Top Ten CMS Platforms for Your Website
If you’re new to the world of website creation, CMS platforms are simply content management systems, i.e. they manage whatever is on your website. Probably one of the best known of these systems is WordPress. Not everyone will want to set up their own website so they might hire a professional to do it for them, although something like WordPress is simple to operate.
Most web developers will have a favourite system, because they don’t want to learn how to operate a new CMS platform when they launch a new website. Designers and developers want something that is powerful, and relatively easy to use, particularly if they are building sites for a number of different clients. Below are the top 10 CMS platforms, starting with WordPress.
WordPress
WordPress is a free platform, and has all kinds of helpful plugins, which means you can use it as an eCommerce site. Many of these plugins are free. WordPress makes it easy to customise a site, but apart from the user forum, there’s not a lot of help if you have a problem. On the other hand, many developers and webmasters find WordPress the best system for their needs, and there are plenty of free and low cost themes – good if you are setting the site up yourself.
Drupal
Drupal is also a free platform and has a large, helpful online community. One of the drawbacks is little choice when it comes to themes, and custom themes can be expensive. A lot of companies like Drupal and will use it for their clients. Some aspects of the system are a lot more complicated than WordPress, and it may not be suitable if you just want a basic website or eCommerce site.
Joomla
Joomla is also a well-known platform; it’s been around a long time, and there are plenty of developers in the online community to help. There are also plenty of helpful plugins, but it’s not easy to find a good theme on this system.
Textpattern
Textpattern is another, free, PHP based system, and it’s easy to customise. On the other hand, there are not many themes available, but the system is easy to use, and there is a user manual. The system is good, even for large, complicated sites.
Express Engine
This is a licence based system and costs vary. The system is good for commercial sites and technical support is available, which may account for the prices. Plenty of well-known businesses use this system, and unlike WordPress, the security is really good.
Contao and Silverstripe
These two systems are both free to use and PHP based. Contao has plenty of modules and good content editing features, but very few themes, so this platform may be not so good for amateurs, but fine for those using custom design. Silverstripe is best for those used to web coding, so again, not so good for amateurs – not as many modules as some, and not much choice in themes.
Umbraco and Concrete 5
Umbraco is a free net-based system. Some support and technical help is free, and some has to be paid for. There are no ready to use themes though, and even basic extras have a cost. However, this is a flexible and powerful system. Concrete 5 is PHP based and free. If you’ve got a basic HTML site, it’s easy to convert, and there is also support and business class hosting. The best themes have to be paid for, as do plugins, which are expensive.
Cushy CMS
This system is different to the others listed here, as you don’t need separate hosting. There is a free and a paid option, but the free is enough for most needs. The system makes content editing a breeze; on the other hand, you only get email support on the paid version. Unless you’re hosting a number of sites, the paid plan could be costly.
