Why enterprise businesses should make the move from Contentstack to Optimizely

Why picking the right CMS matters more than you think

Choosing the right content management system can feel like trying to pick your favorite Hollywood Chris - there are too many options anyway, and nobody’s really sure what makes one better than the other.

If you’re an enterprise using Contentstack (let’s be honest, the Chris Pratt of the lot), and starting to wonder, “Is this really built for where we're heading?" - you're not alone.

Many enterprise teams we speak to are realizing that while Contentstack checks the headless CMS box, it starts to hit limits when you're scaling complex digital experiences.

Considering a switch from Contentstack? Here are 5 reasons why Optimizely is the enterprise CMS upgrade you need.

1. You're scaling content - but not efficiently

Managing content across markets, teams and channels is hard enough. But without the right CMS infrastructure, scaling turns into a tangled mess of duplicated work, inconsistent messaging and endless approval delays.

Optimizely simplifies enterprise content operations with built-in workflows, localisation capabilities and reusable templates - so your teams can move faster without sacrificing a critical component of smart content operations - governance.

What does that mean in practice?

• Centralized governance with role-based permissions
• Brand-approved templates that local teams can easily and safely customize
• AI powered translation baked in to your CMS, not bolted on later

2. Contentstack = more tools, more problems

If you're using Contentstack and want to deliver modern, personalized, data-driven experiences, get ready to build your own Frankenstack. You'll likely need to bolt on a separate CDP, an A/B testing / experimentation platform, a digital asset management system (DAM), and more besides. Each new integration means more costs, more maintenance and more overhead for your team.

Optimizely takes a radically different approach - we offer a true digital experience platform, with powerful capabilities built-in and deeply integrated.

What does this mean in practice?

This means you get:

✅ The best A/B testing & experimentation solution (without extra vendors)

With Optimizely, experimentation is native - not an afterthought. Run A/B, multivariate and multi-armed bandit tests directly within one platform. And because it's connected to your content and behavioral data, you get faster insights and real impact, not disconnected test results.

✅ A real DAM - not just a place to park files

Contentstack offers basic asset management, which is really just lightweight file storage. No smart workflows, no AI, no support for omnichannel delivery at scale.

Optimizely, on the other hand, provides a fully integrated DAM system purpose-built for enterprise content teams, including:

• AI-powered tagging for fast, accurate asset discovery
• Automatic renditions that prep assets for omnichannel delivery
• Built-in workflows for approvals, version control and publishing
• Asset reuse across multiple sites and experiences to save time and ensure consistency

✅ Personalization that's built in - not bolted on

Unlike Contentstack, which requires a third-party CDP to get started, Optimizely's personalization engine is tightly integrated with your content and commerce data. That means you can tailor experiences based on behavior, profile data, segments or intent - and deploy it instantly, without patching together five tools and a dozen APIs.

Contentstack will point to their recent acquisition of Lytics, a CDP they now market as part of their Personalize solution. But, here's the catch:

• There's no native integration between Contentstack and Lytics yet, which we would argue means it's more of a slideware partnership than a real product synergy
• Basic segment-based targeting - Contentstack's Personalize capabilities are limited - no behavioral triggers, no 1:1 recommendations, no test-and-learn optimisation
• Want deeper personalization? We know your customers do. If so, you'll need to purchase their CDP separately, integrate it yourself and potentially still end up with a fragmented workflow.

With Optimizely personalization isn't just bolted on - it's deeply embedded across our platform. You get:

• Contextual bandits for always-on optimization based on live performance data
• AI-powered content and product recommendations that automatically adapt to user behavior, preferences and real-time content - helping you deliver the right experience to the right person at the right time, without manual rule-building.
• Built in audience targeting and real-time decisioning across CMS, commerce and marketing.
• Capabilities that are fully integrated into the authoring and publishing experience - no duct tape required.

Bottom line? Every component of Optimizely One - from CMS to DAM to personalization to experimentation - is built to work together. You spend less time stitching systems and more time creating meaningful, optimized experiences at scale.

3. Faster time-to-value - without the implementation drag

How quickly can you get a fully functioning, scalable digital experience live - with content, assets, personalization, testing and governance all working together?

While Contentstack touts its marketer-friendly tools, even industry analysts have cautioned that it comes with significant implementation complexity. Building a full experience requires stitching together multiple components (CMS, CDP, DAM, testing etc), adding time, risk and ongoing maintenance friction.

Optimizely flips that dynamic entirely. With a fully integrated digital experience platform (DXP), teams get:

• Pre-integrated modules (CMS, DAM, personalization, experimentation and commerce)
• A unified data model and shared UI
• Fewer moving parts and fewer vendors to manage
• Faster implementation and quicker time to launch

4. Scaling means more chaos, not more clarity

Managing multiple brands, markets or regions with Contentstack often turns into spreadsheet central. You need structure and control, not a glorified content locker 🌶️

With Optimizely, enterprise-grade workflows, localization tools and content governance makes scaling more predictable. Think reusable templates, approval formals and role-based permissions, all centralized.

And if we're talking marketer flexibility, Optimizely's capabilities go beyond simple UI changes and updates - think content modeling, language management and data mapping via simple UIs without being dependent on developers.

Plus, Optimizely is way more than just a CMS, it’s a fully-fledged DXP. So, while Contentstack might check some boxes, Optimizely checks all the boxes, fills in the gaps, and throws in a few extras just for fun.

5. Let's talk about AI (because it’s 2025, and you deserve better)

Everyone claims to have AI - show me a solution provider that isn't touting AI capabilities and I'll show you...well, a blank screen. But here's the reality: AI is only useful when it's embedded across your workflow and connected to unified data.

With Contentstack, your data is scattered across at least a dozen tools so AI benefits are likely limited at best. With Optimizely, AI is integrated at every stage - from ideation to delivery. That means:

• AI campaign kits: Generate a high-quality campaign brief in seconds, using your specific brand guidelines and best practices.
• AI translations: Translate website content into 135+ languages in just one click.
• Automated task creation – Social posts, landing pages, email campaigns and more: Opal structures everything for you, so you can execute faster.
• On-brand content generation – From landing page copy to promotional LinkedIn posts, Opal creates polished, on-brand content instantly.
• Experimentation insights delivered without the analyst wait.

And with a whole host of build-your-own tools coming soon, you'll have even more opportunity to flex and scale within one single, unified, category-leading platform.

It’s not just AI for the sake of it. It’s AI that works for your marketing goals

Worried about the migration process? Don't be.

We get it - migrating from one platform to another can sound like a huge lift. But with Optimizely, it doesn't have to be. Our dedicated migration team is with you every step of the way, offering detailed planning support, phased rollout options, and hands-on guidance to offer a smooth transition. You'll have access to 24/7 global support, clearly defined SLAs, and experienced customer success managers (CSMs) who understand the nuances of complex enterprise environments.

Whether you're looking to migrate all at once or in stages, we tailor the process to fit your business needs - so you can keep moving fast with minimal disruption.

What's next?

If you’ve outgrown Contentstack, you’re not alone - and you're not stuck. Optimizely gives you all the flexibility of headless, with the power of a full DXP designed to grow with your business.

So whether you're struggling with stack sprawl, content chaos, or dev dependency, it might be time to stop settling and start scaling. Let’s make the move. Your future content self will thank you.