Adobe DITA CCMS is a mature enterprise platform built on Adobe Experience Manager (AEM), designed primarily for DITA content. Pubbin takes a fundamentally different approach — browser-based, real-time, schema-agnostic, and deployable as a single binary at a fraction of the infrastructure cost.
| Feature | Pubbin | Adobe DITA CCMS |
|---|---|---|
| Schema support | ✓ Any XSD schema — DITA, NISO STS, JATS, custom | DITA only; custom schemas not supported |
| Editor | ✓ FontoXML — browser-based, real-time collaborative editing | FrameMaker (desktop) or web editor with limited real-time features |
| Version control | ✓ Git-like branching, merging, and diff via TerminusDB | Basic versioning with AEM; no true branching or merging |
| Time-travel queries | ✓ Query content at any point in time via immutable data layer | — No time-travel capability |
| Branching & merging | ✓ Full Git-like branching with conflict resolution and three-way merge | Baseline snapshots only; no true branching or merging |
| Formula editor | ✓ Fromulo — integrated MathML/LaTeX editor | MathML via FrameMaker; limited in web editor |
| Deployment | ✓ Single binary — self-host, cloud, or on-premise | AEM Cloud Service or complex on-premise AEM installation |
| Collaboration | ✓ Real-time co-authoring with threaded reviews and voting | File-locking model; review via annotations, no real-time co-editing |
| Output generation | ✓ Built-in PDF, HTML, EPUB output with customizable pipelines | ✓ Strong DITA-OT output with PDF, HTML5, and AEM Sites publishing |
| AI features | ✓ AI-powered authoring, schema-aware content generation | Generative AI Guides assistant; limited to DITA workflows |
| Search | ✓ Full-text and structural XPath/XQuery search | AEM-based search; limited XML-aware structural querying |
| Pricing model | ✓ Transparent consortium licensing — all features included | Enterprise pricing; requires AEM license plus CCMS add-on plus FrameMaker seats |
Adobe’s primary authoring tool is FrameMaker — a desktop application that requires local installation and runs only on Windows. Pubbin uses FontoXML, a fully browser-based editor that works on any device, anywhere, with zero installation required.
Adobe DITA CCMS uses a check-in/check-out file-locking model. Only one author can edit a document at a time. Pubbin enables true real-time co-authoring where multiple authors can work on the same document simultaneously, with threaded reviews and structured voting built in.
Adobe’s platform is purpose-built for DITA. If your organization works with NISO STS, JATS, S1000D, or custom schemas, you’re out of luck. Pubbin supports any XSD schema natively, making it the right choice for standards bodies and organizations with diverse content types.
Adobe DITA CCMS requires an AEM license, the CCMS add-on, FrameMaker seats, and either AEM Cloud Service or a complex on-premise installation. Pubbin is a single binary with everything included — dramatically lower infrastructure costs, simpler operations, and transparent consortium pricing.
Considering a switch from Adobe DITA CCMS? Schedule a personalized demo and see how Pubbin compares — side by side, on your own content.