Choosing the Best CMS: WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal Compared

December 28, 2021 Choosing the Best CMS: WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal Compared By Gaurav Madan

We all have heard about content management systems (CMS). These are nothing but software applications or a group of related programs for creating and managing digital content. With the help of a proper CMS, you will be able to create, modify as well as manage content on a website. Not only this, but a content management system also helps in building an individual system for creating websites, webpages, etc. The basic infrastructure which is required for creating a website is provided by a CMS. 

In web development, three CMSs are most popular – WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal. And there is a legendary rivalry between these three open-source content management systems. All three platforms have shown considerable growth and technical development over the years and each one of them has its advantages and disadvantages. In this article, we will try and draw a comparison between WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal so that you can understand which CMS will be the best choice when it comes to making your website. 

WordPress

It is quite interesting to note that more than 25% of the web operates on WordPress. Initially, WordPress acted as an excellent blogging platform with interesting features. With time, technical developments were made in the platform and it became a content management system (CMS) with umpteen plugins, themes, and widgets. With more than 140 million downloads, WordPress runs almost 4 billion websites. WordPress is used extensively in building agency websites, e-commerce websites, business websites as well as blogs. 

Drupal

Released in 2001, Drupal has developed as one of the leading CMSs for website creation. Drupal offers strong security, reliable performance, and high levels of customizability to users. Millions of websites for various industries are developed in Drupal. Blogging platforms, e-commerce websites, websites of government agencies, websites for the education industry, etc. are all built on the Drupal platform. Drupal can be adapted to any visual design virtually. You can also edit root files using different plugins and bring considerable changes to the CMS. 

Joomla

Just like Drupal and WordPress, Joomla too is an open-source content management system, which helps in building business-oriented online applications and different kinds of websites. This platform operates in a hassle-free manner on almost all web servers. This CMS platform is not only highly expensive but also quite easy to usage. 

Comparison between WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla

With 3 open-source CMSs in place, it is difficult to sometimes make up your mind as to which platform to choose for developing your website. Here is a comparison between the three platforms, which might make the work slightly easier for you. 

  • Common Features in WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla 

  • The three platforms are written in PHP primarily.
  • All the three platforms are completely free and an open-source content management system is licensed under GPL.
  • All three platforms support MySQL as a database management system. While WordPress supports MySQL exclusively, Drupal and Joomla support other database management systems.
  • These three platforms are community-driven.
  • All three of them use templates and themes for visual appearance. For extending features, there are modules, extensions, or plugins. 

Along with these similarities, there are differences between the three platforms as well. We categorize them on the basis of some features. They are as follows:

  • Beginner Friendliness and Ease of Use

Everyone who is creating a website is not a developer or a programmer. Therefore ease of use is an important factor of consideration. 

  • For WordPress – It takes about 5 minutes for WordPress to install. One-click installation of WordPress is also possible with WordPress hosting providers. You can install and start using this CMS in a few minutes. The userinterface that appears after installation is clean and clear with menus that are used for creating pages or posts. You can also customize themes and appearance easily in WordPress. 
  • For Joomla–The process of installation is almost the same as WordPress but the time taken is more in Joomla. One-click install packages for Joomla are also available. Users reach a control panel, which is slightly complicated, post-installation. There are many menus to choose from. 
  • For Drupal–Drupal installation is the same as Joomla and WordPress but post installation things are a bit complicated. Changing things on the site is difficult for new users. Adding non-content elements and changing appearance is not very easy in Drupal. 
  • Support Options

For beginners, getting support is very crucial. You can overcome the strong hurdles with help and support. 

  • WordPress – WordPress help is obtained from the user community, from official support forums, handbooks, docs, Slack channels, Stack exchange, etc. Whether you are looking for help for changing PSD to a WordPress theme, you can seek help from PSD to WordPress service providers
  • Joomla–There is a large helpful community offering help for Joomla users. There is also extensive documentation on the official website of Joomla. Third-party agencies and resources are also available, but they are expensive.
  • Drupal – There is a proactive community of users and fans where all support options are available. Mailing list, extensive documentation, IRC chat rooms, etc. are also available for help and support. Although, obtaining professional Drupal services is expensive. 
  • Add-ons and Themes

For bettering appearance and extending features, plugins and add-ons are a must. Themes help in controlling website appearance and appeal. 

  • WordPress–There are default pre-installed themes available in WordPress, with which you can change the website appearance. There are premium WordPress themes too, which you need to purchase. Plugins are the real power of WordPress. There are 58,000 free plugins available in WordPress. Premium plugins can be bought too. 
  • Joomla–Joomla comes with extensions and templates. The varieties of extensions are extensions in Joomla, but not as much as WordPress. This is an extension that permits you to add ‘install from web’ features for extensions. However, for templates, you have to search templates manually and install them through URLs. 
  • Drupal–Drupal, and Joomla have the same problem of leaving the site and finding modules and themes. They have to search the files and then upload them via URLs for installation. There are modules in Drupal for add-ons and they are being added on a regular basis. 

Understand the features and comparisons and use the CMS which suits your needs the best. 

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author

Gaurav Madan

About Author

Gaurav is working on various verticals like IT & Software Solutions | Digital Marketing | E-Commerce | BPO | Outsourcing | Offshoring | Global Deliveries | Exports | Education. Gaurav believes in CHANGE, which is constant throughout the LIFE so be with the CHANGE Gaurav is having, In-depth experience in IT Solutions, Offshoring, Internet Branding, Sales & Marketing, Managing New Projects & Processes, Solution Designing and Transitioning of New International and Domestic business engagements. Proficient at managing & leading teams to run successful operations & experienced in developing procedures, service standards, client satisfaction using standard frameworks for business excellence.

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