Deciding on the right CMS for your new website is critical. If you are creating a website, you will certainly use a CMS to help you design and manage it. But which CMS is right for you? Drupal and WordPress dominate the CMS market, accounting for more than 60% of the total. Each has a dedicated online community and a devoted fanbase. Furthermore, Drupal and WordPress power some of the world’s largest websites.
The primary distinction between Drupal and WordPress is that Drupal is designed for developers and has more customization features, whereas WordPress is designed for beginners. We’ll look at how WordPress and Drupal compare in more detail below.
Continue reading to find out the answers to the frequently asked questions.
Ease of Use
The primary benefit of using a CMS is that it makes building and managing your site much easier. With the rise of content management systems, anyone can create a visually appealing, functional website without technical knowledge. In our WordPress vs. Drupal showdown, you’ll discover how simple Drupal and WordPress are to use and which one comes out on top.
Drupal
You can install Drupal easily if you use a beginner-friendly web hosting service. You’ll be able to install a variety of CMSs from the backend of your Drupal hosting environment. Drupal also has several installation options known as distributions. If you know what kind of website you want to build, you can use one of these instead of a blank Drupal installation.
After you’ve installed Drupal with CMS hosting, you’ll have several customization options. However, the learning curve begins to accelerate at this point. Aside from basic site customizations, most additional changes require programming knowledge in PHP, HTML, and other languages. If you cannot program, you will need to hire a developer at this point.
WordPress
The reason why WordPress is so popular is that it is extremely simple to set up and use. WordPress can be installed on your host in a matter of minutes. Most hosting environments provide a simple one-click install that will guide you through the installation of WordPress.
The intuitive dashboard will greet you once WordPress is up and running. This is where you will install themes and plugins, create content, and update your site. The ‘Appearance’ tab is where you can manage all of your theme’s customizations. In addition, if you want to make building your site even easier, you can use a drag-and-drop builder like Beaver Builder or Elementor.
SEO
So, you’ve built your website, uploaded your content, and it’s now live on the internet. But your work still needs to be completed. Aside from building your site for the first time, you’ll need regular updates, troubleshooting any issues, and optimizing your site for SEO. WordPress makes it extremely simple to manage and update your website. In comparison, the simple SEO integration and supportive community make it a no-brainer for those launching their first websites. Drupal has excellent SEO capabilities and a vibrant community, but the difficult update process makes it difficult for beginners to keep their sites up to date.
Performance and Speed
A fast-loading website is an absolute must if you want to rank in search engines while also delighting your visitors. Even if your website is the most beautiful in the world, visitors will still leave if it takes too long to load. Drupal is likely to be faster right out of the box. It is unquestionably a lighter CMS. Setting up and configuring your site to maximize performance will take more work.
WordPress has a range of loading times, from milliseconds to what feels like an eternity. Everything hinges on the webmaster, the host, and how well your site has been optimized. The good news is that even total beginners can quickly optimize their WordPress sites for performance by installing and configuring a few plugins.
Security
You want your site to be secure no matter what type it is. Nothing on the internet can ever be completely secure. Instead, it would help if you strived for the highest level of security possible. Drupal has a lower risk of being hacked. This can be attributed to two factors. First, because they have a smaller market share, the chances of Drupal sites being targeted are much lower. There is a smaller plugin and theme ecosystem where most security flaws occur.
As previously stated, the WordPress core is extremely secure. If you take the necessary precautions, WordPress can be very secure. However, failing to test your plugins and themes thoroughly can expose your site to risk.
Flexibility
Because you’re not a professional web developer, you’ll rely on themes and plugins to build and customize your site. Since Drupal and WordPress are both open-source, you can easily add features and build the website of your dreams without having any coding experience.
Additionally, you can turn your Drupal or WordPress website into a headless CMS. This is due to the fact that both platforms have an API that enables you to distribute your content to apps, social media, and even your blog.
WordPress is the way to go if you’re a beginner looking for more control over your site’s design and feature set. Drupal has a steep learning curve, so you’ll have difficulty creating something unique. However, if you know how to code, Drupal is a good option because you can customize your site however you see fit.
Deciding on the better option
Choosing the best CMS for your website is a critical step in its development. Choose the wrong CMS, and you’ll start fighting an uphill battle.
Overall, Drupal is an excellent CMS. It has many features right out of the box and is designed with speed and security in mind. Although it has a steep learning curve, it is very adaptable. WordPress is a very user-friendly content management system. Although it is possible to create very large and highly customized websites (such as Mashable), it is still very easy to use.
You’ll position yourself for success by selecting the ideal host, a solid theme, and the ideal plugin combination. Additionally, because WordPress is so well-liked, you can find a tonne of tutorials and support materials to assist you in resolving any problems that may arise. Consider using WordPress if you want to launch your website as soon as possible without spending time learning how to code.
