Composable DXP: Why 70% of Enterprises Are Moving Beyond Traditional Suites
The smarter path to agility, scalability, and ROI.
The Shift to Composable DXPs
For years, enterprise brands have relied on traditional digital experience platforms (DXPs) like Adobe and Sitecore— large, all-in-one solutions designed to manage every aspect of digital engagement. These platforms promised seamless customer experiences but often came with high costs, slow innovation cycles, and complex integrations.
Now, the industry is at a turning point. By 2026, 70% of enterprises will adopt Composable DXP technologies rather than relying on monolithic suites, according to Gartner.
This shift is not just about technology; it represents a fundamental change in how digital experiences are built, managed, and optimized. Forrester has long emphasized that the best DXPs are no longer single products, but rather assembled from a set of best-in-class applications that work together in a modular and flexible way. Composable DXPs give businesses the freedom to choose the most effective tools for each part of their digital strategy, rather than being locked into a pre-defined stack.
As more organizations make this transition, understanding the drivers behind it—and what it takes to succeed—is crucial.
The Downside of Traditional DXPs (Adobe, Sitecore)
Vendors like Adobe and Sitecore have long dominated the DXP space, but their full-suite platforms come with significant drawbacks, especially as digital experience management has become more complex:
- High Costs & Rigid Licensing: Enterprises pay for bundled capabilities they may not need, with ongoing maintenance adding to the expense.
- Slow Innovation & Vendor Lock-In: Businesses struggle to adapt quickly to market changes as they wait for a single vendor’s updates, while integrating best-in-class solutions from other providers can be a technical and contractual headache.
- Integration Challenges: Custom development and workarounds are required to connect best-of-breed solutions for CMS, search, personalization, and analytics with traditional DXPs, limiting flexibility.
Forrester and Gartner both highlight a clear trend: Enterprises are moving toward modular architectures where they can assemble the right combination of technologies rather than relying on a single vendor.
What Makes a DXP Truly Composable?
A Composable DXP flips the traditional model on its head. Instead of buying an all-in-one suite, enterprises assemble their own best-fit solution, integrating the tools they need while ensuring future flexibility.
Modular & API-First Architecture
Composable DXPs are built with Packaged Business Capabilities (PBCs)—modular components that can operate independently. This means brands can start with a headless CMS today and later add AI-driven personalization or real-time search without a full replatforming.
Headless & Flexible
Unlike traditional DXPs, which are often tightly coupled with specific front-end technologies, Composable DXPs allow brands to use any front-end framework—whether that’s a custom-built React storefront, a mobile app, or an in-store digital display.
Cloud-Native Scalability
Instead of being tied to on-premise infrastructure or vendor-specific cloud hosting, Composable DXPs leverage SaaS and PaaS deployment models, ensuring speed, agility, and cost efficiency.
A truly Composable DXP isn’t a single product but a collection of applications that work harmoniously through APIs, data sharing, and shared services.
Composable DXP in Action: The Platforms Shaping the Future
As enterprises move beyond traditional DXPs, several platforms have emerged as leaders in enabling true composability. These solutions stand out for their flexibility, integration, and scalable customization capabilities.
Builder.io: Bridging the Gap Between Developers & Business Teams
Builder.io focuses on enabling composability without sacrificing usability. It’s known for:
- A visual, low-code environment that allows marketers and designers to build digital experiences without needing developer intervention.
- Seamless integration with major headless CMS and commerce platforms.
- Optimized site performance, allowing business users to deploy changes quickly without affecting speed or user experience.
Contentful: The Developer-Centric Headless CMS
Contentful is often the foundation for a Composable DXP, serving as a structured content hub that integrates with the tools businesses need. Key benefits include:
- Cloud-native and API-driven, making it highly flexible for enterprises that want a best-of-breed approach.
- Scalability for global brands, with support for multi-region deployments and localization.
- A strong partner ecosystem, ensuring enterprises have access to integrations and expertise for their unique needs.
Contentstack: A Fully Composable CMS & Digital Experience Hub
Contentstack is built from the ground up to support composable architectures. Unlike traditional CMS platforms that attempt to include everything in a single suite, Contentstack offers:
- An API-first approach that makes it easy to integrate with commerce, search, and personalization solutions.
- Flexible content management that allows brands to create, manage, and distribute content across channels without platform restrictions.
- Enterprise-grade security and governance, ensuring brands maintain control while benefiting from a cloud-native infrastructure.
These platforms reflect the new era of digital experience management, where enterprises select the best-fit technologies instead of being confined to a rigid suite.
How to Choose a Composable DXP
When evaluating a Composable DXP, businesses must consider three key factors. The first is total cost of ownership (TCO), which goes beyond licensing fees and includes implementation, maintenance, and employee efficiency costs. The vendor ecosystem is another crucial element, as the platform should integrate seamlessly with commerce, search, and personalization tools. Additionally, scalability and ROI play a significant role; the platform must be able to grow with the business, supporting multiple brands, channels, and locales over time.
From a technical perspective, API-first architecture is a defining feature of true Composable DXPs, ensuring that anything achievable through the user interface can also be automated and configured in code. Integration flexibility is equally important, allowing for seamless orchestration between essential tools like commerce, search, and personalization systems. Security and compliance should not be overlooked—data governance, privacy, and security controls must align with business needs and regulatory requirements.
A successful Composable DXP balances the needs of both business users and developers—offering low-code/no-code tools for marketers while ensuring API-driven flexibility for deep customization. The best approach is one that empowers both teams rather than forcing trade-offs.
Why Composable DXP is the Smart Move
The future of DXPs is modular, flexible, and API-first. The leading analysts have made it clear that composability is no longer optional—it’s the key to delivering scalable, customer-driven digital experiences.
Traditional suites like Adobe and Sitecore are struggling to keep pace with market demands, while Composable DXPs (Builder.io, Contentful, and Contentstack) are proving that modular architectures drive faster innovation, lower costs, and better customer experiences.
Everett Zufelt
VP, Strategic Partnerships & Emerging Technology, Orium
As VP Strategic Partnerships & Emerging Technology at Orium, Everett leverages his extensive technical background and over a decade of experience in headless and composable commerce to lead the development of Orium’s offerings. He guides the go-to-market strategy and supports his teams in crafting solutions that enhance the digital capabilities and operational efficiency of scaling commerce brands.
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