This document outlines the key differences and considerations for frontend developers working with Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) in 2025, specifically contrasting the traditional AEM Sites approach with the newer Edge Delivery Services.
Introduction to AEM and Frontend Development
Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) is a comprehensive content management system (CMS) that allows businesses to create, manage, and deliver digital experiences. For frontend developers, AEM presents unique challenges and opportunities due to its component-based architecture and emphasis on content authoring.
Historically, frontend development in AEM has involved a strong reliance on server-side rendering, JSP/Sightly templating, and a tight coupling between frontend code and backend logic. However, with the emergence of Edge Delivery Services, the landscape for frontend developers is shifting significantly.
Traditional AEM Sites: The Classic Approach
Traditional AEM Sites development typically involves:
- Server-Side Rendering (SSR): Pages are rendered on the AEM Publish instances.
- JSP/Sightly Templates: Frontend components are often built using these templating languages, directly within the AEM codebase.
- Component-Based Development: Components are developed as AEM components, with associated dialogs for content authors.
- Client Libraries: CSS and JavaScript are managed through AEM Client Libraries, which can lead to complex dependency management.
- Full Stack Knowledge: Frontend developers often need a working understanding of AEM's backend structure, OSGi bundles, and Java development.
- Deployment: Deployments involve building and deploying AEM packages to various environments (Dev, QA, Stage, Prod).
- Caching: Caching is typically handled by AEM Dispatcher, which sits in front of the AEM Publish instances.
Pros of Traditional AEM Sites
- Mature Ecosystem: Well-established patterns, documentation, and a large community.
- Tight Integration: Deep integration with other Adobe Experience Cloud products.
- Granular Control: Full control over the server-side rendering and component logic.
Cons of Traditional AEM Sites
- Performance Challenges: Can be slower to load due to server-side rendering and potential network latency between the user and the AEM publish instance.
- Complex Development Workflow: Requires knowledge of AEM specifics, making it less appealing for pure frontend developers.
- Scalability Issues: Scaling AEM Publish instances can be complex and expensive.
- Deployment Overhead: Deploying changes can be a multi-step process, potentially leading to slower iteration cycles.
- Frontend-Backend Coupling: Tight coupling can make independent frontend development and testing challenging.
Edge Delivery Services: The Modern Approach
Edge Delivery Services represents a fundamental shift in how AEM content is delivered and consumed. It leverages a modern, decoupled architecture designed for speed, scalability, and enhanced developer experience.
Key characteristics of Edge Delivery Services include:
- Headless/API-First Approach: Content is delivered via APIs, allowing frontend developers to use their preferred frameworks (React, Vue, Angular, etc.).
- CDN-First Architecture: Content is optimized and served directly from a Content Delivery Network (CDN) at the edge, closer to the end-users.
- Universal Rendering: Supports both server-side rendering (SSR) and client-side rendering (CSR) with hydration, enabling faster initial page loads and interactive experiences.
- Git-Based Content Management: Content is stored and managed in Git repositories, simplifying content workflows and versioning.
- Automated Optimization: Built-in optimizations for images, CSS, and JavaScript, reducing the need for manual optimization efforts.
- Simplified Deployment: Changes are deployed rapidly by pushing updates to the Git repository, triggering automated builds and CDN invalidation.
- Focus on Frontend Frameworks: Frontend developers can work almost entirely within their chosen JavaScript framework, with minimal AEM-specific knowledge required.
Pros of Edge Delivery Services
- Superior Performance: Extremely fast page load times due to CDN delivery and universal rendering.
- Enhanced Developer Experience: Freedom to use modern frontend frameworks and tools, reducing AEM-specific boilerplate.
- Improved Scalability: Leverages CDN's global reach and scalability, handling high traffic volumes effortlessly.
- Faster Iteration Cycles: Simplified deployment process enables rapid prototyping and deployment of changes.
- Decoupled Architecture: Separates frontend from backend, allowing independent development and deployment.
- Cost Efficiency: Potentially lower infrastructure costs due to reduced reliance on traditional AEM publish instances for content delivery.
Cons of Edge Delivery Services
- New Paradigm: Requires a shift in mindset for AEM developers accustomed to traditional approaches.
- Learning Curve: While simplifying frontend, developers still need to understand the Edge Delivery Services concepts and workflows.
- Less Mature Ecosystem (Comparatively): Newer technology, so the community and extensive example base might be smaller than traditional AEM.
- Content Authoring Experience: While content is managed in AEM, the authoring experience might feel different for authors accustomed to in-context editing directly on the rendered page (though AEM's Universal Editor aims to bridge this gap).
Key Differences for Frontend Developers in 2025
| Feature | Traditional AEM Sites | Edge Delivery Services |
|---|---|---|
| Rendering | Server-Side Rendering (JSP/Sightly) | Universal Rendering (SSR + Hydration) |
| Content Delivery | AEM Publish Instances, Dispatcher | CDN-First, API-Driven |
| Frontend Frameworks | Limited to tightly integrated frameworks/templating | Any modern JavaScript framework (React, Vue, Angular, etc.) |
| Content Storage | JCR (Java Content Repository) | Git Repositories (for content, with AEM as authoring source) |
| Development Workflow | AEM Component development, Client Libraries | Standard frontend development, decoupled from AEM backend |
| Deployment | AEM Package deployments | Git push, automated CDN invalidation |
| Performance | Good, but can be optimized further with caching | Excellent (CDN-first, highly optimized) |
| Scalability | Requires careful planning and scaling of AEM instances | Highly scalable due to CDN and serverless architecture |
| Backend Knowledge | Often required (OSGi, Java) | Minimal to none for pure frontend development |
| Time to Market | Can be slower due to deployment complexity | Faster due to streamlined development and deployment |
When to Choose Which
The choice between Traditional AEM Sites and Edge Delivery Services depends on various factors:
- Existing Infrastructure: If you have a heavily invested traditional AEM setup and the performance is acceptable, a full migration might not be immediately necessary.
- Performance Requirements: For high-performance, high-traffic websites where every millisecond counts, Edge Delivery Services is the clear winner.
- Developer Skillset: If your frontend team is proficient in modern JavaScript frameworks and prefers a decoupled approach, Edge Delivery Services will be more appealing.
- Project Timeline & Budget: Edge Delivery Services can potentially reduce development time and infrastructure costs.
- Content Authoring Needs: Consider the authoring experience. While AEM's Universal Editor aims for parity, traditional in-context editing is very familiar to existing AEM authors.
Conclusion
In 2025, front-end developers working with AEM have more options than ever before. While Traditional AEM Sites will continue to be relevant for existing projects and specific use cases, Edge Delivery Services represent the future of high-performance, scalable, and developer-friendly content delivery from AEM.
Frontend developers should actively explore and gain proficiency in Edge Delivery Services to leverage its benefits, embrace modern development practices, and deliver exceptional digital experiences. The shift towards a more decoupled, CDN-first architecture with Edge Delivery Services empowers frontend teams to build faster, more resilient, and highly performant web applications on top of AEM.
How Initialyze Can Help
At Initialyze, we’ve helped clients successfully navigate the shift from traditional AEM to Edge Delivery Services, enabling them to unlock faster performance, improve scalability, and modernize their frontend stack.
Looking for a head start? Check out our Blog Accelerator solution — built entirely on Edge Delivery Services to enable lightning-fast content publishing and a seamless authoring experience.