You are thinking about creating a (new) website but have no idea which Content Management System (CMS) to choose? Will you go for WordPress or Drupal? It all depends on your digital strategy and the desired functionalities. Below we list some important factors.
WordPress or Drupal: open source either way
If you choose WordPress or Drupal, you have an open source platform in any case. What exactly does this mean? The software is freely available and you do not have to pay any licence fees.
In addition, both CMS systems have a large community behind them, which voluntarily contributes to the further development of the platforms.
A final plus point is that the source code is freely available. Anyone can therefore contribute to the software or plugins and modules.
WordPress
Benefits
- Ease of use: The day-to-day management of a WordPress website is relatively easy. Content or editing images is possible without in-depth technical knowledge.
- Extensibility: WordPress has the largest number of plugins available for all kinds of functions and a lot of themes to choose from for a basic layout.
- Lower costs: The development costs are lower because all kinds of plugins and themes are available. So you already have a basic ‘kit’.
Disadvantages
- Security: Due to their great popularity, plugins are a target for hackers. It is therefore important to always keep the website, themes and plugins up-to-date. At Dazzle , we make sure this happens automatically.
Drupal
Benefits
- Adaptability: Your website can be fully customised, without the use of third-party plugins. Drupal is therefore a more flexible solution, especially when your website requires a very specific information architecture.
- Multisite: If you work with a multisite or multi-country website, it is best to go for Drupal.
- Scalability: Drupal can be easily scaled up or down, more so than other systems. Many of the world’s most visited websites run on Drupal for this reason.
Disadvantages
- Longer learning curve: The Drupal system is technically more complex than WordPress. In order to add new functionalities you therefore need to have a strong technical background.
WordPress or Drupal for your website?
Everything depends on the purpose of your website. Do you need a website with few specific functionalities? Then it’s better to choose WordPress. Do you want a website with a portal, or should users, editors, members, customers, employees be able to log in and get certain rights or possibilities? Then Drupal is the better choice.
