Differences Between Kentico Xperience 13 and Xperience by Kentico
Explaining the Difference between Kentico 13 and Xperience by Kentico
It's been two years since Kentico released Xperience by Kentico, their next-generation CMS/DXP platform. During that time, I've jumped headfirst into mastering how the platform works, the best strategies for migration from Kentico 13, and ways to fully leverage the new capabilities. At this point, I'd say I've become pretty comfortable with it.
However, throughout 2025, one question has consistently surfaced in my work: "How exactly is Xperience by Kentico different from its predecessor, Kentico Xperience 13?" Rather than answering individually each time, I decided to compile my thoughts into this blog post and make an asset that I hope benefits the entire Kentico community. Let's start from the beginning.
Kentico Xperience 13 (Kentico 13)
Kentico Xperience 13 is the latest major release of the classic Kentico CMS/DXP platform, originally launched in 2020. It's built around a traditional, tightly coupled .NET architecture and includes robust functionality for content management, digital marketing, and commerce within one unified solution. Often times I will refer to this version of Kentico, and versions 10, 11, and 12, as legacy Kentico now.
Key Characteristics:
- Technology Stack:
- ASP.NET MVC 5 and ASP.NET Core support on .NET 8.
- .NET Framework 4.8 and .NET Core 3.1 compatible.
- Multiple legacy JavaScript frameworks, many outdated.
- SQL Server backend.
- Hosting:
- Typically self-hosted or cloud-hosted (e.g., Azure, AWS), primarily monolithic infrastructure.
- Architecture:
- From a pure CMS perspective, tightly coupled, with built-in presentation layer and customizable widgets.
- Integrated Digital Experience Platform (DXP) features (personalization, automation, analytics, online marketing).
- Integrated digital commerce with multiple e-commerce based features.
- Unified administration interface.
- Development Model:
- Primarily traditional .NET MVC patterns, with RESTful API options.
- Monolithic approach to development.
- Version 10, 11, and 12 were all even more behind than 13, in .NET framework 4.x webforms
- Licensing:
- Traditional perpetual licensing or annual subscription-based licensing. The vast majority on now on subscription based.
Xperience by Kentico
The newest product, Xperience by Kentico, is a complete rewrite and reimagining of Kentico Xperience, released officially in 2023. It's designed as a modern SaaS-first, cloud-native hybrid headless digital experience platform.
Key Characteristics:
- Technology Stack:
- Fully built on .NET 8+.
- Modern JavaScript framework support via React.
- Cloud-native and closer to a microservice-oriented approach.
- Headless-first with GraphQL and REST APIs.
- Supports composable principles (API-first, Cloud-native options, Headless).
- Hosting:
- Flexible for fully SaaS-based, hosted on Kentico's cloud infrastructure OR...
- Private host in your own cloud or datacenter.
- Architecture:
- Decoupled and headless by design. The new Content Hub provides a content inventory for re-use.
- Integrated Digital Experience Platform (DXP) features (personalization, automation, customer journeys, email marketing).
- API-driven content management, integrates easily with modern frontends (Next.js, React, Angular).
- Early digital commerce capabilities (first version just released at time of writing).
- Updated, modern, fast administrative interface.
- Built for multichannel content management and distribution.
- Development Model:
- Composable architecture with extensive APIs.
- Modern .NET practices (minimal APIs, .NET Aspire support).
- Modern CI/CD and DevOps-friendly.
- Licensing:
- Subscription-based licensing model only.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Kentico Xperience 13 | Xperience by Kentico |
|---|---|---|
| Launch Year | 2020 | 2023 |
| Technology Stack | .NET Framework 4.8 / .NET 8+ | .NET 8+ |
| Architecture | Monolithic, tightly coupled | Headless, API-first, composable, multichannel |
| Hosting Model | Self-hosted/cloud-hosted | Fully SaaS-managed/self-hosted |
| APIs | REST (primarily) | GraphQL & REST |
| E-Commerce Built-in | Fully supported out of the box | Via integrations or beta version of native commerce |
| Licensing Model | Perpetual or Subscription | SaaS Subscription |
Summary of Key Differences
- Kentico Xperience 13: Traditional, monolithic .NET-based CMS/DXP ideal for companies preferring control over infrastructure and traditional CMS functionality.
- Xperience by Kentico: Modernized, cloud-native SaaS DXP ideal for scalable, composable, multichannel, and future-proof integrations.
Conclusion
I hope this helps explain the difference between Kentico 13 and Xperience by Kentico. If you are looking for more info, don't hesitate to contact me or reach out over email.
