Why open DXP with AI is the best of both worlds between composable stacks and monolithic DXPs

Blog

Posted on

16/03/2025

Dominique De Cooman

Co-founder, CTO & co-CEO

Introduction

Modern organizations face a crucial choice for their digital platforms: adopt a monolithic Digital Experience Platform (DXP) with everything bundled, or cherry-pick best-of-breed tools in a fully composable stack. Each path offers benefits—and downsides. But what if there’s a third approach that blends the advantages of both, all supercharged by Artificial Intelligence (AI)? Enter the Open DXP with AI.

In this article, we’ll examine why an AI-enabled Open DXP can serve as a balanced alternative, delivering the turnkey efficiency of a DXP while allowing the modular freedom of a composable setup. We’ll also illustrate how our own Dropsolid Experience Platform exemplifies this “best of both worlds” approach.

The DXP landscape: monolith vs. composable

Monolithic DXP

Traditionally, DXPs evolved from large software vendors seeking to provide an “all-in-one” suite—CMS, marketing automation, e-commerce, analytics, personalization—often via acquisitions. The result can be:

Pros:

Turnkey solution: many features out-of-the-box.
Single vendor: one invoice, one support contract.
Unified user interface for integrated functionality.

Cons:

Potential vendor lock-in.
High licensing costs and long implementation cycles.
Limited flexibility: out-of-the-box features may not match every organization's exact needs.

Composable stacks

On the other side, a composable or “best-of-breed” stack is where each functional layer—CMS, personalization, e-commerce, analytics—is chosen independently.

Pros:

Maximum freedom: pick whichever tool best fits your specific requirements.
Easier swap-outs: can replace any component as technology evolves.
Lower vendor dependency: you aren’t tied to a single ecosystem.

Cons:

Integration overhead: each tool needs custom or semi-custom connectors.
Fragmented user experience: marketing teams may juggle multiple back-ends.
Risk of “tool sprawl” leading to complex upgrades and maintenance.

These two models often feel like extremes. Large enterprises might endure big monoliths to centralize everything, whereas agile startups or niche players might prefer the ultimate flexibility of composable.

But what if you don’t want the high cost and rigidity of a full monolith, nor the complexity of stitching together a dozen specialized tools?

Learn how Agencies and Teams are embracing AI

The role of AI: Why it changes the equation

Artificial Intelligence is reshaping how we think about digital experiences:

Real-Time personalization

AI can interpret user behavior instantly, segment visitors on the fly, and dynamically adapt content. If your DXP (or stack) can’t handle that level of real-time logic, you’ll be behind competitors.

Automated orchestration

Instead of manually connecting each tool in a composable stack, AI agents can monitor data flows, detect anomalies, and maintain performance across multiple services.

Rapid content creation & optimization

AI-based text generation or image selection speeds up editorial cycles, while machine learning can optimize landing pages, form fields, and product pages in near real-time.

Key Insight: With AI in the picture, you need a solution flexible enough to integrate advanced AI modules, but cohesive enough that you don’t spend months building custom connectors. This is where Open DXP with AI enters.

Introducing open DXP with AI: The best of both worlds

Why an Open DXP with AI matters? It’s a “golden middle ground” if you want the streamlined approach of a DXP yet need the flexibility of a composable stack to avoid lock-in and keep pace with rapid technology changes.

An Open DXP is built on an open-source foundation—often Drupal CMS—and offers out-of-the-box integrations for personalization, analytics, marketing automation, and more. The “open” means it’s modular, allowing you to pick and choose components while still benefiting from a pre-integrated core. Layer on AI features—automated personalization, advanced analytics, and DevOps automation—and you get:

Monolith-like ease: Quick setup for the most common features. Marketing teams can operate without constantly calling developers for every new integration.
Composable freedom: The system remains open, so you can extend or swap services (e.g., e-commerce platforms, AI services) if business needs change.
AI-Driven efficiency: Instead of manual integration or data wrangling, AI orchestrates many tasks—updating content, testing layouts, personalizing user journeys—automatically.

Business case snapshot: monolith vs. composable vs. Open DXP with AI

Below is a simple three-column comparison of key considerations.

Feature	Monolithic DXP	Composable Stack	Open DXP w/ AI
Time to Market	Longer initial setup, but integrated features can shorten add-ons later.	Variable: fast to launch a minimal core, but each added tool requires new integration & testing.	Fast: pre-built integrations, plus AI can automate content & personalization out of the box.
Maintenance & Updates	One vendor suite, but large, complex updates.	Multiple vendors; must manage separate licenses & version updates for each.	Centralized updates on the main DXP layer, open connectors for additional tools; AI helps automate routine tasks.
Licensing & Costs	Potentially very high; locked into vendor’s cost structure.	Pay as you go for each tool; integration costs can add up quickly.	Flexible licensing: core DXP subscription plus optional expansions; AI reduces manual labor and often total operating cost.
Personalization & AI	Might be bundled, but often outdated or limited in customizability.	Possible to pick best-of-breed AI tools, but integration overhead is high.	AI baked into the DXP for real-time personalization; additional AI services can be swapped in or out if needed.
Technical Debt	Potentially high if vendor lags on roadmap or you need heavy customization.	Risk of “tool sprawl” with each service having its own roadmap & integration demands.	Balanced approach: integrated but still modular. AI orchestration reduces need for endless custom code and connectors.
Flexibility	Low—relying on vendor features.	Very high—pick any tool, but you do more custom work.	High—core DXP covers 80% of needs; you can still add specialized tools or microservices with minimal friction.

From this table, the Open DXP with AI stands out as a balanced solution. You don’t pay for a fully monolithic suite you might not fully use, nor do you manage a tangled web of separate systems.

Why drupal is the perfect base for an AI-Driven open DXP

At the heart of many Open DXPs is Drupal, a leading open-source CMS. Why Drupal?

Modular architecture

Entities & Fields: Perfect for structured data; AI-driven personalization thrives on well-structured data.
Extendable: Contributed modules for personalization, analytics, and marketing automation are abundant—many already AI-compatible.

Vibrant community

Fast innovation: New modules appear quickly, including AI integrations. See the Drupal CMS project/product. Enormous effort delivered in only 8 months.
Long-Term support: Thousands of contributors ensure Drupal stays secure, modern, and relevant.

API-first

Easier AI integration: Drupal’s REST and GraphQL interfaces make bridging to AI microservices seamless—no hacky custom code needed.
Decoupled potential: You can run a decoupled front-end with React or Vue, while letting Drupal handle the data and AI orchestration behind the scenes.

For a deeper dive, check out the Drupal docs on composable DXP integrations.

Dropsolid experience platform: Our optimized open DXP and hosting/devops platform with AI

At Dropsolid, we advocate for an Open DXP approach enhanced by AI. That’s why we built the Dropsolid Experience Platform, a platform combining:

Drupal at the Core: The world’s most flexible open-source CMS for robust content management.
AI Layer: Tools like Dropsolid AI for automated personalization, content recommendations, advanced analytics, and intelligent DevOps.
Integrated marketing automation: Pre-configured or optional tie-ins with Mautic or other marketing automation providers.
Freedom to extend: If you have custom e-commerce or a specialized microservice, you can integrate it without re-architecting the entire stack.

Result: You get an “out-of-the-box DXP”—faster time to market, core AI-driven features—and the composability to tailor the platform to your unique needs.

How AI enhances the open DXP approach

Automated content & devOps
- AI writes initial drafts, suggests images, or even runs continuous performance tests.
- Deployments can be orchestrated with minimal manual intervention, freeing developers to focus on strategic tasks.
Real-Time personalization
- Segment visitors based on on-site behavior, location, or past interactions. AI then adapts content blocks, calls to action, or product suggestions dynamically.
Predictive insights
- AI digs into visitor data, anticipating churn or cart abandonment and prompting marketing automations to re-engage those users.
Reduced maintenance overhead
- Because the DXP is integrated, AI can manage updates across the platform rather than you having to patch each service individually in a purely composable model.

Conclusion: The future is hybrid, open, and AI-driven

In a world of extremes — fully monolithic DXPs versus fully composable stacks — Open DXP with AI offers a powerful balance. You get:

Speedy onboarding akin to monolithic solutions, without the heavy lock-in or crippling licensing fees.
Composable flexibility so you can adapt or extend features as your business grows or market conditions shift.
AI-Driven efficiency that automates personalization, DevOps, and analytics to keep your digital experiences state-of-the-art.

At Dropsolid, we’ve built our Dropsolid Experience Platform precisely for this future. If you’re curious about how an AI-powered Open DXP can elevate your digital strategy—whether you’re coming from a purely composable approach or a legacy monolith—reach out to us. We’d love to show you why this balanced model is the best of both worlds.