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We are the Magnolia to Dato CMS migration experts

Challenges with Magnolia

Magnolia is the definition of “enterprise for the sake of enterprise.” The setup is heavy, the learning curve is brutal, and unless you have a Java team lying around, good luck getting anything done without burning through budget. The proprietary modules lock you in fast, integrations feel like a maze, and the admin interface slows to a crawl once you start dealing with real content volume. The pricing is expensive, opaque, and somehow still manages to feel bad value. If you're not a Fortune 500 with a tolerance for pain, it’s a project risk.

And honestly, who even uses Java anymore?

Key pain points

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Steep Java learning curve

Magnolia expects your team to be fluent in Java and its ecosystem, which slows onboarding and makes even simple tasks feel heavier than they should.

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Resource-intensive setup

It demands serious infrastructure and long setup cycles, which immediately rules it out for teams that expect fast iteration or modern DevOps workflows.

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Vendor lock-in concerns

Once you're in, you're in. Magnolia’s proprietary modules make moving away painful, expensive, and often not worth the engineering time.

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Complex third-party integration

Connecting Magnolia with modern tools and APIs isn’t straightforward, usually requiring custom Java work instead of simple plug-and-play integrations.

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Native subscription support

Licensing is firmly enterprise-tier, with opaque pricing and steep annual fees that can balloon quickly, a bad fit unless you're Fortune 500.

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Proprietary module reliance

Key features live behind Magnolia’s own tightly controlled modules, limiting flexibility and forcing teams to work the “Magnolia way” instead of choosing best-in-class tools.

Benefits of Dato CMS

Dato CMS stands out with its easy-to-use interface, which is suitable for developers and content editors. It's a drag-and-drop schema builder, meaning you can drag your content into shape

It supports a flexible API-based approach, allowing for seamless integration and efficient data retrieval. Dato CMS also provides powerful image manipulation tools and real-time updates, which enhance the content delivery experience. Its focus on simplicity and ease of use ensures rapid content deployment, making it an appealing choice for teams looking for a streamlined workflow and effective content management.

Key Advantages

  • •Impressive performance capabilities
  • •User-friendly interface
  • •Flexible API-based approach
  • •Seamless integration
  • •Efficient data retrieval
  • •Powerful image tools
  • •Real-time updates
  • •Simple deployment process
  • •Streamlined workflow
  • •Effective content management
  • •Rapid content deployment
  • •Developer-friendly features

Get in touch

Book a meeting with us to discuss how we can help or fill out a form to get in touch