A content management system (CMS) is the software that lets you add pages, post updates, and swap out photos on your own site without touching code. There are a lot of them and they are not interchangeable. Here is a look at six of the better ones and what each is actually good for.
1. WordPress (Recommended CMS)
WordPress is the most popular CMS in the world and powers over 40% of all websites. It's a versatile platform that's suitable for all types of websites, from simple blogs to complex e-commerce sites. WordPress is free and open-source, meaning users can modify and customize the software to suit their needs. It's also very user-friendly and has a vast community of developers and users who provide support and resources.
2. Drupal
Drupal is another popular open-source CMS that's known for its flexibility and scalability. It's widely used for complex websites, including government portals and large corporations. Drupal's strength lies in its ability to handle large volumes of content and users, making it an excellent choice for websites with high traffic. While Drupal is not as user-friendly as WordPress, it provides more advanced features for developers and webmasters.
3. Joomla
Joomla is a capable CMS, and plenty of businesses and organizations run their sites on it. It is flexible, and it is easy enough for a first-timer without boring someone who has built sites before. E-commerce, multi-language support, and content scheduling are all built in. The developer community is big enough that you can usually find a template, plugin, or extension for whatever you need to add.
4. Magento
Magento was built for one thing: selling. It scales, which is why you find it under small catalogs and very large ones alike. Product management, order tracking, and payment integration come standard. The admin side is readable enough that whoever runs your store does not need to be technical to keep it stocked and shipping.
5. Shopify
Shopify is a cloud-based CMS that's designed specifically for e-commerce websites. It's popular for small businesses and entrepreneurs who want to set up an online store quickly and easily. Shopify offers a range of features, including product management, order tracking, and payment integration. It also provides a range of templates and themes, making it easy for users to create a professional-looking website without extensive design knowledge.
6. Squarespace
Squarespace is a website builder that also serves as a CMS. It's a popular choice for creatives, bloggers, and small businesses who want to create a stunning website without technical expertise. Squarespace offers a range of templates and themes that make it easy to create a professional-looking website in minutes. It also provides a range of features, including e-commerce functionality, social media integration, and email marketing tools.
Every one of these will run a website. Which one you pick depends on what the site has to do and who has to update it on a Tuesday afternoon. For our own site and for client work, we keep landing on WordPress.
We have built a lot of WordPress sites. It bends to whatever the project needs, clients can update it themselves without calling us every week, and when something strange comes up, someone in the community has usually already solved it. The same software runs a one-person blog and a full corporate site.
We do this for a living. If you want more on our web design services and how we use WordPress to build sites that earn their keep, head over to the web design page. Tell us what the site needs to do and we will take it from there.
The CMS you pick is the thing you live with every day, every time you fix a typo or add a page. Pick one you will not dread logging into. For most of the people we work with, that turns out to be WordPress.