Content Management System (CMS) Comparison
Having trouble figuring out which content management system is right for you? Is your head spinning from the technical mumbo-jumbo that seems to tell you why, technically, one CMS is better than another – while never spelling it out in plain English? Well you’ve come to the right place, my friend. In this article, I will list the post popular content management systems, show the pros and cons for each, explain what type of website each one is good for, and keep it all in simple English terminology (well, mostly).
WordPress: “The world’s most popular CMS”, has earned the unofficial title not necessarily because of elite industry merit, but because of the incredible user-friendliness that makes it the preferred CMS of web developers, small business owners, and bloggers, from all walks of life. This open-source system allows nearly anyone to manage a website quickly and easily. Yes, it is a household name because of its blog platform capabilities, but WordPress is also a CMS that offers numerous “plugins”, like social media and SEO integration for a website that functions as a powerful marketing tool.
Pros: WordPress is so flexible it can be used for any kind of website from small informational sites, to large multi-sites with thousands of users.
Cons: Because it is so popular, it is a common target for hacking attempts. Being proactive will keep your site secure.
Joomla: If WordPress is the most user-friendly CMS, then Joomla is its passive-aggressive cousin. Joomla combines the ease of use of WordPress with the advanced coding capabilities of Drupal (see below). Many designers choose Joomla because of its capacity to make outstanding looking websites, and many – not all, though – site administrators are able to catch on quickly.
Pros: User friendliness for some, customizability for all.
Cons: Many of the available plugins must be purchased, putting a damper on the “open sourced-ness” of the Joomla platform.
Drupal: For those who would rather hand-code and manipulate modules and add-ons, as well as those who like to alter the code that makes up the framework of a website, Drupal can be a good choice. This advanced CMS closely resembles a developer platform, rather than a “traditional” CMS.
Pros: Developers who are experienced with code can do some very cool things with it.
Cons: Building a Drupal website is often more expensive; developer friendly doesn’t always mean user friendly (newbies beware, it’s pretty technical).
Concrete5: Although it was once a commercial product, Concrete 5 is now an open source CMS that has gained some traction as a result. Users like its unique features like inline editing, which allows the user to edit content directly without having to go to the back end. Creating and choosing themes is simple, too.
Pros: Easy installation, user-friendly and high performing.
Cons: The community is far smaller than those of other CMS’s, making it hard to get questions answered; add-ons come at an additional cost.
Now that you know how all the major CMS’s compare, you can make a decision which of them is right for you. If you are interested in developing a new site, JT Website Design can answer your questions regarding Content Management Systems.
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