Platform Software: Comparison of the 10 Best Platform Providers

We live in a digital age where online platforms dominate the internet. Nowadays, there is an almost endless selection of products. Learning portals, travel platforms, CMS systems for creating websites, etc. – to name just a few examples. Especially for less experienced users, it is often difficult to determine which platform is the best and which provider to choose. 

In fact, there is no single correct answer because the choice of application also depends on what you want to achieve and what your goals are. In this article, we will look at the various platforms and compare for you the top ten providers. 

The Essentials at a Glance

The Best Top CMS Platforms

What Is an Online Platform?

An online platform is a web app or software platform – in other words, an intelligent platform on the internet that can perform various tasks. Unlike a website, the user can not only interact with an online platform but also receive responses from it. The user’s operating system does not matter at all. For example, it is possible to log in and log out via the platform. In addition, you can subscribe to a newsletter, shop online, or participate in an online course. The platform itself handles complex processes such as booking and payment, invoice creation, etc.  

Most modern websites that exist on the internet today are online or software platforms. They are either self-developed software or applications based on other programs such as content management systems (CMS) that are extended with plugins or self-developed add-ons to provide the necessary functions. This further development of a platform based on a CMS saves time and money. Without software platforms, the internet would not offer us the possibilities we know today, and many websites, like Amazon, would probably not exist in their current form. It is an important component of the WWW that offers flexibility and works in a modular and efficient manner. Furthermore, software platforms use the cloud and therefore run via the web browser, for example, from Apple, but also support all other operating systems available on the market – regardless of the user’s hardware. 

What Types of Online Platforms Are There?

On the internet, you can find many different types of online platforms, each performing different tasks and fulfilling a specific purpose. They can be grouped into the following categories: 

• Content Management Systems (CMS) 
• Learning Portals
• eCommerce and Online Shops
• Travel and Booking Platforms 
• Streaming Platforms
• Customer Management and Accounting Portals 

The above list is by no means complete. There are many more online platforms and at least as many different providers offering their solutions to customers. Which one is right for you depends on the product development and the required functions. Only a thorough comparison and some research can help you find a suitable provider for your needs, who can assist you in developing a software platform.

Which Online Platform Do You Want to Create?

Comparison of the Ten Best Providers for Online Platforms

In this section, we now compare for you the ten best software providers that offer platforms or portals on the internet. Our goal is to give you a rough overview of the offerings and show you how the different providers differ, what they offer you as a customer, and which provider might have advantages over the others. 

The list is, of course, by no means complete and we do not claim to be completely accurate. Rather, it is the opinion of our experts and is based on our own experiences or the experiences of our customers. 

Number 1: WordPress CMS

WordPress is the best-known and oldest content management system for websites. It is a tool originally designed to provide bloggers with an easy and fast way to publish their own blog. Today, the vast majority of websites on the internet are based on WordPress. WordPress websites are known for their efficiency and can be easily optimized.

An almost endless selection of plugins makes it possible to extend the very simple functionality of the basic site with all conceivable features. This transforms a very basic and simple online presence into a complex website with an online shop or booking portal that can also handle payments, customer support, and other tasks. In other words: There is nothing you cannot implement with WordPress. Should it ever happen that a desired plugin does not exist, you can simply program a corresponding extension yourself thanks to the open-source code and extend WordPress with the desired functions. 

The range of plugins is divided into premium plugins, which are paid, into freemium plugins, which are free with limited functionality and whose full functionality can be unlocked for a fee, as well as into free plugins, for which no costs occur. Furthermore, you can create complex layouts, so-called themes. If you don’t have the time or inclination, that is no problem. Because on the internet you will find over 100,000 free and paid themes that can be easily installed, updated, and removed.