Drupal vs. WordPress — Which CMS Should You Choose?

When building a website, you’ll likely come across two popular content management systems (CMSs): Drupal and WordPress. 

While both these CMSs help you create, modify and publish content online, that’s pretty much where their similarities end.

So, how do you know which is right for you?

We’ll compare Drupal vs. WordPress in terms of flexibility, scalability, security and other features to help you choose the right CMS for your website.

Drupal: An overview

Drupal is a free-to-use content management system that powers some of the top websites on the internet. The CMS has been around for more than two decades, with the first version having been released in 2001.

Drupal is open source and offers the flexibility and community support that many developers look for. It also has thousands of modules and plugins, which make customization easy.

Today, Drupal has 10 major versions, with the latest being Drupal 10, which was released in 2022. Apart from that, the CMS regularly gets minor updates to fix bugs and improve features.

WordPress: An overview

WordPress is another free CMS used by several websites. Like Drupal, it is also open source and has been around for more than twenty years, having first been released in 2003.

The WordPress CMS has two versions, WordPress.com and WordPress.org.

The difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org is that the .com version is already hosted and lets you build websites easily, whereas the .org version requires you to manage your own hosting. In this guide, we’ll refer to WordPress.org when talking about the WordPress CMS.

WordPress has also had various updates throughout the years. The latest version is WordPress 6.3, which was released in 2023.

Drupal vs. WordPress: An overview

Both Drupal and WordPress are well-known website builders. However, Drupal’s complex functionality and user interface are more suitable for knowledgeable web developers, whereas WordPress’s easy-to-use interface is ideal for beginners.

WordPress is particularly popular among website owners; among all the websites on the internet, 43.1% use WordPress. In comparison, only 1.1% of all websites use Drupal.

However, in addition to the CMS’s popularity, there are other features you need to compare before choosing an option between Drupal vs. WordPress.

Drupal vs. WordPress: Which CMS has the better features?

The content management system determines how well your website functions and presents content to the audience. The best CMS for your website should be easy to use, customizable, secure and have great community support and robust SEO features.

Let’s compare the features of Drupal vs. WordPress to help you determine which option is right for your website.

1. Ease of use

WordPress is well-known as a beginner-friendly CMS and can be learned quickly. Drupal has a slightly steeper learning curve and is easier for people who already have experience with web development.

WordPress

Creating a WordPress website is easy. With a few clicks, you can choose a domain name, customize the look and feel of your site and have it go live.

The user interface of WordPress is also intuitive. Once you log in to WordPress’s dashboard, you can quickly locate all the functions and features. The CMS has clear messaging for users to figure out where to begin and how to use certain features on the dashboard.

Moreover, most WordPress features can be used directly from the dashboard, so you don’t need extra plugins or coding to create a basic website. This is great if you’re a beginner since you can get started without additional guides or tutorials.

In case you want advanced features, WordPress provides the option to customize the code, as well.

Drupal

Drupal’s website creation process is more complex than WordPress’s. You need to find web hosting, then install and configure Drupal to start building your website.

Once you begin the website-building process, Drupal’s dashboard is fairly intuitive. Like WordPress, it has options to add content, change your site’s appearance and organize its structure. While it doesn’t have any messaging to guide you, the options are easy to understand.

However, implementing most of Drupal’s functions requires the modification of modules or code. Without sufficient knowledge of HTML and PHP, this can be difficult to get a handle on at first. 

While Drupal’s features aim to create a robust website with enhanced user experience, it is not beginner-friendly.

Drupal vs. WordPress verdict: WordPress.

2. Customization

If you want a unique website, customization is a key feature to look for in a CMS. Both Drupal and WordPress offer good customization options but with different methods of implementation.

WordPress

WordPress offers several themes and plugins to customize the appearance and improve the functionality of your website. As of 2023, the CMS has nearly 60,000 plugins and over 11,000 themes.

WordPress developers release a new theme every year, which becomes the default theme for websites. However, you can choose a new WordPress theme, download and apply it through the dashboard under the Appearance menu. 

Adding WordPress plugins is also equally easy through the Plugins menu in the dashboard. If you can’t find what you’re looking for in the WordPress store, you can also use third-party plugins and themes or create custom ones.

Apart from these options, WordPress offers seamless integrations with popular platforms like WooCommerce and Shopify.

Drupal

Drupal also offers extensive customization options with over 40,000 modules and 2,500 themes as of 2023. 

Like WordPress, customizing Drupal’s appearance is easy. All you need to do is find a theme you like, download the file and install it through Drupal’s dashboard.

Drupal also offers integrations with well-known platforms like Google Analytics to further customize your website.

But customizing the functionality of a Drupal site isn’t simple. While basic Drupal modules are easy to install, advanced modules and integrations require extracting code or installing an additional composer file, which can be difficult if you don’t have basic backend knowledge.

Drupal vs. WordPress verdict: WordPress.

3. Performance

The performance of your CMS is one of the major factors that determines your website’s load time. While WordPress websites are not slow, Drupal websites are known to load quickly.

WordPress

Though the WordPress CMS is versatile, it is more suitable for simpler applications like blogging or running an eCommerce website. 

To create a complex WordPress website with extended functionality, you’ll need to install several plugins that could make the website bulky. This, in turn, could increase your site’s load time. 

Moreover, some plugins and themes aren’t optimized for speed and may contribute to a slower performance.

Drupal

Drupal’s core is more lightweight and built to handle heavy, media-enriched websites. Many functionalities are prebuilt into Drupal’s core or can be implemented through code modification.

This reduces the dependencies on extensions and modules, contributing to the fast performance and load speed of Drupal websites. 

Drupal vs. WordPress verdict: Drupal.

4. Security

Since your website could end up storing data related to your business and customers, security should be one of the most important factors you consider when choosing a CMS.

WordPress

WordPress is the most widely used CMS, making it a tantalizing target for cybersecurity attacks. According to Sucuri’s 2022 Website Threat Research Report, 96.2% of all website security breaches involved WordPress sites.

This could be due to an outdated WordPress core, unauthorized data access or vulnerabilities in the plugins and themes. However, WordPress developers are constantly fixing bugs and patching most vulnerabilities through multiple minor and major updates.

That’s why WordPress also has the lowest outdated installations compared to other CMS platforms at 49.8%.

In addition, you can enhance the security of your WordPress website through WordPress security plugins.

Drupal

Drupal accounted for only 0.6% of infected websites in the Sucuri report. That’s one of the lowest number of security breaches, making Drupal a highly secure CMS platform.

However, this is likely due to the fact that Drupal is used by fewer websites than WordPress, making it a less visible target. 

Nevertheless, Drupal developers are constantly working on fixing security issues and delivering security releases every Wednesday, if required.

Drupal vs. WordPress verdict: Both are secure.

5. SEO

An SEO-friendly CMS is crucial if you want to improve search engine results page (SERP) rankings and drive organic traffic to your page. Both Drupal and WordPress have robust SEO (search engine optimization) features that can boost your website’s visibility.

WordPress

WordPress has a great balance of in-built search engine optimization features and SEO plugins. 

For example, the sitemap feature included in WordPress makes it easier for search engines to understand your website’s structure. 

Similarly, you can optimize your website for SEO and use more advanced features through plugins. Popular SEO plugins like Yoast SEO and Semrush help analyze content and increase the SEO score to raise the rankings of your webpages. 

As these plugins are easy to install and configure, you can modify your website easily as SEO requirements change.

Drupal

Drupal also has several SEO features, such as mobile optimization, meta tags and multilingual support. However, to extend the optimization capabilities, you’ll need to depend on SEO modules.

Many of these modules require the modification of code, which means you’ll need advanced knowledge of coding or the help of a developer. This also limits your ability to modify the website’s features as SEO guidelines keep changing.

Drupal vs. WordPress verdict: WordPress.

6. Community

Both Drupal and WordPress are open-source CMS platforms. This makes community support essential, as bug identification, fixes and suggestions come from community developers. 

Community members also help fellow website owners build their websites and respond to questions on the CMS forums.

WordPress

The WordPress community is vast, with millions of members, including web developers, designers, website owners and managers. 

These community members regularly assist in core development by suggesting new features, working on security patches and fixing issues. Several developers also create plugins and themes that are used by other community members. 

WordPress also has support forums where people can ask questions and receive answers from more experienced WordPress users. Members create learning resources such as guides and videos that help newer WordPress users tackle common issues.

In addition, the WordPress community hosts meetups and conferences across the globe, with over 500,000 members participating in 2023. These meetups provide unique opportunities to learn from WordPress experts through seminars, workshops and classes.

Overall, the WordPress community is not only focused on maintaining the WordPress CMS but also supporting other WordPress users in their website development journey.

Drupal

Drupal has a dedicated community consisting of more than 1,500 members who contribute to the Drupal Project. 

The community not only focuses on web development and coding but also provides opportunities for learning other skills, such as graphic design and writing. 

Apart from this, Drupal has online forums where users ask questions and receive solutions from fellow Drupal users. 

While Drupal community members offer support to other members, the community is quite small compared to that of WordPress. This can limit the help you’re able to receive, which might pose challenges as Drupal is comparatively difficult to learn.

Drupal vs. WordPress verdict: WordPress.

7. Support

If you want to keep your website secure and up-to-date, you need good CMS developer support. 

With proper developer support, the CMS gets regularly updated with new features and security patches. It also means that users can reach out to developers to resolve specific issues with the CMS.

WordPress

WordPress has good support, with developers actively working towards improving the CMS. They regularly release minor and major updates, which include security releases, maintenance releases and version updates.

In 2022 alone, WordPress released 27 official updates. Apart from this, WordPress has a vast library of documentation available related to all features and integrations. 

The WordPress support is also reachable through various methods such as email, phone and social media in case you require personal assistance. 

Plus, the CMS has trusted third-party companies like Bluehost that provide WordPress support services.

Drupal

Drupal also has good support, with the developers releasing new versions every two years. They also release several minor updates throughout the year, mainly focusing on fixing security issues. 

In addition to email and social media, you can also seek assistance from Drupal support through the Issues for Drupal core queue and Stack Exchange.

The Drupal community also contributes to the development of the CMS.

Drupal vs. WordPress verdict: Both have great support.

8. Cost

If you want a budget-friendly website, understanding the costs related to your CMS is a must. These not only include the upfront costs of purchasing the CMS but also the expenses involved in installing and maintaining them.

WordPress

The WordPress CMS itself is a free-to-use platform. It also has several free plugins and themes that you can use to create a full-fledged website.

You also save on developer costs as WordPress plugins are easy to use, allowing you to handle the website setup on your own.

The major costs you’ll run into with WordPress are purchasing your domain name and hosting. Since WordPress.org is self-hosted, you’ll need to find a hosting company that suits your requirements.

With a reliable hosting provider like Bluehost, you can minimize these costs by finding a plan within your budget.

Drupal

Drupal is also a free CMS that offers free themes and modules. But applying most of these add-ons requires some basic knowledge of CSS, PHP and JavaScript. 

If you aren’t knowledgeable about website backend, then you’ll need to hire a web developer to create and manage your website on Drupal. 

Moreover, Drupal’s modules and themes library aren’t as extensive as WordPress’s. If you require specific customizations, your developer will need to work additional hours.

Drupal vs. WordPress verdict: WordPress.

Final thoughts: Drupal vs. WordPress: Choosing the best CMS for your needs

When it comes to which CMS is better for beginner website creators, WordPress emerges as the clear winner.

While Drupal and WordPress both have stellar features, WordPress has some advantages over the competition. Its ease of use and wide range of plugins and themes make it the obvious choice if you’re building a small to medium-sized website from scratch.

And if you’re on the hunt for a reliable hosting provider, look no further than Bluehost. 

Bluehost’s WordPress hosting plans come with custom themes, automatic WordPress installations and a free domain name for the first year.

Contact Bluehost today and get your WordPress website up and running in no time. 

Drupal vs. WordPress: FAQs

Let’s go over the most commonly asked questions regarding Drupal vs. WordPress.