Compare the ways to build with AEM Sites
The following table provides a high-level comparison of the three paths. It focuses on the content authoring and experience delivery nuances of each path.
Traditional Sites | Edge Delivery Services | Headless / API-First | |
---|---|---|---|
Authoring Tools | Page Editor | Document-based authoring, Universal Editor | Content Fragments, Universal Editor |
Authored Content Store | AEM Author (JCR) | Documents or AEM Author (JCR) | AEM Author (JCR) |
Delivery | AEM Publish (w/ Adobe CDN + Dispatcher) | Edge Delivery Services | AEM Publish (w/ Adobe CDN + Dispatcher) |
Delivery Content Store | AEM Publish (JCR) | Edge Delivery Services | AEM Publish (JCR) |
Delivery Format | HTML | HTML | JSON |
Development Technology | Java™, JavaScript, CSS | JavaScript, CSS | Any (e.g. Swift, React, etc.) |
Tutorials
Learn about each of the three paths to build with AEM Sites through the following tutorials:
Traditional Sites - WKND Tutorial
Learn how to build a sample AEM Sites project using the WKND tutorial. This guide walks you through project setup, Core Components, Editable Templates, client-side libraries, and component development.
Edge Delivery Services - Guides
Explore Edge Delivery Services with comprehensive guides. The Build, Publish, and Launch guides cover everything you need to get started with EDS.
Headless/API-First - Tutorials
Learn how to build headless applications powered by AEM content. Tutorials cover frameworks like iOS, Android™, and React—choose what fits your stack.