Today, building a website is not a difficult process. Many tools and technologies are available that can be used for website development. Content Management System (CMS) is one such technology that allows the creation of a functional website with minimal effort. One can create and manage websites without much hassle. However, there are lots of CMS out there that you can choose for your site.
Drupal and WordPress are two popular CMS that can be utilized for developing a variety of websites: from blogging portals to eCommerce sites. When it is about building a site, people get confused about which CMS should they choose for their sites. Do you come in that category? If yes, then you have visited the right place. In this post, we have compared Drupal and WordPress to find out which CMS is better for website development.
Drupal vs WordPress: An Overview
Drupal was released in the year 2000. This CMS allows managing, organizing, and publishing content efficiently. If you want to build a highly customized website, then you should choose Drupal website development.
The biggest misconception about WordPress is that it is only a blogging platform. But, it is much more than that. In 2003, it was launched as a blogging tool but with passing years, it has emerged out as the leading CMS choice. Creating a website from scratch is not a challenging task using WordPress website development.
In fact, WordPress powers around 14.7% of leading websites all around the world. This clearly shows how popular this CMS is.
Now, let’s have a look at the key differences between Drupal and WordPress.
Drupal vs WordPress: Ease of use
Drupal has an incomprehensible interface in comparison to WordPress. Also, its installation to your host is simple as different hosts offer the option for installing various content management systems that include Drupal within the backend of the hosting environment. For this platform, you have to appoint a custom Drupal development company for creating a customized theme as it will be hard to build a custom theme for your site.
Creating a fully functional website is an easy task with WordPress. If you have limited technical knowledge, then this platform is ideal for website development. You can even take professional assistance from WordPress experts to build and customize the site for you. Its ease of use compels people to opt for this CMS for website creation. And, it takes a few minutes to install WordPress on the host.
Verdict: WordPress is the Winner.
Drupal vs WordPress: Security
Drupal is a highly secure platform and this is because of its low user base. In fact, security is an important feature for Drupal. Its security further gets enhanced due to the regular updates.
Security is the biggest concern for every website owner. Although every CMS offers a secure environment to create and manage websites, there is a greater probability of risk involved with WordPress. This is because of its high popularity. Therefore, it is the main target of hackers and malware.
Verdict: Drupal is the winner.
Drupal vs WordPress: Plugins & Themes
Although Drupal is not as popular as WordPress, there are still numerous extensions available for users. Choosing the right plugin will not be a difficult task for experienced developers and users with solid technical knowledge. It is a bit of a time-consuming part to get extensions for Drupal sites. The same thing goes for themes as well. But, after gaining the required knowledge and experience, you will surely pick the right option.
WordPress has a huge community of developers that offers a comprehensive solution for different requirements. Within the WordPress repository, you will get tons of plugins and themes (both free and priced versions). There will be a large number of plugins that are perfect to suit the range of website requirements like loading speed, security, etc.
Verdict: WordPress is the Winner.
Drupal vs WordPress: Speed
When it is about rendering a pleasant user experience and achieving a higher ranking, a fast-loading site is a topmost necessity. Your website might be having an alluring design but it is not of any worth if it takes time to load. Using Drupal, you can build fast-loading and high-performance websites for your business. The prime reason for its fast speed is that it is not resource-intensive. It is lightweight in comparison to WordPress. Therefore, it is the top choice for those who wanted to include multiple pages on their sites.
Speed is the major limitation of WordPress. However, it does not imply that WordPress sites will not be fast. There are many webmasters who failed to optimize their website in the proper way that’s the reason their site has slow speed. And, factors like using multiple plugins, unoptimized themes, and poorly coded themes are some reasons which are affecting the speed of WordPress sites.
Verdict: Drupal is the Winner.
Drupal vs WordPress: Flexibility
For customizing your Drupal site, you have to deal with modules and extensions. You will find starter themes that you can customize to maximize your site’s potential. Drupal does provide different plugins and themes but finding the right one will be an intimidating task.
WordPress provides various themes and plugins which you can use to expand the functionality of your site. With custom WordPress development, it is quite convenient to upgrade the look and features of a website.
Verdict: WordPress is the Winner.
Drupal vs WordPress: Learning Curve
The last and most important point of difference is the learning curve. Drupal offers a steep learning curve as its interface will be a little complicated for beginners who have less technical knowledge. For creating a website using Drupal, you need to have some technical knowledge for that you should hire Drupal developer. In addition to that, you need to possess robust technical skills for handling your site efficiently.
WordPress does not offer a steep learning curve. It has a simple and fully functional way to customize the look and feel of your website. Due to its intuitive interface, one can design their website as per their taste and preferences with the help of a Website development company.
Verdict: WordPress is the winner.
Final Thoughts
Choosing the perfect CMS is a crucial decision as it can have a longstanding effect on a business. Therefore, you should make the decision wisely when you have to choose between WordPress or Drupal web development. Based on the above points, it is safe to conclude that Drupal is a powerful platform that is equipped with wonderful features. WordPress is also a robust CMS with excellent features along with several themes and plugins. However, you have to select any CMS that satisfies your business requirement.
If you have a plan to launch your website, then you can consider CSSChopper. We have years of working experience in developing websites for different business verticals. We couple our experience with technical expertise to deliver a high-grade solution to our clients.
