Exploring the Umbraco Products
Explore the unique features and use cases of Umbraco products to find the perfect fit for your project.
Embarking on a journey with Umbraco can be an exciting process. With a variety of products available, it can sometimes feel overwhelming to choose the best tool for your needs. This guide will help you navigate the options and understand what each product offers.
1. Getting Started with Umbraco CMS
Begin by familiarizing yourself with the Umbraco content management system (CMS), its features, and its capabilities. Umbraco CMS is an open-source .NET CMS designed to build websites and web applications. Read more about Umbraco CMS, or if you want to try it out, head on to the Umbraco CMS Documentation.
All Umbraco products are built on top of the CMS core. A short introduction video is available to help you dive into the Umbraco CMS world.
Subscription
Umbraco CMS is an open-source software released under the MIT License. It is free to install, set up, and host for yourself. For more information, see the Umbraco Source Code License site.
Case Study
The Council of the European Union wanted to replace its outdated CMS with one that would streamline content publishing and translation across multiple languages.
Using Umbraco CMS, they developed a solution that facilitated rapid content creation and multilingual translation, meeting the Council's requirements while minimizing time and effort.
Read the Case Study to know how the Council of the European Union successfully utilized Umbraco CMS to modernize its content management system.
2. Choosing Hosting: Umbraco Cloud vs. On-Premise
Once you have installed Umbraco locally, it's time to start building websites. Let's talk about where your Umbraco masterpiece will live. You've got options:
Umbraco Cloud
You can opt for Umbraco Cloud for a managed hosting solution. Umbraco Cloud is a hosting and development platform designed to streamline the process of building and managing Umbraco CMS projects.
Read more about Umbraco Cloud, or if you want to try it out, head on to the Umbraco Cloud Documentation.
Subscription
You can take a 14-day free trial of Umbraco Cloud with no obligation to purchase a subscription.
For more information on the details and features of each pricing plan, see the Umbraco Cloud Pricing site.
Case Study
Cab Engine leverages Umbraco Cloud's Baseline feature to empower clients, facilitating quicker launches, seamless user experiences, and effortless updates through their Cab Chassis product.
Read the Case Study to know how Umbraco Cloud's Baseline feature offered a centralized solution and integrated development environment for seamless project evolution.
On-Premise Hosting
You can host your Umbraco CMS website on your own servers. For more information, see the Hosting an Umbraco project and Get a good grip on the best Umbraco hosting options! articles.
3. Discover Headless Possibilities
Ready to deliver content beyond a traditional website? Umbraco offers flexible headless capabilities, decoupling your content management from the frontend presentation. This allows you to manage content once and deliver it to mobile apps, smart devices, or modern frameworks.
The Content Delivery API (Built-in)
For most headless needs, you can use the native Content Delivery API included in Umbraco CMS. It allows you to serve your content as high-performance JSON without leaving the Umbraco ecosystem. It is best for Hybrid projects (website and apps) or developers who want to stay on the standard Umbraco platform while using modern frontend technology.
Umbraco Heartcore (Pure SaaS Headless)
If you require a specialized, fully managed Headless-as-a-Service solution, Umbraco Heartcore is the answer. It is a SaaS-only version of Umbraco that removes the frontend entirely, providing managed REST and GraphQL APIs, an integrated CDN (Cloudflare), and automatic updates. It is best for projects that are completely headless and require a managed infrastructure without the need for .NET development.
4. Enhance your site with DXP (Digital Experience Platform)
Whether you're creating a website, launching an e-commerce store, or building a custom application, Umbraco has you covered every step of the way.
Below, you can find the available Umbraco Add-On Products for digital experience:
Overview
Umbraco Commerce is an e-commerce solution built on top of the Umbraco CMS platform. It provides businesses with the tools they need to create and manage online stores, sell products or services, and deliver seamless shopping experiences to customers.
Read more about Umbraco Commerce, or if you want to try it out, head on to the Umbraco Commerce Documentation.
Subscription
Umbraco Commerce is free to try out on your local machine without the need for a license. For information on the license, raise a request on the Umbraco Commerce Product page. A member of the sales team will manage this process.
Case Study
TCMM aimed for market dominance with a focus on brand positioning and leveraging its new technology platform for improved conversion rates.
true implemented the solution headlessly using the Umbraco Content Delivery API and the Umbraco Commerce Storefront API, which fits seamlessly into their project's architecture.
Read about the Case Study to know how Umbraco's ability to handle multiple sites with a focus on conversion and content aligned with TCMM's growth ambitions without compromising existing site components.
Overview
Umbraco Deploy is designed to streamline the process of deploying Umbraco CMS websites across different environments and managing content synchronization between instances. It provides developers with a reliable and efficient solution for deploying website changes and ensuring content consistency across development, staging, and production environments.
Read more about Umbraco Deploy, or if you want to try it out, head on to the Umbraco Deploy Documentation.
Subscription
Umbraco Deploy is free to try out on your local machine with limitations on some features. You can read more about what is included in a license on the Licensing page.
Umbraco Deploy is included in the Umbraco Cloud subscription. If you are using Umbraco Cloud, you do not need to pay for an Umbraco Deploy license.
Use-Case Example
Large enterprises managing complex Umbraco CMS websites with multiple contributors and environments can benefit from Umbraco Deploy to maintain content consistency and streamline deployment workflows. This ensures seamless website updates and content changes across the organization.
Overview
Umbraco Engage is designed to enhance digital marketing efforts directly within the Umbraco CMS. Users can engage, track, and analyze customer behavior, enabling personalized content and improving conversion rates—all without needing advanced technical knowledge.
Read more about Umbraco Engage, or if you want to try it out, head on to the Umbraco Engage Documentation.
Subscription
Umbraco Engage is free to try out on your local machine without the need for a license. For information on the license, raise a request on the Umbraco Engage Product page. A member of the sales team will manage this process.
Umbraco Engage is fully compatible with Umbraco Cloud.
Use-Case Example
Travel agencies can leverage Umbraco Engage to enhance user engagement by showing personalized travel recommendations. By analyzing visitor interactions, such as viewed destinations and trip types, the suite can suggest relevant holiday packages, special deals, and travel guides. This approach improves the user experience and increases booking conversions.
Overview
Umbraco Forms is designed to simplify the process of creating and managing web forms within the Umbraco CMS environment. It empowers users to build interactive forms without the need for coding knowledge, enhancing user engagement and data collection capabilities.
Read more about Umbraco Forms, or if you want to try it out, head on to the Umbraco Forms Documentation.
Subscription
Umbraco Forms is free to try out on your local machine, with limitations on some features. You can read more about what is included in a license on the Licensing page.
Umbraco Forms is included in Umbraco Cloud and Umbraco Heartcore (standard plan and above) subscriptions. If you are using Umbraco Cloud or Umbraco Heartcore, you do not need to pay for an Umbraco Forms license.
Case Study
The Legal Ombudsman needed a complete overhaul of their website as well as an online complaints form. The organization had to ensure that its online forms comply with the UK Government Design System (GDS).
Read the Case Study to know how Umbraco Forms, hosted on Umbraco Cloud, maintains GDS compliance while securely storing forms data in a Cosmos database on Azure within a UK data centre, meeting storage requirements.
Overview
Umbraco UI Builder is designed to simplify the process of creating custom user interfaces (UIs) within the Umbraco CMS environment. It empowers developers and designers to build interactive and responsive UI components for Umbraco-based websites and applications with ease.
Read more about Umbraco UI Builder, or if you want to try it out, head on to the Umbraco UI Builder Documentation.
Subscription
Umbraco UI Builder is free to try out on your local machine without the need for a license. For information on the license, raise a request on the Umbraco UI Builder Product page. A member of the sales team will manage this process.
Umbraco UI Builder is included in the Umbraco Cloud (Standard plan and above) subscription. If you are using Umbraco Cloud, you do not need to pay for an Umbraco UI Builder license.
Use-Case Example
E-commerce retailers offering customizable products can use Umbraco UI Builder to create product configurator tools. This allows customers to customize product attributes, such as color, size, and features, in real-time, visualizing the changes dynamically before making a purchase decision, thereby enhancing the shopping experience and driving sales.
Overview
Umbraco Workflow is a comprehensive workflow management tool integrated into the Umbraco CMS platform. It enables you to streamline content creation, review, and approval processes, ensuring efficient collaboration within your digital projects.
Read more about Umbraco Workflow, or if you want to try it out, head on to the Umbraco Workflow Documentation.
Subscription
You can try out Umbraco Workflow on your local machine with a trial license. The trial license introduces some restrictions around advanced features, but is otherwise a full-featured workflow platform.
You can find which features are included in the trial versus the paid license on the Umbraco Workflow Product page.
Use-Case Example
Organizations managing websites, such as news portals or corporate blogs, can implement Umbraco Workflow to establish content publication workflows. Content creators can submit articles or blog posts for review, and editors can review, edit, and approve the content before publication, ensuring quality control and adherence to editorial standards.
5. Orchestrate Content from Multiple Sources with Umbraco Compose
As your digital ecosystem grows, you may find yourself pulling data from many different places. Umbraco Compose is a SaaS orchestration layer that simplifies this complexity. It connects data from various sources, such as product information management (PIM) systems, customer relationship management (CRM) platforms, enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, and more, into a unified, high-performance GraphQL API.
How Compose Enhances the Experience
While Umbraco CMS handles your website content, Compose handles the integration layer between your various business systems. It enables a clean, composable architecture without building custom integrations for every external tool.
For Content Editors: Use the Umbraco Content Picker to reference data from any connected system (such as product specifications or customer data) directly within the Umbraco backoffice, creating a seamless editorial experience.
For Developers: Deliver unified content to any frontend, websites, mobile apps, digital kiosks, or other channels using standardized GraphQL endpoints. This reduces technical debt and eliminates complex integration logic in frontend code.
Watch this video for a high-level overview of how Umbraco Compose functions as a content orchestration layer to simplify complex architectures:
Subscription
Compose is a subscription-based SaaS product. Pricing is based on your specific needs, including ingestion volume and architectural complexity. This allows organizations to scale their content orchestration as their technology stack grows. Contact the Umbraco sales team for pricing information.
Use Case Example
Consider a retail organization with product data in a PIM system, marketing content in Umbraco CMS, and customer profiles in a CRM. Using Umbraco Compose, they can:
Map and normalize product catalogs, marketing content, and CRM data into a unified schema.
Enable editors to build rich product pages by selecting PIM data directly in the CMS.
Deliver consistent, real-time information through GraphQL APIs to their e-commerce site, mobile app, and in-store displays.
Maintain data consistency across all channels without building and maintaining dozens of point-to-point integrations.
By leveraging Compose, organizations reduce integration complexity, accelerate development, and deliver consistent experiences across all digital touchpoints.
6. Example Use Case Scenario
In this section, we will build an online presence with some of Umbraco's products and add-on products. Let's assume:
Company Profile: John Doe Enterprises is a growing e-commerce company specializing in handmade jewelry. They aim to expand their online presence, enhance customer engagement, and streamline their business operations across a website and a mobile app.
Solution Overview: The company leverages the Umbraco ecosystem to create a scalable, unified digital presence.
Below you can find a journey on how John Doe Enterprises can use the different Umbraco Products and add-on products:
With Umbraco's flexible architecture, John Doe can customize his website's design and functionality according to his specific requirements, ensuring a unique and engaging user experience.
John Doe hosts their entire setup on Umbraco Cloud. This ensures their team doesn't have to worry about manual upgrades or server maintenance, allowing them to focus entirely on designing jewelry and creating content.
To reach younger customers, John Doe launched a mobile app. Instead of re-typing blog posts for the app, the developers use the Content Delivery API to fetch the exact same content from Umbraco Cloud and display it natively on iOS and Android.
John Doe can integrate Umbraco Commerce to leverage its robust features, including product catalog management, order processing, and payment gateways, to create a seamless online shopping experience for their customers.
John Doe can utilize Umbraco Forms to create and manage interactive and dynamic forms on his website. He can use forms for collecting customer inquiries, feedback, and orders, streamlining the communication and order processing workflows.
By using Umbraco Cloud and the native headless features of the CMS, John Doe Enterprises maintains a "create once, publish everywhere" workflow. They saved significant time by not building a separate backend for their mobile app, while Umbraco Commerce and Forms handled the complex operational tasks of a growing retail business.
7. Testimonials and Resources
Below you can find a list of Testimonials and other resources to see how Umbraco and its products are used in real life:
Videos of Umbraco Cloud Testimonials
Videos of Umbraco Testimonials
Videos of Umbraco Case Webinar
Other resources: Book a live Demo, Training, Video Tutorials, Blog, Documentation, and so on.
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