Best CMS options for news websites and how to pick one

Running a news site means juggling speed, many articles, images and tight deadlines. Pick a CMS that helps your editorial team move fast, keeps pages loading quick, and makes publishing simple. Below I explain common CMS choices, what newsroom features matter, and a short checklist to pick the right system.

What big news sites use (and why it matters)

Large publishers like NDTV and Times of India use heavily customized CMS platforms. They need tools for live updates, large media libraries, author permissions, and ad or subscription integrations. Off-the-shelf CMS can work for smaller outlets, but enterprise sites often build custom layers on top of Drupal, WordPress VIP, or headless systems to scale and meet unique workflow needs.

Choose by newsroom needs — practical features to check

Editorial workflow: Look for approval stages, version history, easy scheduling and quick updates. If you run live blogs, ensure the CMS supports continuous posts without breaking layout.

Media handling: Your CMS should manage images, video and galleries fast. Bulk uploads, automatic resizing, and CDN integration are must-haves to avoid slow pages.

Performance and caching: News pages get traffic spikes. Make sure the CMS works with caching layers, CDNs, and can serve cached pages under load. Static or headless setups paired with a CDN often give the best speed.

SEO and metadata: Built-in SEO fields, structured data support, customizable URLs and sitemap generation save hours on manual work.

Search and taxonomy: Good tagging, categories and fast site search help readers find stories. Complex taxonomies are easier to manage in systems like Drupal or headless CMS with a clear content model.

Security and access control: Role-based access, two-factor login, automated backups and logging are essential, especially for high-profile sites.

Integrations: Check support for ad servers, analytics, newsletters, paywalls, comments and social sharing. The easier the integrations, the less custom development you’ll need.

Costs and team skills: Off-the-shelf options like WordPress are cheaper to start. Enterprise services (WordPress VIP, Drupal Enterprise, Contentful) cost more but reduce maintenance headaches. Headless CMS needs frontend dev skills but gives flexibility and speed.

Recommended stacks by size:

- Small local news: WordPress with a solid host and caching, plus image CDN and an editorial plugin for workflows.
- Growing regional site: Drupal or a managed WordPress platform, with attention to taxonomy and search.
- Large national publisher: Custom CMS or enterprise headless setup (Contentful, Strapi, Sanity) + Next.js or similar frontend and robust CDN.

Quick checklist before you commit: Does it support your workflow? Can it handle traffic spikes? Are media and SEO covered? How easy is it to integrate ads and subscriptions? What's the total cost including hosting and dev?

Pick a CMS that makes your editors faster, keeps readers on the page, and scales with traffic. Start small with clear priorities, then add custom features as your audience grows.