If you are looking for the best solution to create a website for your business, there are numerous factors you need to consider, and the content management system (CMS) you want to use is one of the most important of them.
The three most popular CMS platforms today are WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal, all of which being suitable for both small and large websites. Even though they may look similar, these three platforms all come with specific functions you should consider according to your needs and goals.\
Consider Your Expertise When Choosing a CMS
Perhaps the most important thing to consider when choosing your CMS platform is the time you are prepared to spend setting up and maintaining it. If you are planning on creating a big online project that involves the contribution of many people and you are experienced in HTML and PHP coding, the best option for you is Drupal.
However, if your project is a middle-sized news or social network site, Joomla would be a better choice. WordPress is a perfect fit for beginners as it offers a broad range of enhanced possibilities you need not spend too much time developing and learning. If you build a simple WordPress-based site, you can later transform it into any website you need.
Comparing the CMS Platforms
WordPress
WordPress was first released in 2003, and to date, there are over 17.3 million websites being powered by this platform. WordPress predominantly targets beginners and users for WordPress account for 27% of the total users of different CMS platforms. WordPress is free to download and use and is the best choice for everyday blogging and news sites and for anyone interested in developing an easy to manage website. The platform has e-commerce support with WooCommerce, and it takes less than five minutes to install with a single click. There are over 47,000 plugins available for WordPress, and the platform is available in 62 languages. With more than 1 million people in the open source community, you will find all the help you need for creating your website.
Joomla
Joomla is a CMS that allows developers to build powerful websites and an incredible range of online applications. The CMS was released in 2005, and it powers over 2.5 million websites. Joomla is suitable for complex and professional internet sites. Joomla is free to download and supports extensions for managing both content and products. The installation time is 15 minutes with one click, and there are more than 4,000 themes available for users to download. Joomla offers users 8.634 extensions and is available in 66 languages.
Joomla has released 12 versions, and there are more than 600,000 people in the Joomla open source community.
Some of the most popular websites that use Joomla include Ikea, eBay, Holiday Inn Express, NCA and more.
Drupal
Drupal, released in 2000, is the oldest CMS out and is the platform used for developing many of the applications and websites you use daily. Even though there are only 0.74 million websites built on Drupal, the targeted users are web developers while looking for websites that require complex data organization, online stores, and multiple users. When you use Drupal, you will get a sophisticated and professional website suitable for a medium-sized or large business.
Drupal is free to download and use, but it does not have a stable e-commerce module in the latest version, Drupal 8. You can install Drupal with one click and installation time is 10 minutes. There are more than 2,300 themes available for Drupal, and 35,825 modules.
Drupal is available in 100 languages, which is way more than age, which is significantly more than WordPress and Joomla.
There are more than 1 million users in the open source community, and there have been eight versions of the CMS released by 2017.
Some famous websites that use Drupal include The Weather Channel, The Economist, Taboola, Warner Bross and Fox News.
WordPress vs. Joomla
WordPress provides a wider choice of plug-ins, themes and ready-made designs compared to Joomla. WordPress is a more suitable choice for users looking for a simple blogging platform with a low learning curve. However, if you have basic knowledge of HTML and CSS, Joomla may be a better choice.
WordPress vs. Drupal
Opt for Drupal instead of opting for WordPress if your project requires technical functionalities and abilities that are available with WordPress. Drupal is suited towards web developers and requires a high level of knowledge of HTML and CSS.
Joomla vs. Drupal
You should opt for Joomla over Drupal if you have experience in working with basic web design and are looking for a unique design for your website. You may also want to choose Joomla over Drupal if you have tested it on another platform and if you are planning to hire a professional developer at some point.
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