WordPress Isn’t the Only CMS! Consider Drupal

christian parker

Feb 03 2016

WordPress is usually one of the first options that come to mind when you think about building a website. Most people choose between three options: building a site from scratch, using a regular site builder like Wix, or using WordPress.

WordPress is a CMS – a content management system that allows you to build a website without the limitations of a website builder.

A common mistake many make is to simply choose WordPress without considering other, possibly better options.

That’s where this article comes in. It’s the first in a series of posts we plan to bring you on WordPress alternatives. This week, we’ll be looking at Drupal.

What is Drupal?

Aimed at people with a bit more technical experience than other CMS solutions, Drupal is a CMS with hundreds of features for flexible and modular content management.

It offers versatile tools that help users create a dynamic web experience for their visitors and is considered the best solution for high-traffic websites.

Like WordPress, Drupal is completely open source, which means that you can download it and use it for free. It also updates and improves regularly, and there is a lot of code available online if you need a helping hand adding more advanced functionality to your site.

The Benefits of Drupal

Drupal boasts more than 200 features, and more are being added constantly.

Simplicity

Previews and drag-and-drop image uploads, as well as in-context editing, are just some of the tools that can help you to save time and work more effectively when making changes to your site.

Accessibility

Drupal helps its users create more accessible websites by offering a selection of content structures for visitors with disabilities, with various color contrasts and font sizes, and semantic HTML5, more.

Customization

No need to use code to control content structure and how data is displayed. Creating and managing content with Drupal is easy and efficient.

Deployment and Maintenance

Drupal makes it easy to configure changes between different environments and offers sophisticated maintenance options to allow you better control over your website from one convenient place.

Multilingual

Users can install Drupal in any one of 100 available languages, and can translate components themselves within the software for an even better experience, including R2L styling and transliteration support.

Perfect for Developers

Drupal supports PHP and object-oriented code and allows for faster debugging and easier customizations for users with coding and development experience.

Starting Out with Drupal

Like any other self-hosted CMS, you need to install it on your host. Due to the popularity of Drupal, many hosts, like BlueHost, offer easy 1-click installation.

If that’s not available to you, you will most likely find clear instructions to install Drupal in your hosting company’s support files and FAQ, or you can contact your host’s support team for further assistance.

The Drupal.org website also offers in-depth instructions and guides to installing Drupal.

Why Choose Drupal Over WordPress

While Drupal is considered slightly more complex than WordPress, and even more difficult to use in some cases, it can still be a better choice for your website.

It is a very powerful open-source CMS and offers very advanced capabilities to those who need them.

Here are a few reasons you may consider Drupal over WordPress:

Advanced

When it comes to technical capabilities and features, Drupal is definitely in the lead and is perfect for users with a background in web development.

Better Performance

Drupal websites are usually faster to load and have faster response times, which is very significant in our fast-paced world where a slow website could lead to a significant loss in revenue.

Customizations

Customization options are endless for developers. Besides plugins and themes that you can easily install, users can edit root files to make even bigger changes to their website.

Powerful

Drupal is considered to be the most powerful CMS out there, even more than WordPress. That being said, developers can benefit most from the advanced features and capabilities that this CMS offers.

Another thing to consider before choosing Drupal is your technical experience. While Drupal is an excellent CMS, it is best suited for people with web development knowledge, including a working familiarity with HTML and PHP.

*Featured prices and terms can be updated. Free offers may include additional terms.
Contact Us

Our goal is to provide answers to all of your questions so you can make a confident purchasing decision. We welcome your feedback, so please email us at service@top5networks.com with suggestions and questions. We’d love to hear from you!

Your information will be handled as detailed in our Privacy Policy