Clients often ask us: “Which content management system (CMS) should I choose for building my new website or online store?” There are plenty of options on the market, but if you want to invest in a platform that is secure, scalable and backed by a large global community, the choice usually comes down to three big open-source giants: WordPress, Joomla and Drupal.
In this article, we compare these three popular systems, drawing on Marketing Sharks’ years of experience developing and managing hundreds of web projects.
Next step: If you don’t want to choose between the platforms yourself, take a look at our web development service or request a free quote.
What is a content management system (CMS)?
A content management system (CMS) is software that lets you manage your website’s content (text, images, products) without any specific programming knowledge. It gives your company independence in managing its website – you don’t have to hire a developer for every small change.
Comparison criteria and how to choose the right one
When choosing a platform, we recommend basing your decision on four main criteria:
- Ease of use and development speed (cost)
- Selection of add-on modules (plugins) and designs
- Security
- SEO-friendliness
Ease of use and development speed
Price is classically driven by supply and demand, but in software development also by the platform’s learning curve.
- WordPress: Today probably the platform with the most intuitive and user-friendly admin panel. The system is built so that a content editor can learn how to add new pages and posts in a matter of minutes. Because there are plenty of WordPress developers on the market and the platform itself makes it quick to set up visual solutions, WordPress development is often the most cost-effective.
- Joomla: Average in terms of ease of use. Out of the box it offers somewhat more complex structure management, which may require some learning time from the person entering content.
- Drupal: Designed primarily for very large, complex data-driven portals. Drupal administration is inconvenient and complicated for the average user. Because Drupal specialists are scarce and developing the system is highly specialized, Drupal development is the most expensive.
Abundance of add-on modules (plugins)
In 2024, a platform’s strength is dictated by its community. Ready-made solutions, i.e. plugins (for example payment solutions, language modules, SEO tools), save dozens of development hours.
- WordPress: Boasts 60,000+ free plugins and thousands of premium solutions. If you need an online store (WooCommerce), a booking system or a complex form solution, chances are it has already been built somewhere and widely tested.
- Joomla & Drupal: Both have decent add-on module support (Joomla around 6,000+, Drupal a larger module system), but because the developer community is significantly smaller, they are updated less often and specific solutions often have to be custom-built from scratch at a high cost.
Security
One of the most common myths is that WordPress is not secure. Security comes first and foremost from the site’s administrator and proper maintenance.
Since WordPress now powers roughly 43% of all websites in the world, it is logically also the most frequent target of hackers and bots. None of these three systems (WordPress, Joomla, Drupal) usually gets hacked at the “core” level. Nine times out of ten, problems arise when:
- Passwords that are too simple are used (e.g. “admin”).
- The core or important plugins are left without updates for years.
- Untrustworthy pirated themes downloaded for free (nulled themes) are used.
If your WordPress site is secured by a professional agency and updates are regular, it is just as secure or even more secure than specialized closed systems. That said, Drupal is still considered the security standard among large corporations and government agencies, precisely because it is less widespread and its structure is stricter.
SEO, or search engine optimization
SEO is the lifeline of every business. The platform must support clean code generation, fast loading times and flexible management of meta information.
WordPress is known as the most SEO-friendly platform straight “out of the box.” Add dedicated SEO plugins (e.g. RankMath or Yoast) and you have full control over your site’s visibility. Google’s own engineers have repeatedly confirmed publicly that WordPress solves a great many technical SEO problems automatically.
Summary: why we recommend WordPress
Unless you are building a new government portal that requires Drupal’s specific architecture, WordPress is today the undisputed market leader for businesses of every size.
It is flexible, cheaper to develop, offers unlimited possibilities for expanding into stores and portals, and is a favorite of search engines. The Marketing Sharks team specializes in the WordPress platform, squeezing the maximum out of it in speed, security and design alike.
Need a new, modern, professional website?
We have built dozens of successful brands and functional platforms that bring in real sales. Write to us and let’s talk about how we can take your business to the next level with WordPress!
Read more about creating a WooCommerce-based online store on our building an online store page.
Regardless of the platform, visibility is ultimately decided by content and technical health – and that is where our SEO service helps.
