15 Best Content Management System (CMS) Platforms for Building a Site in 2020

Are you in the process of developing a website and seeking for the most effective content management system (CMS) platforms? Are you having trouble deciding which platform would be best for your website?

A content management system, often known as CMS, is a piece of software that enables users to create, manage, alter, and update the material on a website without requiring them to have any prior knowledge of programming or other technical skills.

To put it another way, a content management system (CMS) is a piece of software that, when used, frees you from the need of writing all of the website’s code from start. CMS will take care of all the fundamental infrastructure tasks for you, such as the creation of web pages and the storage of photos, allowing you to devote more of your time to the construction of a website.

In this piece, we will discuss how to choose which content management system (CMS) platform is most suited for your website. In addition to this, we will discuss the 15 most effective content management systems (CMS) that are presently on the market.

How to Choose the Best CMS Platform for Your Website?

The majority of users carefully consider their options before deciding on a CMS platform for their website. The following are some considerations that will assist you in selecting the most suitable CMS platform for the development of your website:

i) WYSIWYG Editor

These days, the WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) user interface is standard on the majority of content management systems. Since there are some individuals who do not have any experience with programming, but it is still their goal to create a website on their own, there are some resources available.

This means that you’ll generate text and move photos and other page components around utilising the drag and drop tool to accomplish these tasks. A live preview tool will also be available to you so that you may compare different versions of your material as you are changing it. Why settle for a complicated solution when there are user-friendly platforms that come equipped with a WYSIWYG editor?

ii) Responsive Design

These days, a significant number of people are communicating with one another via the use of their mobile devices, both for sending and receiving information. Therefore, in today’s world, it is essential for websites to be mobile-friendly. As a result, it is essential that each and every website have a dynamic layout that can easily adapt to the size of the display.

iii) Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Nobody will be able to locate your website or its content among the results of search engines if it is not optimised for search engine optimization (SEO). Therefore, you should pick a content management system (CMS) that has high SEO skills and make sure that your website is optimised for search engines like Google. It need to come with possibilities to customise title tags, meta descriptions, site maps, URLs that are favourable to SEO, and more besides.

iv) Support

One of the services that must be prioritised at all times is support since you can never be sure when you will want its help. Always choose with a platform that will provide you customer service around the clock and even has well-documented tutorials, videos, and other resources available.

15 Best Content Management Systems (CMSs) Compared

1. WordPress (.org)

Creating a website using WordPress.org, which uses a content management system (CMS) and is utilised by 38.6 percent of all websites, gives you a CMS market share of 63.5 percent. This indicates that WordPress.org is arguably the greatest platform available. It is the most popular open-source and free software that enables you to construct any kind of website, from online shops to portfolios to forums and more. You may use it to make any website you can imagine.

It comes with a wide variety of responsive themes that may be used to customise your website anyway you see fit. In a similar vein, it has a vast library of plugins; in fact, there is a plugin available for every conceivable use.

In addition to this, it has a plethora of additional functions, such as search engine optimization (SEO), ad monetization, security, and many more. Its block editor makes it easy to design pages that have a decent appearance, and you don’t need to worry about having any coding abilities in order to develop a website with it.

wordpress Pros and Cons:

PROS

  • Since you'll be building your site on your hosting account, you'll have complete control over it as well as ownership of it.

  • Because it is so user- and beginner-friendly, it makes the process of creating a website quite straightforward and simple.

  • Extremely malleable and extendable, with a plethora of themes and plugins to choose from.

  • Platforms that allow for self-hosting allow you to launch your website using any web hosting provider and domain name registrar of your choosing.

  • has a robust and extensive community.

  • enables you to generate revenue from your website in any manner that you see fit, giving you maximum flexibility in this regard.

cons

  • To use WordPress, you don't need to know how to code, but having a fundamental understanding of markup languages like HTML and CSS can make things much simpler.

  • When you're doing everything by yourself, managing the hosting and domain might become a chore at times.

2. Drupal

When it comes to content management system (CMS) systems, Drupal is another word that comes up after WordPress. You are possible to develop a wide variety of websites using this open-source content management system (CMS), which is both very powerful and extensible. Some examples are personal webpages and blogs.

Drupal, like WordPress, is a self-hosted platform; but, unlike WordPress, Drupal is not as user-friendly for novices as its users would want it to be. It is beneficial for persons who are acquainted with web development or who work in the field of software development.

If you want to construct a highly customised website that requires you to manage large amounts of data, you may want to consider using this platform.

drupal Pros and Cons:

PROS

  • Offers support for webpages written in many languages by default.

  • Appropriate for the development of very sophisticated websites.

  • Offers the highest possible level of protection for your website.

  • Platform with a high degree of scalability and flexibility.

cons

  • Not very user-friendly for beginners and has a severe learning curve.

  • The high cost is due to the extensive customization of the themes.

  • Installing this platform does need a certain level of technical expertise.

3. Ghost

Following in the footsteps of Drupal comes Ghost, a lightweight open-source content management system and blogging platform that was created with publishing and blogging in mind. If you are interested in beginning a career as a blogger, this is the right platform for you to do it.

This platform is simple to use and provides a high level of user friendliness. Therefore, anybody may quickly and simply construct a website that looks absolutely stunning. Because this platform was developed using NodeJS, it offers a clean and straightforward user interface, which improves the overall surfing experience for the site’s users.

ghost Pros and Cons:

PROS

  • Offers a real-time glimpse of how your website is now appearing to visitors at that same moment.

  • Featuring an uncluttered, uncomplicated layout that makes it easy to use.

  • Support for SEO that is built in.

  • Users have the option of using either their own self-hosted platform or one that is completely hosted by the company.

  • Completely responsive, optimised for use on mobile devices, and supported by AMP in its entirety.

cons

  • Few possibilities for personalization are available.

  • It's possible that it won't work for developing certain kinds of websites.

  • a big selection of both themes and plugins to choose from.

4. Joomla

If you are looking for a content management system (CMS) that is both strong and widely used, then you should look no further than Joomla. It is a free open-source content management system platform that comes with a wide variety of templates and add-ons.

Because Joomla is a platform that can be used for a variety of purposes, you may use it to develop any sort of website. It comes with a tonne of extra features including the ability to schedule posts and manage users, among other things. However, due to the high learning curve that comes with using this platform, it is not recommended for those who are just starting out.

joomla Pros and Cons:

PROS

  • A sizable community consisting of consumers as well as developers.

  • Your website will have support for several languages using this plugin.

  • A sizable collection of totally free add-ons and templates.

  • Offers helpful assistance to the customers.

  • Structure that is already optimised for search engines.

cons

  • Several of its more complex add-ons come with a hefty price tag.

  • The first learning curve for using its user interface is a little bit steep.

  • Sometimes its additions need manual implementation.

5. TYPO3

When it comes to developing a website that is both free and open-source, the TYPO3 content publishing platform is an option that is sometimes overlooked despite its capabilities. It excels in the construction of both simple websites like blogs and complex websites like online stores.

Because the installation procedure isn’t as user-friendly for beginners as it is on other platforms, this content management system is best suited to those individuals who already have some expertise in web building. Because of this, the majority of users do not often choose TYPO3 as their first option.

typo3 Pros and Cons:

PROS

  • CMS platform that is widely distributed and has a big community.

  • Appropriate for use in the production of an enterprise-level website including a variety of capabilities.

  • This feature enables you to administer several websites from a single installation of the software.

cons

  • Installing this programme does need a certain amount of technical know-how.

  • Not too beginner-friendly CMS platform.

6. Textpattern

Textpattern is the right content management system (CMS) platform for you if what you need is something clear and easy to use. It was developed with the needs of programmers in mind. When compared to other platforms, the installation procedure is a little bit more complicated and calls for some prior knowledge or expertise in programming.

On the other hand, it has a tool known as the text-to-HTML converter, which simplifies the process of understanding and producing clean codes for users who are not programmers. In a similar vein, it provides you with a wide range of choices for themes and plugins, both of which may assist you in improving the appearance and functionality of your website.

textpattern Pros and Cons:

PROS

  • You have the ability to personalise and organise your material in accordance with your choices.

  • Well documented, with a robust backing from the community.

  • A sizable collection of free themes and plugins that may be downloaded.

cons

  • Offers a restricted set of functions.

  • Due to the absence of a single-click installation option, putting in this programme is a difficult and time-consuming process.

  • Due to the need for some level of technical expertise, this content management system is not suitable for beginners.

7. Magento

Magento is another well-known content management system (CMS) that is often used for generating websites for online stores. Because of its very versatile and dynamic design, it is an excellent choice for developing upscale versions of online businesses of any sort. It is equipped with features that are very adaptable and choices that are highly modifiable.

Despite the fact that you could find it challenging to get acquainted with it due to the fact that it is somewhat complicated to begin with, doing so requires a significant amount of work. In a similar vein, you may install the free version on your web hosting account after downloading it and using it. Or, if you want to pay for it, it will provide you complete assistance and will also provide hosting for your website; however, this option is quite pricey.

magento Pros and Cons:

PROS

  • Offers a number of different payment gateway alternatives.

  • Completely mobile-friendly and responsive across all devices.

  • Platform with a high level of personalization and scalability.

  • Included search engine optimization.

  • Discounts, recurring payments, stock availability of items, and a variety of other options are included among the extra features that are included.

cons

  • Beginners may find that there is a little learning curve associated with it.

  • However, the corporate edition of Magento costs a significant amount of money and is not available for free.

  • To host this platform, you will need to have access to a dedicated server.

  • It takes a long time to load and requires a lot of your attention.

8. Wix

Wix is one of the most popular website building platforms out there. It is also quite easy to use, which has contributed to the platform’s rise in popularity over the last year. We are able to declare that it is the most user-friendly website builder that offers an opportunity to create a whole website by dragging and dropping elements around on the page.

Because it is a versatile platform, you will be able to construct any sort of website you could possibly imagine with it. As a result, it is suitable for use by novices, and getting started with it is not very difficult either.

wix Pros and Cons:

PROS

  • Powerful drag and drop editing tool.

  • The website may be created and managed with a minimum of effort.

  • There is a large selection of pre-made templates available for selection.

  • Friendly to users and thoroughly suited for mobile devices.

  • Integrated search engine optimization and social media integration.

  • platforms that are fully hosted and provided with a free subdomain as standard.

cons

  • It is challenging to transition from this platform to other options.

  • If you use the free version of Wix, then advertisements that aren't relevant to your site will be shown on it.

  • The free edition only supports a select few add-ons at this time.

9. Squarespace

Squarespace is another very popular website builder and content management system (CMS) software option. Squarespace is incredibly flexible and user-friendly. You are able to establish whatever sort of website you want, including blogs, online portfolios, and online shops.

In a same vein, it is quite simple to use and comes equipped with strong design tools that allow you to customise your website by dragging and dropping elements. This makes it incredibly simple to create a fantastic website without requiring you to devote a significant amount of your time to the process.

In the same vein, it makes it ridiculously simple even for novices to put up a fundamental website.

squarespace Pros and Cons:

PROS

  • Easy to use drag and drop design tools.

  • a content management system that is both user-friendly and accessible to novices.

  • Offers free website hosting as a service.

  • Integrated support for SSL encryption.

cons

  • Few possibilities for personalization and style are available.

  • Does not have a free version available, and the price is rather high in contrast to that of other platforms.

  • Only a small number of third-party plugins and extensions are supported.

  • The inability to handle websites that are multilingual and the restricted depth of navigation

10. Shopify

Shopify is the greatest eCommerce site builder platform available, and it covers everything that is necessary to begin operating an online shop. If you are considering opening an online business, you should choose Shopify. The nicest thing about Shopify is that it is an easy-to-use platform that is also safe, and it makes it possible for you to easily start an online shop.

Because of its intuitive drag-and-drop user interface, getting started with it is much simpler than with other similar programmes. Because it is a hosted platform, it handles everything pertaining to your domain and hosting services for you.

One of the most significant rivals to WordPress’ WooCommerce is Shopify. For further details, see our comparison of WooCommerce vs Shopify, which is presented in a side-by-side style.

shopify Pros and Cons:

PROS

  • Interface based on dragging and dropping.

  • Integrated with Point of Sale (POS) systems to make transactions involving payments simpler.

  • Well detailed and offers help to customers around the clock.

  • Includes a diverse selection of add-ons, such as extensions and themes, to pick from.

  • Compatible with the vast majority of payment processors.

cons

  • Poor performance in terms of SEO.

  • Comparatively quite a pricey eCommerce platform.

  • Only a few third-party extensions are available.

  • Unless you pay via their Shopify Payment system, it will charge you a specific amount of money for transaction fees.

11. BigCommerce

BigCommerce is an additional well-known eCommerce site builder that can be used to create online shops. Shopify is the first. It is often referred to as an all-in-one platform due to the fact that it provides a comprehensive set of capabilities that can be used to create an online shop of any sort.

In a similar vein, it is very simple to set up and offers such a high degree of adaptability that even those with little to no prior knowledge may use it to create the ideal platform. In addition to this, it gives you the ability to monitor the success of your business, increases the sales of items, and offers help around the clock. In addition to that, it will protect your data and make backups for you.

bigcommerce Pros and Cons:

PROS

  • Provides support for a number of different payment gateways.

  • It is distinct from other options in that it does not levy any additional transaction costs.

  • You will be able to sell your items even outside of your shop on other platforms such as Amazon and eBay thanks to this feature.

  • Completely mobile-friendly and responsive across all devices.

  • Offers committed assistance for the customer.

cons

  • Fewer themes and plugins to choose from.

  • Paid plans are relatively costly to use.

  • Does not support online retailers that provide several languages.

12. WordPress.com

Another version is WordPress.com, which is the fully-hosted version of the WordPress software that we discussed in the first paragraph. This is the version that can be found on WordPress.com. Automattic is responsible for both its development and operation. The vast majority of individuals are oblivious to the fact that WordPress.org is an open-source and self-hosted platform.

For more information, please refer to our post on “WordPress.com vs. WordPress.org.”

Because it is also an all-in-one content management system, you may use it to create any sort of website you want. When you use it, you will either have to buy a domain name or you will have the option to utilise a free subdomain that is offered by WordPress.com.

WORDPRESS.COM Pros and Cons:

PROS

  • Offers free web hosting to users.

  • Offers official support for the development process.

  • Choose between using WordPress.com or WordPress.org as your hosting platform.

  • Clear and uncluttered layout, simplifying the user experience.

  • Offers committed assistance for the customer.

cons

  • Few possibilities for personalization are available.C

  • The free version does not provide complete ownership of your website.

  • There are few potential avenues for profit.

13. Grav

Grav, a free and open-source flat-file content management system, is yet another user-friendly Content Management System (CMS) platform. This indicates that Grav does not perform any operations on the database; rather, it stores all of the information as files and then saves them in a directory that corresponds to them. Therefore, this makes it very lightweight and simple to install anywhere, as all you need to do is upload the file for your website.

It has powerful templates that enable you to easily publish and manage content, in addition to being flexible enough to allow you to create any kind of website.

GRAV Pros and Cons:

PROS

  • Strong content management system based on flat files.

  • Full power over customisation.

  • It is simple to back up all of the files and to update them.

  • Easy to set up and operate once it is.

cons

  • Not suitable for use in the construction of websites for large enterprises.

  • Insufficient safety.

14. dotCMS

DotCMS is another flexible and scalable content management system (CMS) platform that is ideal for developing a wide variety of websites. It eliminates the need for inexperienced users to learn how to code by providing a user interface (UI) that allows them to create websites by dragging and dropping elements. In a similar vein, it enables you to construct numerous roles and permissions, which you can use to control who can access your content.

DOTCMS Pros and Cons:

PROS

  • a content management system that is friendly to SEO.

  • Completely mobile-friendly and responsive across all devices.

  • Offers assistance for websites that handle several languages.

cons

  • Option for limited personalization available.

  • Poorer support for existing customers.

15. Blogger

It is a platform for blogging, as the name suggests, and thousands of bloggers from all over the world use it. Google now owns one of the oldest blogging platforms, which dates back to 2004.

It offers a starting platform that is very easy to use, making it an excellent choice for novice bloggers. You simply need a Google account to get started with Blogger, and then you’ll be all ready to go. Getting started with Blogger is really simple.

In a similar fashion, it gives you a free subdomain under the address www.example.blogspot.com as part of the free hosting services that it offers. You also have the option of purchasing a domain name and then linking it to your Blogger blog.

Even in the present day, it is still considered a leading alternative to WordPress and is one of the oldest blogging platforms. Check out our in-depth post comparing WordPress vs Blogger if you’re interested in learning more about the distinctions between the two platforms.

BLOGGER Pros and Cons:

PROS

  • Platform that is completely hosted.

  • Your blog will be simple to use and set up.

  • Beginner-friendly interface.

  • Offers fantastic monetization choices, such as Google AdSense, among others.

  • Because Google owns it, you can rest assured that your data is safe.

cons

  • Your blog is not entirely under your control at this point.

  • Few options available for themes and plugins.

  • Not ideal for websites that include anything other than blogs as their primary content type.

  • Moving away from this platform and onto another one is not an easy task.

Conclusion

Now, at long last, the most important issue is how to determine which of them is the most effective CMS platform available. Because it can function as a business website, a blogging platform, an e-commerce platform, and even more, WordPress is, in our view, the most versatile content management system (CMS) platform. On the other hand, getting started with it is relatively simple, and a large number of the web hosting companies that support WordPress provide one-click installations. In addition, the fact that it is an open-source platform provides you with an infinite number of expansion possibilities.

In a similar vein, you can select Bogger as your platform of choice if you are just starting out and are looking for a fully hosted service. Because of its intuitive user interface and strong support from Google, it is an excellent choice for beginners.

That brings us to the end. The following are several lists that have CMS systems that are considered to be the finest for producing websites. We really hope that you will agree with our selection of the top content management system platforms.

Please leave a comment below if you have any other questions on the finest content management systems (CMS) platforms for the website. You may expect a response from us in the shortest amount of time feasible.

You might want to take a look at our comprehensive guide that walks you through the process of building a website from the ground up, and you should also investigate the best web hosting companies for your site.

If you think that others would also benefit from reading this article, please don’t hesitate to forward it to them. In addition to that, please make sure that you are following us on both Twitter and Facebook.

Some of the links on this article/page are affiliate links. If you click on such an affiliate link and purchase the product, we’ll earn a specific percent commission from the seller. But it won’t at all affect the price you’ll pay.
 

RELATED TO YOU

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *