When making a decision about which Content Management System is best for you and your business, there are many different factors to get your head around. Generally, you have two main choices, which are Drupal and WordPress. Both of these systems have benefits and draw-backs, so really, the decision is left up to which you prefer. Detailed below are the most important things you need to think about.
Ease of Use
There are many different aspects to choose from when picking your preferred CMS, but one of the most important, is which one is the easiest to use. If your knowledge of web development is minimal, then there’s no doubt that you’ll have to get stuck in to the CMS straight away, and if this is the case, then Drupal may be a tad too daunting. The Drupal user interface is more complicated to get to grips with, whereas WordPress offers a much more friendly interface.
Both Drupal and WordPress have a thriving online community, who are willing to help out with any issues that you may face, and are prompt on replying to your problems.
When it comes to updating the websites, there’s a lot to take into account. The Drupal updates don’t include the code, which means that there is a need for some developer knowledge. In comparison, the WordPress updates are easy to use, you just click the ‘Update WordPress’ button and the site takes care of it for you.
Customisation
With the rise (and rise) of responsive website design, there has also been a rise in free themes, modules and plugins. These items can help you make your website look exactly how you want it, but beware, there’s a distinct lack of functionality available. Both Drupal and WordPress are open-source platforms, so it enables everybody to create and maintain add-ons. These are usually available for free, but the more complex ones are offered at a one off price.
Within WordPress, you can get going pretty much straight away with minimal development experience if you enable a theme, and just want to simply images or blog posts. With Drupal, you can spend a lot of time perfecting how your site is going to look for different types of content, and on different pages. Drupal takes a little longer to customise, but it’s worth spending that time, because ultimately, you get the benefits in the long term.
Cost
If your looking for a site to be developed in Drupal, then the overall cost of the project is going to be higher, due to the CMS being more intricate than WordPress. WordPress is simple, clean and quick, which means that less time is spent during the initial build process, meaning that the cost of the project should be less overall.
Both of these systems are free to download from their own websites, but it’s the setting up and getting it to work for you where the cost comes in.
One thing to bear in mind when choosing which CMS is best for you, is that as your website grows, you’ll need more server resources to be available if you choose WordPress.
Security
Drupal is the shining star in this round. The many plug-ins that are available to WordPress leave it vulnerable for hackers to manipulate, and post malicious files on your site, giving you a huge problem. If Drupal is kept up-to-date, you shouldn’t have many issues, which is why it’s the leading choice for governments and their websites.
Size
Drupal can be used for a small one paged website, or a large website with thousands of pages, being read by thousands of people at the same time. WordPress originally started as a platform for blogging, and can be used as a large site, but you’ll find that you get a slower experience.
Which has Google’s Preference
The science of Search Engine Optimisation isn’t platform specific, but both have their own advantages and disadvantages. Drupal’s pages will seemingly load quicker, due to it’s built-in caching abilities, and can also handle a lot more content, which of course, is beneficial for SEO purposes.
The Winner?!
Well, ultimately, there isn’t one, unless they can both win, which they can’t, so it’s a draw essentially. If you’re working with a knowledge of website development then Drupal is the right choice for you, but if you’re not, then WordPress is they way to go.
Both have benefits and drawbacks, so essentially, it comes down to personal preference. Drupal was designed with developers in mind, meaning that the possibilities are endless, and WordPress is easier to use for people with no experience of the web development world.
Everybody wins!