CMS Comparison: WordPress vs. Joomla vs. Drupal | Which is The Best
February 2, 2021
The global sales target through various applications and websites is estimated to reach $5.4 trillion in 2022. Every newly introduced or old website needs a content management system to update its content. Although CMS is crucial for every kind of website, its significance increases when you are managing an eCommerce business. As per the change in product and its stock availability, you need to update new information timely. The convenience of editing with required controls depends on an ideal CMS only.
Modern CMS platforms are so simple to use and they provide accessibility that enables anyone to create a professional looking website. You also don’t need professional skills of a web developer, designer, or have any prior website-building expertise. On the basis of user’s experience, we have concluded the best content management systems list. Have a look.
Comparing the Best CMS Features
In this article, we are conducting a comprehensive study covering the differences between below top CMS platforms:-
- WordPress
- Joomla
- Drupal
Below is a list of comparison factors that will help you in figuring out the best option as per your need.
Overall Expenses and Cost
The cost of CMS depends on different integrated features. Each of these three finest CMS is completely free; you can download them directly from their official websites in just a few clicks. However, there are some other fees that you must bear. These additional costs primarily include web hosting and domain name. Some users may also need additional modules and designs that further increases the cost. Domain name and web hosting services range between $13-$15. The price for plugins and themes may differ as mentioned below:-
| CMS Platforms | Plugins Cost | Design Package Cost |
| WordPress | $0-$200 | $0-$250 |
| Joomla | $0-$70 | $0-$200 |
| Drupal | $0-$100 | $0-$80 |
User-Friendly
The second most important thing to figure out is its ease of use on a regular basis. You will be able to use any of these finest CMS from the list without any prior expertise. However, the outcomes may differ depending on your expectations and the complexity of the site you intend to create. WordPress can be considered in the most user-friendly category. It’s a lot easier to enhance the usability of your website and select and customise the designs.
If you need more customised designs, Joomla and Drupal are more developer-oriented and expect you to be relatively familiar working with HTML and PHP. For giving a website a custom-look, you may have to pay an expert to teach you how to use Joomla or Drupal. Thus, WordPress is the winner when it comes to comparing the level of expertise requirement.
Ease of Customization
For deep customization in designs and functionality, all three CMS offer some add-ons that are known as plugins, extensions or modules. The number of customizable features differ in all these content management system platforms. Have a look at the comparison:-
| WordPress Plugins | Joomla Extensions | Drupal Modules |
| 50,000+ | 6000+ | 48000+ |
WordPress has the most plugins, and the most user-friendly plugins are available. They’re designed for the site’s end user, with a streamlined user interface and simple control panels.
Joomla also has a good extension library, albeit it is somewhat less than WordPress. Extensions for all of your site’s most important features are still available.
Drupal modules are geared toward programmers. You’ll find a number of options for expanding APIs, setting up extra tokens for developers, and managing advanced users, among other things.
Design Options
When it comes to choosing a CMS, the quality of the design is crucial because we expect our sites to be attractive and not distracting. WordPress has the highest number of themes as compared to others. You are free to choose between free and paid options. In order to begin, browse through the official theme directory available at the official website of this CMS. Alone in the free section, you will find more than 8000 free themes to download. Moreover, thousands of WordPress themes are also available at third-party platforms on the web to use.
On the other hand, Joomla and Drupal have a significantly limited selection. It has very few eye-catching themes. Thus, WordPress is again the winner while comparing the free and premium installable designs.
Cybersecurity Strength
Every 50-60 days, you may expect a new update in the WordPress version. Most of these updates target minor bugs and other issues. The big WordPress updates are usually rolled out maximum 1-2 times a year. Joomla updates covering minor changes are released more frequently, generally every 10-40 days. However, larger upgrades sometimes require more than a year to become fully functional. Drupal has a strict release schedule, with one security upgrade and bugfix delivered every month. Major updates are likely to be released twice a year.
More than 90% of all attacked websites belong to WordPress alone as it is the most popular CMS with the highest number of global users. It will, of course, get a considerably larger portion of hacking opportunities. Furthermore, because so many of these sites use WordPress, attackers will see a bigger return on their investment if they break into WordPress.
When it comes to the security aspects, Drupal comes in first place. Due to its security robustness, renowned institutions and even government agencies prefer Drupal.
Community & Official Support
Each CMS has its different support system and community channels. We are enlisting their support features in the following table:-
| WordPress | Support Section | User Forum | Contact Fix Runner |
| Joomla | Documentation | Community Portal & Training | User Forums |
| Drupal | Documentation | Support and Community Portal | User Guides |
When To Use Which CMS
For DIY website designing projects while also ensuring that interface is engaging without compromising any feature, WordPress is the all-around content management system. Drupal can be a suitable option if you need a website equipped with bespoke features without compromising top-notch security. Joomla is a platform that sits between Drupal and WordPress platforms. It provides a lot of user-facing functionality on the one hand, but it also requires you to custom-code the quasi pieces. All three are the best CMS platforms, their significance depends on your expectations.
