September 18, 2025
The open-source HTTPArchive community publishes a Core Web Vitals (CWV) Technology Report, ranking content management systems (CMS) based on their performance in Google’s CWV metrics. The July update highlights progress across all major platforms compared to June, though improvements varied. Joomla achieved the biggest month-over-month growth, while Duda took the top spot in July with 84.96% of sites passing CWV.
Core Web Vitals are key performance metrics from Google that measure how fast, stable, and responsive a website feels to users. Faster load times and smoother interactions improve user engagement, while poor scores lead to frustration and higher bounce rates. For businesses and publishers, strong CWV scores not only reflect better user experience but also provide a competitive advantage in search visibility and online growth.
The CWV Technology Report is built from two key public datasets:
Chrome UX Report (CrUX): Collects performance data from real Chrome users who opt in to share browsing statistics, offering insights into actual user experiences.
HTTP Archive: Runs lab-based tests to analyze how websites are built and whether they follow best practices for performance.
By combining these sources, the report delivers a reliable view of how different CMS platforms perform on Core Web Vitals in real-world conditions.
The July report highlights how each CMS performed compared to June:
Joomla — Largest growth (+3.23%)
Wix — (+2.61%)
Drupal — (+1.47%)
Duda — (+1.33%)
Squarespace — (+1.27%)
WordPress — Smallest growth (+0.90%)
This ranking shows the platforms that made the biggest improvements in July. Joomla led with the highest month-over-month growth, while WordPress saw the least progress. Wix also stood out with a notable 2.61% increase in CWV performance.
When ranked by overall Core Web Vitals performance, the picture looks different:
Duda — 84.96%
Wix — 73.37%
Squarespace — 68.93%
Drupal — 60.54%
Joomla — 54.78%
WordPress — 44.34%
Although Joomla recorded the fastest growth, it still ranked fifth overall. Duda maintained its leadership position with the highest percentage of websites passing Core Web Vitals in July.
Core Web Vitals scores reflect more than just technical benchmarks—they directly impact how users experience a website. Platforms with higher CWV scores deliver faster load times, smoother interactions, and greater stability, while those with lower scores risk frustrating visitors and driving them away.
In July’s report:
Duda remained the top performer, with 84.96% of sites meeting Google’s CWV standards.
Joomla recorded the largest month-over-month gain, yet still ranked near the bottom at 54.78%.
Wix and Squarespace secured second and third place, performing well but still trailing Duda by more than ten percentage points.
WordPress ranked last in both July scores and month-over-month improvement, highlighting its need for further optimization.
A common debate online is whether the choice of content management system (CMS) influences Google rankings. Some argue that WordPress has an SEO advantage because of its wide plugin ecosystem, while others believe it’s inherently faster than platforms like Wix, Duda, or Squarespace. However, the data tells a different story—WordPress currently performs the worst in Core Web Vitals (CWV) among major CMS options.
In July’s CWV report:
Duda led with 84.96% of sites achieving good CWV scores.
WordPress lagged behind with just 44.34%, nearly 92% lower than Duda’s performance.
One contributing factor is technical debt. WordPress began as a blogging tool and evolved into a full CMS. Over time, backward compatibility requirements and legacy code have created complexity that slows innovation. This issue, highlighted at WordCamp EU 2025, has also contributed to contributor burnout and a slower release cycle. While the new annual release schedule may help, technical debt remains a challenge for the ecosystem.
Despite these performance drawbacks, WordPress websites continue to rank well on Google. This suggests that the CMS itself is not the deciding factor for SEO success. Platforms like Wix and Duda are built with SEO in mind, yet WordPress sites remain highly competitive in search rankings.
The key takeaway:
CMS choice may not directly determine SEO rankings, but Core Web Vitals and site performance are critical for user experience and conversions.
According to the HTTPArchive Technology Report, WordPress placed last in CWV performance for July, underscoring the importance of optimization regardless of platform.
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