Comparing the Best Website Builders

A content management system (CMS) is a management tool that helps you create, edit, and modify the content of a website, most of the time without having the need of knowing advanced HTML or coding skills. With there being over hundreds of CMS available it can be hard to decide on which one to choose from as they all offer a wide variety of unique tools or modifications of their own.

 

When looking for the “best” content management system it comes down to the purpose and goals you are trying to meet. The functionality, flexibility, security, and ease of use are some of the things most people are looking for when deciding on which CMS to decide on.

 

Here we’ll be sharing a brief overview on some of the most popular CMS, along with pros and cons for each, comparing the best website builders to help you in your decision of finding the best one suited for you and your needs.

 

The four we’ll be looking at are: WordPress, Squarespace, Drupal, and Joomla.

 

WordPress

The most used and popular of the CMS’s by far. WordPress was originally designed for blogging but has become a behemoth and leading CMS. WordPress is an open-source software, meaning that you are available to download and use it however you want, but it will require a hosting service and a domain provider.

Pros: 

1. 1. 1. 1. User-friendly and easy to use
         2. Largest collection of plugins and themes
         3. Blogging friendly
         4. Ecommerce functionality
         5. Large community of freelancers and developers

Cons:

1. 1. 1. 1. Outside costs for domain registration, hosting, and premium plugins & themes

Squarespace

Squarespace is extremely user-friendly CMS with lots of templates available, along with a drag-and-drop function when it comes to designing and creating your website’s layout. The only caveat is that it comes with a price.

Pros:

1. 1. 1. 1. User-friendly
         2. Drag-and-drop website creation
         3. Blogging friendly
         4. Ecommerce functionality

Cons:

1. 1. 1. 1. Cost varies on plans ranging from $12 to $45+ (monthly or annually)
         2. Limited features and customization

Drupal

One of the CMS trailing behind WordPress. Drupal has a higher learning curve than WordPress, but comes with highly configurable modules and themes, and has a reputation for high security among the free open-source CMS platforms.

Pros:

1. 1. 1. 1. Highest reputation for security
         2. Wide range of configurable modules and themes
         3. Ecommerce functionality
         4. Focuses on sites that are content-heavy and can host large databases
         5. Popular among developers and web agencies

Cons:

1. 1. 1. 1. Outside costs for domain registration and hosting
         2. Steeper learning curve if coding isn’t something you’re familiar with

Joomla

A popular CMS platform which is also free and open source. Joomla is known to have a robust built-in functionality and flexibility with the thousands of extensions available. The CMS is known to be a middle-ground between WordPress and Drupal.

Pros:

1. 1. 1. 1. Advanced user management tools
         2. Offers multilingual support in content/page creation
         3. Blogging functionality
         4. Ecommerce functionality

Cons:

1. 1. 1. 1. Outside costs for domain registration and hosting
         2. Higher learning curve

 

Choosing the best CMS for you is looking for what your needs are and the purpose of your website. Most CMS are designed to be customizable for the needs of the users. Whether they are through plugins, modules, or extensions, you can more often than not find what you’re looking for with the hundreds of content management systems out there on the market. Once you’ve decided on a CMS, here’s a link on how to optimize your website’s speed.