Finding the Right Acquia Alternative Platform

There’s a tectonic shift happening in digital experience platforms (DXPs). 

The DXP dream – where everything from content management to marketing tools is neatly bundled into one platform – seemed like the perfect solution for a while. But in reality, businesses have realized that a one-size-fits-all approach can feel more like a straitjacket than a solution. Take Acquia as an example. Once a leader in the DXP space, Acquia now finds itself facing more competition than ever because of its aging suite of acquired tools and inflexible all-in-one service model. 

The limitations of Acquia’s approach are becoming more apparent. As a result, many are looking for more flexible, scalable alternatives that better align with their unique needs and long-term goals.

Here, we’ll dive into why so many organizations are seeking Acquia alternatives and explore some of the top platforms that might just be the right fit for you!

Why organizations are looking for alternatives to Acquia

As organizations evolve and digital strategies become more complex, the limitations of traditional DXPs like Acquia are becoming increasingly apparent. For one, many businesses are moving away from the rigid, monolithic platforms that Acquia and similar vendors offer. They’re now looking for more modular, customizable solutions that allow them to choose the best tools for each part of their ecosystem (without being locked into one vendor's roadmap or long-term contract). This need for flexibility is a big driving force behind the search for Acquia alternatives.

We were having to manage each site’s subtheme in a separate repository on Acquia for each of our sites. And so any deployments or changes would have to be provisioned out to each site, which was taking a lot of time.” 

- Jeremy Pieper, Web Development Manager at Perforce 

Another key factor is the growing emphasis on speed and agility. Nowadays, businesses need to be able to pivot quickly, experiment and scale their digital presence without waiting for months of implementation. Unfortunately, many of the traditional DXP platforms, Acquia included, are often bogged down by slow, cumbersome processes and bloated feature sets that make change feel like an uphill battle.

There’s also an increasing desire for platforms that offer deeper integration capabilities and smooth workflows across various marketing technologies and content management systems. Acquia’s model – while useful for some – hasn’t always lived up to the needs of more dynamic organizations that want to move at the speed of innovation.

Pantheon: The top Acquia alternative

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If you’re looking for a more agile, intuitive and scalable platform, consider Pantheon. It’s designed for teams that want to move fast, innovate relentlessly and scale without limits.

Most Acquia customers are primarily leveraging Drupal, the open-source CMS at the center of their DXP offering. Pantheon supports Drupal too, so you can carry that investment forward if you make the switch, instead of starting from scratch.

What’s more, Pantheon’s WebOps approach uniquely unlocks the value of open source for organizations, meaning customers can go even further. Pantheon also supports other best-in-class web technologies like WordPress and NextJS, allowing you to future-proof your strategy going forward.

A whole different way of thinking about web operations

While traditional DXP models are often bloated, slow and restrictive, Pantheon flips this script completely. It gives you a robust, performance-driven foundation that allows you to build and scale your digital presence your way. Whether you’re running a simple blog or a complex multisite network, Pantheon makes it easy to launch, manage and optimize your sites – all without the headaches of over-complicated infrastructure.

Smooth multisite management

With a deep focus on open source, Pantheon enables you to tap into all of WordPress’s and Drupal’s power while avoiding the unnecessary complexity that often comes with managing them. The Upstreams feature allows you to efficiently manage multiple Drupal sites from a single source, reducing complexity and ensuring consistency across your entire network. There’s no need for extensive customization or overwhelming technical debt – just an easy, scalable platform that lets you do what you do best: create.

Custom Upstreams feels like an out-of-the-box solution. It is a silver bullet helping us push out broad changes to our sites in no time.” 

- Jeremy Pieper, Web Development Manager at Perforce

This is a breath of fresh air compared to Acquia’s monolithic and cumbersome “Site Factory” product, which forces every site to use the same templates and prevents any individual stakeholder or business unit from leveraging the full power of Drupal for their specific needs.

API-first platform

Pantheon’s API-first approach means it can integrate easily with your existing stack. The flexibility here is unmatched. You’re not tied to one vendor’s vision; instead, you’re empowered to choose and customize the best tools for your business. No restrictions, no compromises.

Unmatched collaboration

Pantheon also transforms the way teams collaborate. With tools like Multidev, which lets you spin up multiple development environments in parallel, collaboration becomes seamless. 

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No more fighting with clunky workflows or waiting for approval – everyone can work together, in real time, on their own terms. This leads to faster deployments, smoother processes and ultimately, better outcomes for your digital experience.

Pantheon’s Multidev feature was a huge bonus. Multiple developer environments allow us to develop with partner agencies in a much more agile way.” 

– Jim Alberque, GIS and Emerging Technology Manager at The City of Raleigh

Other Acquia alternatives

While Pantheon stands out as a leading alternative to Acquia, the digital experience space is full of platforms offering unique features and strengths. Let’s explore some of these other options:

Sitecore

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Sitecore has long been one of the most well-known players in the DXP space. It’s a powerful, enterprise-level platform designed to handle complex digital experiences at scale. What makes Sitecore stand out is its deep focus on personalization. Through its powerful machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, Sitecore helps businesses deliver highly tailored content and experiences to their users. This makes it a strong choice for organizations with extensive content needs and a focus on delivering individualized customer journeys.

However, Sitecore’s beauty can also be its curse. The platform’s enterprise nature comes with a hefty price tag, and its steep learning curve means it’s not the easiest solution to implement, especially for smaller teams. It’s best suited for large organizations with sophisticated marketing capabilities and the resources to support the platform’s complexity. For companies looking for a more streamlined, budget-conscious option, Sitecore may be overkill.

Don’t forget to check out our post on Sitecore alternatives!

Bloomreach

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Bloomreach is focused on providing businesses with an intelligent, search-driven experience. Bloomreach’s platform combines content management, personalization and e-commerce capabilities, with a heavy emphasis on leveraging AI to optimize site search and product recommendations. It’s an excellent choice for e-commerce businesses looking to deliver a personalized shopping experience to users.

One of Bloomreach’s strongest features is its ability to drive digital transformation through its AI-powered search and discovery tools. With these, businesses can improve their customers’ ability to find what they’re looking for, driving better conversion rates and customer satisfaction. The trade-off? Like Sitecore, Bloomreach can be resource-intensive, especially for smaller businesses that don’t need its advanced search and AI functionalities. For organizations with a sharp focus on e-commerce and search optimization, Bloomreach’s platform is hard to beat, but it’s not for the faint of heart.

Optimizely

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Optimizely offers a unique blend of content management and experimentation, making it an excellent choice for teams that are serious about optimizing their digital experiences through continuous testing and iteration. Known for its A/B testing capabilities, Optimizely allows businesses to run experiments at scale, measuring and optimizing every part of the customer journey.

This experimentation-first approach makes Optimizely perfect for organizations that need to continually test and refine their digital experiences to ensure they’re driving the best results. However, this can also be a double-edged sword. The constant need for testing and experimentation requires ongoing attention, and companies that don’t have the resources to dedicate to this level of analysis may find it more trouble than it’s worth.

Explore our post on Optimizely alternatives!

Adobe Experience Manager (AEM)

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Adobe Experience Manager is a big player in the enterprise space, particularly for businesses that need a highly scalable, flexible DXP that integrates seamlessly with other Adobe tools. AEM’s strength lies in its ability to manage a broad range of content types, from websites to mobile apps to email campaigns. It's known for its robust digital asset management system and its ability to handle complex workflows across multiple teams.

While AEM is packed with features, it’s also known for its complexity and high cost. Smaller businesses or teams that don’t need the full breadth of AEM’s offerings might find it overkill for their needs. For larger organizations with complex digital asset management requirements, AEM is a strong contender, but expect to pay a premium for its capabilities.

Platform.sh

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Platform.sh is a modern cloud platform designed with flexibility and scalability in mind for WordPress and Drupal. It’s a great choice for development teams looking for a platform that allows them to automate the entire web application lifecycle, from development to deployment to scaling. Its deep integration with Git workflows and ability to manage multiple environments make it ideal for agile teams that need to iterate quickly and consistently.

While Platform.sh is primarily geared toward developers, its powerful features and scalability also make it a great option for businesses that want a high degree of customization and control over their infrastructure. However, if you’re looking for a comprehensive platform with marketing tools, content management and personalization out of the box, Platform.sh might not be the best fit. Instead, it’s more of a developer-centric platform that requires businesses to integrate their own marketing and content tools, making it better suited to technically savvy teams.

Contentful

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Contentful is a headless CMS that has made waves in recent years, particularly for businesses embracing a decoupled, API-driven approach to content management. With Contentful, teams can manage content in a central hub and deliver it across a variety of digital touchpoints, from websites to mobile apps to IoT devices.

The true power of Contentful lies in its flexibility. As a headless CMS, it allows you to choose the best frontend technologies for your needs, giving your team full control over how content is delivered and displayed. This makes it a fantastic option for organizations that prioritize flexibility and customization. However, as with any headless CMS, Contentful requires more technical know-how and developer involvement compared to traditional platforms. If you’re looking for a platform that’s highly customizable, Contentful is a solid choice – but be prepared to invest in development resources.

How to choose the best Acquia alternative for your enterprise

Here are a few important factors to consider as you make your decision:

• Your team’s needs and expertise: Is your team made up of developers who are comfortable with complex, customizable systems? Or are you looking for something that’s easy to use and quick to implement, with less reliance on technical resources? 
• Customization vs. out-of-the-box functionality: Do you need a solution that gives you complete control over every aspect of your digital experience, or are you looking for something with built-in features like personalization, A/B testing or content management?
• Scalability and performance: Consider how your platform will scale as your business grows. Will the platform handle increased traffic and new digital initiatives without slowing down? 
• Integration capabilities: The digital ecosystem is vast and your platform will need to integrate with various other tools – CRM systems, marketing automation, analytics and more. 
• Cost considerations: The cost of a new platform can vary greatly depending on the scale of your operations, the complexity of your needs and the features you require. Make sure to consider both your current budget and the long-term costs of ownership as you evaluate your options.

By weighing these factors against your team’s goals and resources, you’ll be better equipped to choose the right platform that aligns with your immediate needs and your long-term strategy.

Take the next step: Switch to Pantheon

It’s time to make a move. Switching to Pantheon means giving your team the tools to build faster, collaborate more effectively and deliver exceptional digital experiences without the technical headaches. Whether you’re focused on optimizing your existing website or launching a new digital experience, Pantheon can help you get there faster and more efficiently.

Stop settling for less and start building the digital experiences your team deserves. Contact Pantheon today!