Are you wondering what CMS platform to use for building your website?

There are many CMS (Content Management System) frameworks available that can be used to build websites with less code.

WordPress: WordPress is a free and open-source CMS that is used by millions of websites. It is written in PHP and uses MySQL as the database. It has a large number of plugins and themes available that can be used to customize your website. WordPress can be used to build any kind of website, from a simple blog to a complex e-commerce site.
Joomla: Joomla is another popular CMS that is used by many websites. It is written in PHP and uses MySQL as the database. It has a large number of extensions available that can be used to add functionality to your website. Joomla can be used to build any kind of website, from a simple blog to a complex e-commerce site.
Drupal: Drupal is a powerful CMS that is used by many large websites. It is written in PHP and uses MySQL as the database. It has a large number of modules available that can be used to add functionality to your website. Drupal can be used to build any kind of website, from a simple blog to a complex e-commerce site.
Ghost: Ghost is a CMS that is designed specifically for blogging. It is written in JavaScript and uses SQLite as the database. It is lightweight and fast and is designed to be easy to use. Ghost can be used to build a simple blog in a short amount of time.
Grav: Grav is a modern CMS that is designed to be fast and easy to use. It is written in PHP and uses YAML for configuration and Markdown for content. It has a large number of plugins and themes available that can be used to customize your website. Grav can be used to build any kind of website, from a simple blog to a complex e-commerce site.

A CMS (Content Management System) platform lets you easily create a website without understanding any code (at least for most of them). There are lots of CMS options available, which means you might struggle to choose the best CMS for your needs.

In this article, we’ll be explaining why it’s so important to choose the right CMS platform for your website. We’ll also share our top picks for the best CMS platforms along with a comparison.

What is a CMS Platform?

A CMS platform is a piece of software that allows you to easily manage content and create a website.

Normally, web pages are written in HTML, JavaScript, and CSS programming languages. If you were to build a website without a CMS platform, then you would need to learn these languages and write a lot of code.

CMS platforms solve this problem by allowing you to make a website without writing code or learning programming.

Unless of course, you’re looking for a developer-friendly CMS which means you already know how to code.

How to Choose the Best CMS Platform for Your Website

There are lots of different CMS platforms out there, so which one should you pick? Before you we jump to our CMS platform comparison, here is what you should look for in a good CMS.

Ease of use

You want a CMS that makes it easy for you to create and edit content. This often means having a drag and drop interface, so you can add different elements on your pages.

It should be quick and straightforward for you to make changes to the content on your site after publishing it.

Design options

Your CMS software should offer you plenty of website design templates to choose from. It should also allow you to easily customize those designs to your own requirements (ideally without writing code).

Data portability

A great CMS platform should have tools for you to easily export your data and move it elsewhere.

For instance, you may later decide to choose a different platform or a different hosting company. Data portability makes it easier for you to move around with complete freedom.

Extensions and addons

Not all websites are the same. This is why it is impossible for any CMS platform to come with all the features that would fulfill requirements for every website.

Extensions and addons fix that problem. These are separate software that you can just install on your CMS software to extend its features and add new ones when needed. Think of them as apps for your CMS platform.

Help and support options

Although CMS platforms aim to make building a website as straightforward as possible, you still might have some questions. Find out what help and support is available if you get stuck.

Some CMS providers will have a handful of FAQs and a customer service team that’s painfully slow to respond. Others will have a big supportive community that can help you any time of the day or night.

Sure, here are the benefits and disadvantages/advantages of 5 popular CMS frameworks:

WordPress:

Benefits:

Easy to use and setup, even for beginners
A large number of themes and plugins available to customize your site's appearance and functionality
WordPress is open-source, which means it's free to use and has a large community of developers who are continually improving and updating the platform.
SEO-friendly features built-in, making it easier to optimize your website for search engines.

Disadvantages:

Security concerns due to the popularity of the platform
Heavy reliance on plugins can slow down the website
The constant need for updates to themes, plugins, and core can cause compatibility issues

Drupal:

Benefits:

Highly customizable and flexible
Strong community support and security features
Excellent for large, complex websites with a lot of content
Ability to create custom content types and fields

Disadvantages:

Steep learning curve for beginners
Limited number of themes and plugins available compared to WordPress
Not as user-friendly or intuitive as other CMS frameworks

Joomla:

Benefits:

User-friendly and easy to use
Large number of extensions available for customization
Good for e-commerce websites with built-in shopping cart features
Good for community-driven websites with built-in social networking features

Disadvantages:

Limited number of templates available
Not as widely used or supported as other CMS frameworks
Not as flexible or customizable as other CMS frameworks

Magento:

Benefits:

Highly customizable and scalable
Excellent for e-commerce websites with built-in shopping cart features
Strong security features and a large community of developers
Provides analytics and reporting tools for tracking sales and revenue

Disadvantages:

Steep learning curve for beginners
Limited number of free themes and plugins available
More resource-intensive than other CMS frameworks, requiring more powerful hosting and server resources

Wix:

Benefits:

Extremely easy to use and setup, no coding knowledge required
Drag-and-drop functionality for easy customization
A large number of templates are available
Hosting and domain registration included in the platform

Disadvantages:

Limited customization options compared to other CMS frameworks
Can be costly if you need additional features or functionality
Not as SEO-friendly as other CMS frameworks

Customizable: You want to stand out for all the right reasons––with an on-brand site that shows off your business to its full potential. Look out for lots of customizable templates and themes.

Easy to use: Unless you plan on hiring a developer, you may want an intuitive and simple-to-use CMS interface. Drag-and-drop editors and content block systems make it easier for the whole team.

Secure: CMS security needs to be a top priority. After all, you don’t want hackers or glitches ruining your new site. Look for different user permission options and varying levels of access. Your chosen CMS should also have a dedicated security team to solve any issues.

Integrations: A CMS that integrates with your tech stack makes life easier. Make a list of all those apps your business relies on and ensure your CMS integrates with them.

Solid customer support: Sometimes it can feel impossible to sort out that glitch. Available customer support means you won’t waste time trying to fix it alone.