Comparison of CMS Systems: The 10 Best for Web Development

A Content Management System (CMS) is software that is used for creating and managing content on a website and is among the most popular content management systems. In this case, content refers to all types of objects on a website – texts, images, videos, which can be displayed both dynamically and statically.

A content management system (CMS) allows you to easily create, edit, and publish content such as texts and multimedia without requiring extensive programming knowledge.

Thanks to a content management system with its graphical user interfaces and builder toolkit, managing relatively complex web processes has become enormously easier, and now even people without programming skills can operate it.

Development of an Online Platform

WordPress

WordPress originally started as a simple blogging platform. Today, about 25% (18 million) of all websites worldwide run on WordPress, making it the most popular CMS with over 60% market share – a convincing leadership position. The open-source platform is known for its user-friendliness and resource efficiency. At the same time, the CMS is relatively easy to understand and offers good default security, which, however, must be adjusted by an experienced developer. The CMS comparison shows that the admin dashboard can be controlled via drag-and-drop, and the large international community is a very reliable source for answers to emerging questions. This combination makes WordPress the simplest and most accessible CMS on the market.

Thanks to its open-source architecture and large user base, the platform offers several themes, widgets, and plug-ins to extend website functionality. WooCommerce is the leading e-commerce extension for WordPress, which can transform a website into a fully functional, modern online shop. The system has many functionalities that are important for an online retailer – from order and inventory management tools, shopping carts, marketing, and more, with only a few exceptions.

However, where WordPress falls short is in its scalability. Due to its lack of scalability and capacity, we advise companies that want to launch an online shop with over 500 products or create a complex online platform to steer clear of WordPress. The reason for this is the system’s poor performance when dealing with a multitude of products or complex back-end processes that need to occur individually. Additionally, we frequently observe problems with failed system updates, which can sometimes lead to elaborate technical issues. The simplicity of the system enables very fast setup of the desired website – whether an online shop or a simple website. For smaller projects with low complexity and budget, WordPress is the absolute favorite worldwide.

Drupal

The modular system Drupal has been outpaced in popularity by WordPress, yet the system excels in one crucial aspect: its scalability. Drupal is particularly interesting for companies whose projects exceed the capacity and customization possibilities of simple content management systems. This powerful system is designed for larger websites or complex online platforms that offer numerous functionalities, are in search of a scalable system, and are especially suited for those who wish to utilize advanced features for managing permissions in the back-end. Drupal allows simultaneous control by multiple developers in a collaborative environment, supported by effective workflow management. The CMS is particularly well-suited for innovative or more complex projects, as it offers a high degree of customization options. The system also takes into account the most important marketing measures – Drupal is known for its SEO-friendliness, which is enhanced by various SEO tools and extensions. Additionally, the system is regarded as one of the most secure on the market and can perform well with high user numbers. Last but not least, there is a large and technically experienced community of Drupal developers and users on which you can rely.

Drupal provides comprehensive support for various CMS systems to ensure a successful online presence.

An obvious disadvantage is that the CMS should only be programmed by experienced developers – even with above-average computer skills, you will not be able to fully exploit the potential of the CMS if you manage to set it up at all. The management of the back-end might be confusing for laypersons, although it can be flexibly customized. Overall, in many cases, experienced programmers are indispensable if you want to fully harness the potential of Drupal CMS.

Typo3

Typo3 was one of the most popular CMS solutions in the e-commerce market. The open-source system emerged in the early 2000s and is frequently implemented in Europe as an enterprise content management system for large corporate portals and online shops. Nowadays, however, the system has become somewhat outdated, prompting companies to often consider switching to an alternative CMS. Compared to WordPress, Typo3 is somewhat more complex and requires more expertise for its individual management. This results in greater effort for both setup and operation. On the other hand, Typo3 offers significantly more in terms of functionality, capacity, and flexibility than WordPress. The system provides interfaces for connections to inventory and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, which are crucial for medium-sized and large online shops as well as online platforms. As with any open-source software, a community of Typo3 developers and users is available to assist with questions or issues.

Compared to other systems in the field of web content management, Typo3 is somewhat more complex and requires more expertise for its individual control. This results in greater effort for setup and operation. On the other hand, Typo3 offers significantly more in terms of functionality, capacity, and flexibility than WordPress. The system provides interfaces for connections to inventory and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, which are crucial for medium-sized and large online shops as well as online platforms. As with any open-source software, a community of Typo3 developers and users serves as support for questions or problems.

Finding an appropriate content management system that meets the specific requirements of a company is crucial for the success of its web content.

Typo3 is practically applicable at every level of size or complexity. The CMS is solidly scalable and can grow alongside your business. Interfaces for the back-end, support for multiple domains that can be managed centrally, and a modular structure are just some of the functionalities offered by Typo3 that are not available in simpler content management systems.

On the other hand, Typo3 also faces some criticism. The system is relatively complex to set up and operate, leading to greater effort for shop owners. Even relatively simple tasks cannot be performed very intuitively, and the use of a professional developer is often unavoidable. Overall, there is potential for improvement in modernizing key processes to enhance the user-friendliness of Typo3. We recommend Typo3 for the more complex medium-sized and larger projects that have a sufficient budget and a need for scalability.

Joomla!

Joomla can be considered an open-source content management system (CMS) that strikes a balance between scalability and user-friendliness in both operation and setup. The system is not as complex and robust as Drupal nor as simple as WordPress, but it attempts to combine the advantages of both systems to create a unique platform.

A good CMS is essential for easily creating, managing, and keeping high-quality content up to date, with an emphasis on user-friendliness and features that enhance the user experience.

One of the greatest advantages of Joomla is the availability of numerous free extensions, which allow you to build a fully functional website or online shop with multiple functionalities. Joomla offers the simple and quick setup of your online shop, with complexity comparable to that of a WooCommerce setup. Nevertheless, the system is more customizable than WordPress, as it provides a user-friendly feature set with predefined elements for theme personalization.

Among the disadvantages of Joomla is the inadequate access control functionality, which makes working on larger projects with multiple participants somewhat more challenging. Another drawback is the non-intuitive management of extensions, components, and modules that can be installed on both the frontend and the backend. Extensions are only partly free and can sometimes lead to additional effort. Furthermore, they sometimes need to be updated manually, causing further inconveniences for the website operator. We recommend Joomla for smaller and simpler projects, for which permission controls are not a major issue and do not require much flexibility. Overall, the CMS is a step up from WordPress and is suitable for those for whom WordPress does not quite offer the desired capacity.

Contao

Contao (formerly known as TYPOlight) is described as a “barrier-free open source content management system” and is an excellent compromise between user-friendliness, performance, and content management. In recent years, the system has continuously evolved and shows a strong tendency to respond to market demands and implement improvements in all essential areas. A CMS comparison shows that the system has particularly established itself as one of the market leaders in the German scene and is a potentially good choice for the majority of online retailers.

Although relatively simple, the system offers some functionalities that are not available—or only to a limited extent—with comparable providers such as WordPress or Joomla. At the same time, it is surprisingly robust. In addition to the extensive scope regarding extensions****and theme design, which can be adapted to any need via a modular structure with pre-fabricated modules, Contao is also very user-friendly and can be successfully managed with a little experience and good computer skills. The admin area can also be personalized according to your preferences for more efficient workflow. Excellent features in security along with a live update function are the icing on the cake. However, from a usability perspective, Contao is not well suited for larger projects that handle a significant volume of data and require advanced permission controls. In its area of application, the system is similar to WordPress and Joomla and is predominantly preferred by small to medium-sized projects.

Django CMS

The open-source system from the lesser-known provider Django CMS is written in Python and is based on the Django web framework. In 2015, the system was nominated for an award for the best CMS of the year – a testament to its quality.

Django is “built for developers and content creators,” which in no way means that the CMS is only to be managed by programmers. Specific and interesting for Django is the absence of a backend or admin panel – the CMS toolbar and point-and-click function serve as the interface elements in place of a classic backend or admin panel. We find this feature very convenient and logical for the management of all types of content from a developer’s perspective. In addition, setting up and arranging the site structure is child’s play. Overall, we rate the workflow with Django as nearly excellent. A multitude of free plugins that can be installed with just one click save a lot of time and money. The system is available in several languages and is therefore suitable for international retailers.

Django CMS offers the necessary functions to successfully realize extensive and multilingual online projects.

There is little to criticize – user-friendliness is disputed by some users, mostly due to the non-traditional interface. It is also claimed that without in-depth Python knowledge, Django CMS cannot offer much compared to WordPress or Joomla and is no better than Drupal for enterprise projects. If you have a Python developer on your team, then Django CMS, thanks to its enormous potential, is a very good choice in the right hands, regardless of the project’s size. However, this is not a prerequisite if you want to consider the system among your options – rather, the CMS is also very well suited for efficient and easy management of the frontend and content – even for non-programmers. Learn more about our offer for CMS development for your digital project.

Development of an Online Platform

Target Audience

For small projects with a limited budget

Target Audience

For large projects with sufficient budget and a high demand for scalability and performance

A CMS helps to efficiently create and maintain content such as texts, images, and videos, which is central to the success of website projects.

Target Audience

For small to medium-sized projects based on CMS systems

A CMS helps to efficiently create and maintain content such as texts, images, and videos, which is central to the success of website projects.

Target Audience

For small to medium-sized projects based on CMS systems

A CMS helps to efficiently create and maintain content such as texts, images, and videos, which is central to the success of website projects.

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