Kentico vs Next.js : Lequel choisir en 2026 ?
Fin de vie de Kentico — Next.js offre une solution
Choose Kentico only if you're committed to the .NET ecosystem and accept SaaS-only vendor lock-in with Xperience. Choose Next.js if you want full ownership of your codebase, dramatically better performance, and the freedom to pair any headless CMS with any hosting provider. With Kentico 13 reaching end of life in late 2026, Next.js with a headless CMS is the migration path that gives you the most long-term flexibility.
Kentico (Kentico 13 / Xperience by Kentico)
A .NET-based CMS and digital experience platform for enterprise websites
Next.js
The React framework for production-grade websites and applications
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Kentico (Kentico 13 / Xperience by Kentico) | Next.js |
|---|---|---|
| Open source | ✗ | ✓ |
| Self-hosting option | Kentico 13 only (EOL 2026) | ✓ |
| A/B testing built-in | ✓ | Via integrations (LaunchDarkly, Vercel Edge Config, etc.) |
| Edge rendering / ISR | ✗ | ✓ |
| Marketing automation | ✓ | Via integrations (Segment, HubSpot, etc.) |
| Built-in page builder | ✓ | Via headless CMS (Sanity Studio, Contentful, etc.) |
| Multi-site management | ✓ | ✓ |
| Server-side rendering | ✓ | ✓ |
| API-first architecture | ✗ | ✓ |
| Static site generation | ✗ | ✓ |
| Headless content delivery | Partial — bolt-on, not native | ✓ |
| React/Vue/Svelte frontend | ✗ | ✓ |
What is Kentico (Kentico 13 / Xperience by Kentico)?
Kentico is a .NET-based CMS and digital experience platform. Kentico 13 is the last self-hostable version and reaches end of life in late 2026. Its successor, Xperience by Kentico, is a SaaS-only platform with fundamentally different architecture and pricing — making the upgrade path essentially a full replatforming project.
What is Next.js?
Next.js is a React-based framework for building production websites and applications. It supports static generation, server-side rendering, and incremental static regeneration out of the box. As a frontend framework, it pairs with any headless CMS to give teams full ownership of their code, hosting, and content infrastructure — the opposite of vendor lock-in.
Key Differences
Ownership and Vendor Lock-in
Kentico 13 is EOL. Kentico's only supported path forward is Xperience by Kentico, which is SaaS-only — you can't self-host, you can't export your templates, and you're locked into their pricing forever. Next.js is MIT-licensed open-source. You own every line of code, deploy anywhere, and can switch CMS providers without rebuilding your frontend.
Performance and Core Web Vitals
Kentico sites typically score 40-75 on Lighthouse due to heavy server-rendered .NET pages, jQuery dependencies, and unoptimized asset delivery. Next.js sites routinely hit 90-100 with built-in image optimization, automatic code splitting, edge rendering, and ISR. This directly impacts SEO rankings and conversion rates.
Architecture: Monolith vs Composable
Kentico is a monolithic DXP — CMS, marketing automation, personalization, and analytics all bundled together. This sounds convenient until you need to replace one piece. Next.js follows the composable architecture pattern: pick a best-in-class CMS, analytics tool, marketing platform, and A/B testing service independently. Each piece is replaceable without touching the others.
Developer Talent Pool
Kentico requires .NET and C# developers with specific Kentico platform experience — a shrinking and expensive talent pool. Next.js runs on React, the most widely adopted frontend framework in the world. Finding, hiring, and retaining React developers is dramatically easier and more cost-effective than sourcing Kentico specialists.
Total Cost of Ownership
Kentico 13 required Windows Server licensing, IIS hosting, and Kentico license fees. Xperience by Kentico adds SaaS subscription costs that scale with usage. Next.js is free. Pair it with Vercel ($0-20/mo per seat) and a headless CMS ($0-300/mo), and your infrastructure costs drop by 60-80% compared to enterprise Kentico deployments — even before factoring in cheaper developer labor.
Performance Comparison
| Metric | Kentico (Kentico 13 / Xperience by Kentico) | Next.js |
|---|---|---|
| TTFB | 300-800ms typical on shared .NET hosting | Sub-100ms with edge rendering and ISR |
| Build tool | MSBuild / .NET compilation | Turbopack (Next.js 15+) / Webpack |
| Base JS bundle | ~200-400KB (jQuery + custom scripts) | ~70-90KB with React (less with selective hydration) |
| Core Web Vitals | Often fails CLS and LCP thresholds | Built-in Image, Font, and Script optimization components |
| Lighthouse range | 40-75 | 90-100 |
SEO Comparison
| SEO Feature | Kentico (Kentico 13 / Xperience by Kentico) | Next.js |
|---|---|---|
| SSG support | ✗ | ✓ |
| SSR support | ✓ | ✓ |
| Schema markup | Manual implementation required | ✓ |
| Meta tag control | ✓ | ✓ |
| Sitemap generation | ✓ | ✓ |
| Core Web Vitals optimization | ✗ | ✓ |
Kentico (Kentico 13 / Xperience by Kentico)
- All-in-one platform with CMS, marketing automation, and analytics in a single install.
- Built-in A/B testing and personalization for marketing teams.
- Mature .NET ecosystem with strong enterprise support history.
- Page builder lets non-technical editors create layouts visually.
- Kentico 13 reaches end of life late 2026 — no more security patches or support after that.
- Xperience by Kentico is SaaS-only, creating complete vendor lock-in with no self-hosting escape hatch.
- Performance is poor by modern standards — heavy page weight, slow TTFB, and jQuery dependencies.
- Requires Windows Server and .NET expertise, limiting your developer hiring pool.
Next.js
- Free and open-source with zero vendor lock-in — deploy anywhere, switch hosts anytime.
- Best-in-class performance with SSG, ISR, and edge rendering delivering sub-100ms TTFB.
- Massive React ecosystem means access to the largest frontend developer talent pool in the world.
- Pair with any headless CMS — Sanity, Contentful, Strapi, Payload — and swap later if needed.
- Built-in SEO primitives (metadata API, sitemap generation, image optimization) that directly improve rankings.
- No built-in CMS — you need to select and integrate a separate headless CMS for content management.
- Marketing automation and A/B testing require third-party integrations rather than being included out of the box.
- Requires JavaScript/React expertise, which is a shift for .NET-only teams.
When to Choose Kentico (Kentico 13 / Xperience by Kentico)
- You're deeply embedded in .NET with internal developers who specialize in C# and have no appetite for JavaScript frameworks.
- You need built-in marketing automation and personalization and don't want to integrate separate tools.
- Your organization requires a single-vendor DXP for compliance or procurement reasons and accepts the lock-in tradeoff.
When to Choose Next.js
- You're on Kentico 13 facing EOL and want to own your codebase rather than moving to another locked-in platform.
- Performance and SEO are priorities — you need Lighthouse scores above 90 and fast Core Web Vitals.
- You want the freedom to choose your CMS, hosting provider, and every tool in your stack independently.
- You're building a modern composable architecture where best-of-breed tools replace monolithic suites.
Can You Migrate?
Yes. We've migrated 5,000+ sites between platforms. We handle data migration, content modeling, frontend rebuilds, and SEO preservation. Every migration is zero-downtime.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quand Kentico 13 atteint-il la fin de vie ?
Kentico 13 atteint la fin de vie en fin 2026. Après cela, plus de correctifs de sécurité, de corrections de bogues, ni d'assistance technique de la part de Kentico. Si vous l'utilisez encore après cette date, vous faites face à de véritables risques de sécurité et à des problèmes de conformité qui ne feront que s'aggraver au fil du temps. Le seul chemin de migration supporté que Kentico propose est de passer à Kentico Xperience by Kentico — une plateforme SaaS uniquement qui est architecturalement différente de ce que vous exécutez maintenant, avec un modèle de tarification qui va avec.
Puis-je migrer de Kentico vers Next.js ?
Oui, et c'est un chemin bien balisé. Vous exportez votre contenu de Kentico dans un CMS headless — Sanity, Contentful ou Strapi sont les suspects habituels — puis vous construisez votre frontend dans Next.js. Vous finissez par posséder complètement votre base de code, vos performances s'améliorent, et vous pouvez l'héberger où vous le souhaitez. Pour la plupart des sites, la migration prend 6 à 12 semaines selon la complexité des choses au fil des années.
Kentico Xperience est-il la même chose que Kentico 13 ?
Non — et c'est ce qui surprend les gens. Kentico Xperience by Kentico n'est pas une mise à niveau de Kentico 13, c'est un produit complètement différent. SaaS uniquement, donc l'auto-hébergement n'est pas envisageable. Une tarification par abonnement nettement plus élevée. Architecture différente, API différentes, système de templating différent. Quand vous passez de Kentico 13 à Xperience, vous faites un projet de replatformisation complet. Ne laissez personne vous dire le contraire.
Next.js est-il bon pour les sites Web d'entreprise ?
Next.js n'est pas un framework de niche — Nike, Hulu, TikTok, le Washington Post s'exécutent tous dessus. Il gère le SSR, l'ISR, l'accès basé sur les rôles, l'internationalisation et les configurations multi-sites sans avoir besoin d'un tas de plugins. Associez-le à un CMS headless et les équipes d'entreprise obtiennent les workflows éditoriaux dont elles ont réellement besoin, sans être enfermées dans la feuille de route et les décisions de tarification d'un seul fournisseur.
Quel CMS headless dois-je utiliser avec Next.js pour remplacer Kentico ?
Honnêtement, le bon choix dépend de votre équipe et de ce que vous construisez. La collaboration en temps réel de Sanity est difficile à battre si les éditeurs travaillent simultanément. Contentful est l'option d'entreprise mature — gouvernance solide, pistes d'audit fortes. Strapi est open-source et auto-hébergeable, ce qui compte beaucoup quand la souveraineté des données n'est pas négociable. Les trois se connectent proprement à Next.js, et les éditeurs qui sont restés bloqués dans l'interface d'administration de Kentico 13 remarquent généralement la différence immédiatement.
Combien coûte l'exécution de Next.js par rapport à Kentico ?
Next.js lui-même est gratuit et open-source. Vercel commence gratuitement et coûte environ 20 $/mois par siège pour les équipes. Un CMS headless ajoute entre 0 et 300 $/mois selon celui que vous choisissez et la quantité de contenu que vous gérez. Kentico Xperience SaaS entreprise ? Commence à des milliers par mois. Même en tenant compte des coûts de migration, la plupart des organisations se retrouvent avec un coût total de possession inférieur avant la fin de la première année.
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Whether it's a migration, a new build, or an SEO challenge — the Social Animal team would love to hear from you.