Joomla vs. WordPress vs. Drupal: Which is the best CMS platform?

Key highlights 

• WordPress is the most popular CMS, ideal for beginners and small to medium-sized websites. 
• Joomla offers a balance between ease of use and customization, perfect for users with moderate technical knowledge. 
• Drupal is highly flexible and scalable, suited for large, complex websites but requires advanced technical skills. 
• Each of the CMS platforms (WordPress, Joomla and Drupal) excels in different areas, making it important to match the right one to your needs. 
• WordPress is great for eCommerce, blogs, portfolios and small businesses due to its large library of plugins. 
• Joomla is ideal for websites that require a bit more complexity, like social networks or community-based platforms. 
• Drupal provides robust security and customization options, making it the top choice for enterprise-level websites. 
• Choosing the right CMS is crucial to the success of your website—consider factors like scalability, ease of use, and customization needs before deciding. 

Introduction 

Hosting a website requires several technologies working together. You need a platform for your website, as well as a web hosting provider to keep it online. Of all the available platforms, WordPress, Drupal and Joomla are the leading options.  

Any of them can support your website, but each one excels in a different area. You need to know which one is right for your website before investing in any of them. Here is a look at Joomla vs. WordPress vs. Drupal to see which one is right for you. 

What is a web platform? 

A web platform is a system that you use to create and manage your website. In the past, websites were made by creating each web page separately using HTML, CSS and JavaScript. With the addition of more dynamic tools like PHP (for dynamically created pages) and SQL (for databases), skilled web developers created systems that made it possible to create pages with less input and more functionality. WordPress, Joomla and Drupal are three of the options that were developed using these new methods. 

In a web platform like these three, creating your website is much easier. Instead of creating each page by hand, you can use templates created by piecing parts of pages together. For example, a WordPress page consists of a header, body, sidebar and footer. You can design each of these parts separately, then reuse them as much as you want without copying and pasting the code into a new file. Creating a page becomes as simple as writing the content for the page and using the platform to piece the rest of the page together around it. 

The most powerful aspect of a web platform is its ability to help you create a website without working directly with the source code for the page. Learning to code is the same as learning another language (or a series of languages that work together), giving it a large learning curve. Web platforms rarely let you work directly with the code, instead of having you work with a predefined system or interface. WordPress’s page and post screens are good examples of how such an interface works. 

WordPress 

WordPress is likely the most popular option among the three. It is responsible for more than half of the pages on the indexed Internet. This is because it is small and easy to use, even for beginners. Many people find it very easy to create a WordPress website and start managing it within minutes. Plus, it is small compared to the other options, so it can work well with small hosting plans. 

Another benefit of choosing the WordPress software is the immense amount of support available for the platform. Pro and amateur web developers alike make WordPress plugins, themes, widgets and other features. Plus, so many developers use it that it’s easy to find paid or free help with a specific problem. 

WordPress is so widely used that many web hosting providers offer WordPress hosting plans with support features and an easy installation system. Bluehost offers WordPress-specific plans that you can take advantage of to set up a website quickly and easily. The support team can also help WordPress users manage their website and ensure that it stays online. 
 
While WordPress is the most preferred option, it is primarily designed to be a blogging platform. It has been extended for use as entire websites and web stores, but the interface remains largely focused on small websites. From a coding standpoint, the code becomes complex at larger file sizes and can take up significant space as it continues to grow. 

If you are going to have a relatively small website that includes a blog, then WordPress is your best option. It will give you the most support and features for your investment. However, larger websites with complex user interfaces can consider Joomla or Drupal. 

WordPress CMS: Advantages and disadvantages 

Areas of specification	Advantages	Disadvantages
Popularity	Popular and simple to use for beginners.	Interface remains focused on small websites.
Support & plugins	There is an abundance of support, plugins and WordPress themes available.	Larger and more complex sites have limited scalability.
Hosting integration	Many hosting providers offer specialized plans.	As a site grows, the code might become complex.

Joomla 

Joomla is like WordPress in many ways but differs in at least one key area. Joomla is designed for larger websites. The code and interface are designed to make it much easier to manage pages across many pages and posts. Because of how it is structured, you won’t run into performance issues when scaling your website. 

Joomla’s biggest improvement over WordPress is that it is a two-part system, whereas WordPress is a one-part system. Joomla is made of a CMS (Content Management System); like how WordPress manages blog posts and the website platform. Having these two systems separate from each other lets you build a website outside of the CMS, so you can ignore the CMS entirely unless you need it. It’s closer to how websites were built before there were powerful management systems with the ability to add blogs or other content. 

Joomla is best suited to complex websites that need more flexibility. This often includes medium business websites and extensive content websites like Wikipedia. You have all the tools you need to manage an extensive website. You can even have a complex business website with Joomla. However, if you are going to start a large corporate website, choose Drupal instead. 

Joomla CMS: Advantages and disadvantages 

Areas of specification	Advantages	Disadvantages
Scalability	Designed for larger websites, excels at managing many pages.	May have a steeper learning curve for beginners.
Two-part system	Separation of CMS and website building offers flexibility.	Not as user-friendly as WordPress for small sites.
Suitable use cases	Ideal for complex and extensive websites, including businesses.	Larger corporate websites may prefer Drupal.

Drupal 

Drupal is like Joomla, but it is designed for complete freedom when it comes to content management and website development.  

Drupal is based on a content management system web design but lets you fully customize the entire structure and content of the site.  

It works best for larger corporate websites because you can make all the changes and designs you need. While you can use it for smaller projects, it works best for large complex websites.  

Using it for a smaller project comes with a lot of extra work you don’t need to take on. Choose WordPress or Joomla instead. Choosing the best platform for your website depends on your needs. 

Drupal CMS: Advantages and disadvantages 

Areas of specification	Advantages	Disadvantages
Customization	Offers complete freedom for content management.	Not ideal for smaller projects; more complex.
Suitable use cases	Best for large corporate websites with complex needs.	May involve extra work for smaller projects.

What functionality do WordPress, Joomla and Drupal offer? 

We looked at four parameters to compare the functioning of Drupal, WordPress and Joomla: 

Content types 

• WordPress: WordPress provides support for basic content types like posts and pages out of the box. It can handle additional content types through plugins and allows creation of custom post types, making it flexible for various content needs. 
• Joomla: Joomla offers a more structured approach to content types with its Categories and Articles. It’s suitable for organizing and managing different types of content effectively. 
• Drupal: Drupal is highly flexible and allows for the creation of custom content types with specific fields and relationships. This makes it ideal for complex content structures. 

Access controls 

• WordPress: WordPress offers limited built-in access control options. It’s more suitable for simple websites where user roles and permissions are straightforward. 
• Joomla: Joomla provides more advanced access control features, allowing you to define fine-grained permissions for users and groups. 
• Drupal: Drupal sites excel in access control, offering a granular permission system. It’s suitable for projects with strict access requirements, such as intranets or membership sites. 

Multilingual sites 

• WordPress: While WordPress has multilingual support through plugins, it may not be as robust as Joomla and Drupal for managing multilingual content. 
• Joomla: Joomla has built-in multilingual support, making it easier to create and manage multilingual websites. 
• Drupal: Drupal offers robust multilingual capabilities, including translation workflows and content translation features, making it a top choice for multilingual sites. 

Data handling 

• WordPress: WordPress is user-friendly and straightforward for handling data. It’s well-suited for blogs, small businesses and content-driven websites. 
• Joomla: Joomla is suitable for handling data efficiently, particularly for medium-sized websites with structured content. 
• Drupal: Drupal is highly capable of handling complex data structures and relationships, making it ideal for enterprise-level websites and applications. 

Security and updates for WordPress, Joomla and Drupal 

Areas of specification	WordPress	Joomla	Drupal
Security updates	Regular security updates are essential and readily available.	Joomla provides timely security updates and patches.	Drupal has a strong focus on security, with frequent updates.
Third-party plugins	Extensive library of third-party plugins and themes.	Joomla has a good selection of third-party extensions and templates.	Drupal offers various contributed modules and themes.
Security of extensions	Security of third-party plugins can vary; users should choose carefully.	Joomla extensions undergo review but still require cautious selection.	Drupal community emphasizes secure coding for contributed modules.

Customization for WordPress, Joomla and Drupal 

Areas of specification	WordPress	Joomla	Drupal
Themes and templates	Extensive collection of themes and templates available.	Offers a variety of templates and themes for customization.	Provides flexibility in designing themes and templates.
Code customization	Allows code customization through themes and plugins.	Provides flexibility to customize code and templates.	Offers advanced code-level customization options.
User roles and permissions	Offers basic user roles and permissions for content control.	Provides role-based access control for managing users.	Provides fine-grained access control and custom roles.

WordPress vs Drupal vs Joomla: Examples of websites and businesses using CMS 

Here are some significant WordPress, Drupal and Joomla-powered websites and businesses: 

WordPress 

1. Sony Music 
2. The Walt Disney Company 
3. BBC America 
4. The New Yorker 

Drupal 

1. Tesla 
2. NASA 
3. The Economist 
4. The State of Georgia Government 

Joomla 

1. IKEA
2. Kellogg’s 
3. International House of Pancakes (IHOP) 
4. Harvard University 

How to choose the right CMS for your business 

When deciding on a content management system (CMS) for your business, it’s crucial to consider several key factors. The right CMS will depend on your business size, goals, the type of website you want to create, as well as your available technical resources. Whether you’re running a small blog, an eCommerce site or a large enterprise portal, understanding these factors will help you make the best choice for your needs. 

Key factors to consider 

Choosing the right CMS involves more than just comparing Joomla, WordPress and Drupal. It’s about aligning the platform with your business’s unique requirements. Here are the primary factors to keep in mind: 

• Business size, goals and type of website: Consider whether you’re building a simple blog, an eCommerce store, a portfolio site or a complex corporate website. A CMS that works for one business might not be ideal for another based on goals and scale. 
• Technical skills and development resources: Some CMS platforms are more user-friendly for non-developers, while others might require advanced technical expertise. Knowing your team’s capabilities and available resources is essential in making the right choice. 
• Required features: Different CMS options provide varying levels of flexibility, customization and built-in features. Think about your immediate and future needs—such as best SEO tools, security features, scalability or eCommerce functionality—and ensure the CMS you choose can meet them. 

CMS selection for small businesses 

For small businesses, finding a CMS that’s easy to use, cost-effective and scalable as your business grows is crucial. Here’s how the top three CMS platforms stack up for small businesses: 

WordPress as the go-to choice 

For small businesses, WordPress is often the first choice. It’s the most popular CMS globally and for good reason. When we compare WordPress with others we can see that it offers a user-friendly interface, an extensive library of themes and plugins. This suits almost any type of website. Whether you’re starting a blog, an online store, or a simple business website, WordPress can handle it. 

The platform’s ease of use means you don’t need to be a developer to get started and its vibrant community offers a wealth of resources and support. With its vast ecosystem, WordPress can be scaled up as your business grows. 

Why Joomla might be an option 

Joomla could be a solid choice for small businesses looking for something more advanced than WordPress, yet still relatively easy to use. It strikes a balance between customization and ease of use, making it suitable for businesses that need more flexibility in terms of content types and structure. 

Joomla is particularly strong in handling more complex content management tasks. If you need to create a membership-based site, a community platform, or manage websites with a large amount of structured content, Joomla might be worth considering. 

When Drupal could be an overkill 

For small businesses, Drupal is often more than they need. While it’s highly powerful and customizable, it requires more technical expertise than WordPress or Joomla. Drupal is great for businesses that need to handle complex functionality, large-scale websites, or enterprise-level security. But it may be overkill for a small business just starting out. Its steep learning curve and higher resource requirements can be challenging for those without a dedicated development team. 

CMS selection for enterprise-level businesses 

When you’re managing a large-scale website with enterprise-level requirements, the complexity and scale of your site must be supported by a robust CMS. Here’s how the big players—Drupal, Joomla and WordPress—work in enterprise environments: 

Why Drupal is often the best choice 

For enterprise-level businesses, Drupal is often the go-to choice. It’s built to handle large, complex websites with advanced functionality. If your business requires intricate content organization, multi-site support and highly customized workflows, Drupal is the platform for you. 

It also excels in handling high traffic loads, making it ideal for enterprises that need to scale without compromising performance. Drupal’s flexibility in managing complex content types, users, and permissions also makes it a strong contender for businesses with more sophisticated needs. 

How Joomla can serve 

While Drupal is often considered the more enterprise-focused solution, Joomla sites can also serve well for businesses needing a flexible CMS with moderate technical requirements. Joomla strikes a middle ground between ease of use and advanced features. It can handle large amounts of content and has a solid community of developers. For businesses with moderate to complex needs but fewer resources for heavy development, Joomla is a good choice. 

WordPress can be a scalable solution 

Despite its reputation as a CMS for smaller sites, WordPress has become a scalable option for enterprise-level businesses as well. With the right plugins, themes and customization, WordPress can power large-scale eCommerce platforms, corporate websites and membership sites. Major companies and organizations have adopted WordPress for its ease of use and the ability to scale when necessary. 

For enterprises looking for a balance between simplicity and scalability, WordPress is often a viable solution. Its massive plugin ecosystem and large pool of available developers make it an attractive option for businesses looking to grow quickly. 

Final thoughts

WordPress, Joomla and Drupal, known as some of the best CMS systems, offers distinct advantages and disadvantages respectively. You can make an informed decision based on the detailed CMS comparison in the content above and on your website’s size, complexity and specific requirements. 

Regardless of your choice, reaching out to a web hosting provider like Bluehost can help you get started and make the most of your chosen CMS. Remember that many prominent websites and businesses successfully use all three platforms, demonstrating their effectiveness in different scenarios. 

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