- Progress knowledge base: How to set up field permissions in Sitefinity
- Authentication
- Sitefinity Audit Trail
- Multisite
- Sitefinity integrations directory
- Sitefinity AI
- Sitefinity MCP Server
- Sitefinity release history
- Sitefinity Cloud documentation
Considering more platforms? Compare Sitecore and Progress Sitefinity with the rest of your shortlist in the CMS comparison tool.
Where they differ
Sitecore and Progress Sitefinity get a different status on 8 of the 28 features and the same status on 20. Sitecore has 22 built in on its baseline edition, Progress Sitefinity has 22. Two matching statuses can still name different paid tiers or limits, so read the notes in the table before treating a row as equal.
- Self-hosting
- Sitecore cannot be self-hosted. Progress Sitefinity can be self-hosted.
Built in on Sitecore, a different answer on Progress Sitefinity 3
- Field-level permissions Sitecore: Built in. Progress Sitefinity: Limited.
- AI writing assistant Sitecore: Built in. Progress Sitefinity: Plugin or add-on.
- Official MCP server Sitecore: Built in. Progress Sitefinity: Plugin or add-on.
Built in on Progress Sitefinity, a different answer on Sitecore 3
- Renders the website Sitecore: Not available. Progress Sitefinity: Built in.
- Scheduled publishing Sitecore: Limited. Progress Sitefinity: Built in.
- Site member accounts Sitecore: Not available. Progress Sitefinity: Built in.
Built in on neither, with different answers 2
- Real-time co-editing Sitecore: Limited. Progress Sitefinity: Not available.
- Audit log Sitecore: Limited. Progress Sitefinity: Paid tier.
More comparisons
Full write-ups with worked examples and costs: Sitecore vs Payload.
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Progress Sitefinity against other platforms
- Adobe Experience Manager vs Progress Sitefinity
- Contentful vs Progress Sitefinity
- Contentstack vs Progress Sitefinity
- CoreMedia Content Cloud vs Progress Sitefinity
- Craft CMS vs Progress Sitefinity
- DatoCMS vs Progress Sitefinity
- Decap CMS vs Progress Sitefinity
- Directus vs Progress Sitefinity
- Drupal vs Progress Sitefinity
- EmDash vs Progress Sitefinity
- FirstSpirit vs Progress Sitefinity
- Framer vs Progress Sitefinity
- Ghost vs Progress Sitefinity
- HubSpot CMS vs Progress Sitefinity
- Hygraph vs Progress Sitefinity
- Instatic vs Progress Sitefinity
- Joomla vs Progress Sitefinity
- Keystone vs Progress Sitefinity
- Kirby vs Progress Sitefinity
- Liferay DXP vs Progress Sitefinity
- Optimizely CMS vs Progress Sitefinity
- Progress Sitefinity vs Payload
- Prismic vs Progress Sitefinity
- Sanity vs Progress Sitefinity
- Progress Sitefinity vs Squarespace
- Progress Sitefinity vs Statamic
- Progress Sitefinity vs Storyblok
- Progress Sitefinity vs Strapi
- Progress Sitefinity vs TYPO3
- Progress Sitefinity vs Umbraco
- Progress Sitefinity vs Wagtail
- Progress Sitefinity vs Webflow
- Progress Sitefinity vs Wix
- Progress Sitefinity vs WordPress
- Xperience by Kentico vs Progress Sitefinity
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