Developing websites with Umbraco

This post has been updated on 9 December 2025.

I first wrote about building sites with Umbraco in the Umbraco 7 era. A lot has changed since then. Today we build on modern .NET, the editor experience is faster and clearer, and integration paths are well defined. This update keeps the developer’s view but reflects how Umbraco 10+ and .NET 8–10 change day‑to‑day work.

If you’re weighing Umbraco for a new site, planning an upgrade or comparing .NET CMS options for a UK SME, here’s what the platform feels like in 2026 and where it shines.

From Umbraco 7 and 8 to 13–17 – what actually changed

Runtime and support model

• Umbraco moved from .NET Framework to modern .NET in v9 and now aligns Long‑Term Support (LTS) releases with Microsoft’s LTS cadence. Umbraco 13 runs on .NET 8 LTS, and Umbraco 17 arrives as the next LTS aligned to .NET 10. This gives clear 3‑year horizons and predictable security updates. (Source: Umbraco LTS and EOL) (Source: .NET support policy)
• Active versions and dates are published and easy to plan against – for example Umbraco 17 LTS is scheduled for November 27, 2025 and Umbraco 13 is supported through December 2026. (Source: Umbraco release cadence) (Source: Umbraco LTS and EOL)

Backoffice and editing

• Umbraco 14 introduced a modern backoffice (codename “Bellissima”), rebuilt with Web Components, TypeScript and a new Management API. Editors get a familiar UI with faster polish, and developers get consistent extension points. (Source: New backoffice overview) (Source: UI Library and API)

Content modelling and layout

• The Block Grid and Block List editors are now the standard way to model structured pages, replacing the old Grid from Umbraco 7. Blocks are flexible, nestable and render cleanly with your own partials. (Source: Block Grid docs) (Source: Block editors overview)

Headless by default when you need it

• Built‑in Content Delivery API, Media Delivery API and Webhooks remove the need for custom plumbing for most headless or multi‑channel use cases. Enable it, set access rules and you’re shipping JSON. (Source: Content Delivery API) (Source: Webhooks)

Business value: clearer support timelines, a modern editor, and simpler integration paths reduce upgrade risk and long‑term ownership cost.

The editor experience in 2026 – fast, visual, predictable

Our content teams spend their day inside the backoffice, so small UX decisions matter. In Umbraco 14+ you’ll notice:

• Faster page loads, stable search and list views and tidy dialogs. The tech shift under the hood is there to make editing feel lighter. (Source: Umbraco 14 product page)
• Block Grid lets editors compose layouts without fighting the template. As developers, we keep control by defining allowed blocks, groups and areas, then render as clean HTML with our own partials. (Source: Block Grid docs)
• If you prefer rich text for certain content types, Umbraco supports server‑side sanitisation via the IHtmlSanitizer hook, and the newer Umbraco Flavoured Markdown helps with secure inline formatting in the backoffice. (Source: Server‑side sanitising) (Source: UFM)

Business value: editors publish faster and with fewer support tickets, while developers keep a clean model and output.

Frontend freedom and clean HTML – still a core strength

This is one constant from the early post: Umbraco stays out of your markup. Templates are plain ASP.NET Core Razor views. You decide structure, semantics and performance strategy, which keeps page weight down and Core Web Vitals healthy. (Source: Templating docs) (Source: Templates knowledge base)

With Blocks, we render our own partials, so we never inherit junk HTML. If you need headless, switch on the Delivery API and shape the JSON with field limiting and expansion. (Source: Content Delivery API)

Business value: faster pages, simpler debugging and minimal vendor HTML to unpick.

Developer productivity – modern .NET, clear models, fewer surprises

Tooling and setup

• New projects start in seconds with the dotnet templates and run locally on Kestrel. Visual Studio, VS Code or Rider work well, including hot reload. (Source: Install via .NET CLI) (Source: Templates)

Strongly typed models

• Models Builder is embedded. Choose in‑memory for rapid prototyping or source‑generated C# for full compile‑time safety across controllers and views. (Source: Models Builder intro) (Source: Builder modes)

Deployment that fits teams

• On Umbraco Cloud, Deploy handles schema serialisation and backoffice content transfers, with improved performance on larger sites. On self‑hosted, the same Deploy model works with your CI/CD. (Source: Deploy workflow) (Source: Transfers) (Source: Q1 2025 product update)

Business value: less custom scaffolding, safer releases and faster onboarding for new developers.

Integrations – Salesforce, SharePoint, Dynamics and beyond

Integrations land in two patterns: direct APIs/webhooks or prebuilt extensions.

• Dynamics 365 forms picker and rendering ships as an official package with OAuth configuration documented. (Source: Dynamics integration docs)
• Salesforce and SharePoint connections are common via webhooks or iPaaS tools like Zapier when you want to map forms to leads or files without custom code. (Source: CRM integrations overview) (Source: Zapier – Umbraco + Salesforce) (Source: Zapier – Umbraco + SharePoint)
• For headless cases or custom apps, the Delivery API gives clean JSON with preview and language support. (Source: Content Delivery API)

Business value: connect marketing and ops tools quickly, then harden with custom code where needed.

Hosting and ops – Windows or Linux, Cloud or Azure

Modern Umbraco runs anywhere .NET runs. A typical setup is Kestrel behind IIS on Windows or Nginx on Linux, backed by SQL Server or SQLite for local dev. Minimum requirements are versioned per major – for Umbraco 13 that’s .NET 8 and a supported Windows or Linux release. (Source: Requirements v13) (Source: Running on Linux/macOS)

If you want a managed route, Umbraco Cloud runs on Azure with fixed‑price plans. Starter begins at €42 per month, Standard at €268 and Professional at €700, with 2026 pricing updates already published by Umbraco. (Source: Cloud pricing) (Source: Annual price changes 2026)

Growcreate designs, hosts and supports Umbraco on Azure or Umbraco Cloud with 24/7 SLAs when you need enterprise guardrails. (Source: Growcreate – Umbraco)

Umbraco hosting

Business value: the same codebase runs on Windows or Linux, with flexible options from fully managed cloud to your own Azure tenancy.

Security, MFA and GDPR – practical controls

• MFA for backoffice users is available on Umbraco Cloud through Umbraco ID, and developers can implement 2FA providers on self‑hosted instances. (Source: Cloud MFA) (Source: 2FA for users and members)
• Umbraco publishes GDPR guidance and a Data Processing Agreement for Cloud customers. Umbraco A/S relies on Azure certifications and documents privacy and compliance practices. (Source: GDPR hub) (Source: Compliance FAQ)

Business value: meet UK/EU data requirements and keep login flows aligned with corporate IT.

Pricing, packages and total cost – what to budget

There are three parts to consider: core CMS, add‑ons and hosting.

Core CMS is open source and free. (Source: Umbraco pricing overview)

Add‑ons

• Umbraco Forms licensing currently appears in two models on official pages: a one‑time €265 licence listed under Support/Products, and a subscription model at €100 per year for one production and two development environments, with an extra domain at €65 per year. Umbraco’s 2026 pricing update confirms the subscription remains €100 and notes the legacy “extra domain – old licence type” at €200. Check your case with Umbraco before purchase. (Source: Support pricing – Forms €265) (Source: Forms product page – subscription) (Source: Annual price changes 2026)
• Other first‑party add‑ons include Umbraco Deploy, Workflow, Commerce and UI Builder. (Source: Add‑ons)

Hosting

• Umbraco Cloud plans start at €42 per month. For a UK view, that is roughly £36 per month using a recent mid‑market rate of about £0.87 per €1 – always check your current rate. (Source: Cloud pricing) (Source: Bank of England EUR/GBP reference)

Packages and marketplace

• Official and community packages are listed on the Umbraco Marketplace with compatibility metadata. (Source: Marketplace docs)

Business value: transparent core costs, modest add‑on pricing and choice of managed or Azure hosting keep TCO predictable for UK SMEs.

Upgrade paths – if you are on 7 or 8

• Umbraco 8 reached end of life in February 2025. Upgrading to a supported major keeps you in scope for security updates and modern .NET. (Source: Q1 2025 product update)
• The official guidance is to upgrade database and content from v8 to v10, then move to the latest supported major. Templates and custom code must be ported to .NET. (Source: Upgrade from 8 to latest)

Growcreate specialises in risk‑managed upgrades with no downtime and full content preservation. (Source: Growcreate – Umbraco 8 to 13)

Business value: move to a supported stack, cut security exposure and improve editor throughput.

Is Umbraco the best .NET CMS for UK SMEs in 2026

“Best” depends on priorities. For many UK SMEs, these factors weigh in Umbraco’s favour:

• Clean output and performance – you keep full control of HTML, CSS and performance strategy. (Source: Templating docs)
• Editor experience – Block editors, quick lists and a modern UI make content changes feel light. (Source: Umbraco 14 product page)
• Integrations – webhooks, Delivery API and official CRM connectors cover common cases. (Source: Integrations overview) (Source: Dynamics integration)
• Talent pool – C# and .NET remain widely used among professional developers, so resourcing is straightforward. (Source: Stack Overflow 2024 survey)
• Predictable lifecycle – twice‑yearly majors, LTS alignment with .NET and published timelines simplify planning. (Source: Umbraco release cadence)

If your organisation prefers fixed‑price managed hosting, Umbraco Cloud is clear. If you need advanced Azure controls, we run Umbraco on your Azure tenancy with the security posture you expect. (Source: Cloud pricing)

Umbraco Hosting

Business value: a stable, flexible .NET CMS with a strong developer base and clear costs suits the majority of SME briefs we see.

A short table for quick planning

(Sources: Cloud pricing, GDPR hub, Umbraco LTS and EOL)

How Growcreate helps

We design, build and support Umbraco platforms for UK and EU organisations that need a calm, dependable CMS. Whether you are evaluating a new build, facing an upgrade from 7 or 8, or want managed Azure or Umbraco Cloud hosting with 24/7 support, we’re here to help.

If you’re planning a migration from Umbraco 8, we can deliver a no‑downtime upgrade to Umbraco 13 LTS, then schedule the move to Umbraco 17 in line with Microsoft .NET 10. (Source: Growcreate – Umbraco 8 to 13) (Source: .NET support policy)

Business value: fewer surprises, faster delivery and a platform your editors enjoy using.

If you want a straight recommendation: for most UK SMEs that prefer .NET, Umbraco remains the safe, flexible choice – clean frontend, sensible backoffice and predictable lifecycle. It lets your team move quickly without painting you into a corner.

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