Most websites are managed one of two ways: content stored in a CMS database and edited in a web admin, or content stored as Markdown files and published from there. Both work. They make different trade-offs, and the right one depends on how you and your team write.
The core difference
In a traditional CMS, the database is the source of truth. You write in the CMS’s editor, and your content exists as records the CMS manages.
With Markdown publishing, files are the source of truth. You write in any editor, keep .md files on your disk or in a repository, and a publishing step turns them into pages.
Compared
| Capability | Markdown + Sentilis | Traditional CMS |
|---|---|---|
| Markdown-first | Yes | Varies |
| Content stored as local files | Yes | Usually no |
| Write in your existing editor | Yes | Usually requires the CMS editor |
| Website publishing | Yes | Yes |
| Commerce | Yes (Market) | Varies, often through extensions |
| Memberships | Yes (Prime) | Varies, often through extensions |
| Design freedom | Sentilis layouts | Themes and custom development |
“Varies” is literal: capabilities differ widely between CMS products and their plugin ecosystems.
Where a traditional CMS shines
- Large editorial teams that need roles, approvals and a shared web interface.
- Heavily customized sites, where themes and plugins cover almost any requirement.
- People who don’t want to touch files, since everything happens in the browser.
Where Markdown shines
- You already write in Markdown — in Obsidian, Typora, VS Code or similar — and don’t want to copy content into another editor.
- Portability matters. Files move between tools, backups and years without an export step.
- Version control. Markdown in Git gives you a full history, reviews and branches for free.
- Less to maintain. No database, no admin panel, no plugins to update.
A middle path
A publishing platform can combine Markdown’s portability with a CMS’s convenience: you keep writing in files, and the platform handles pages, media, hosting and extras like checkout or memberships.
That is how Sentilis works: folders like press/, bio/ and market/ decide what each file becomes, a status field handles drafts, and the Sentilis CLI or Obsidian plugin publishes.
Questions to ask before choosing
- Who writes, and where do they already write?
- Does content need to outlive the tool you pick today?
- Do you need a web admin for people who won’t edit files?
- How much design customization do you really need?
If the answers point to plain text, portability and low maintenance, Markdown is likely the better fit.