In this internet era, where people can find almost anything online, having the right content on your business or brand's website is important. But how do you manage, share, and modify the content on your site? This is where Content Management System (CMS) may come into play. Over the years, we've seen several CMS software and apps enter the industry, and two of the major ones are Drupal and WordPress.
This article will compare these two top CMS software to help you know the right fit. The comparison will factor in features like ease of use, security, SEO optimization, speed, performance, etc.
The Open-Source Market Share
Truth be told, almost every IT-inclined person has come across WordPress at one point or another. This shows how popular WordPress is. Statistics for Drupal CMS vs WordPress CMS market share show that WordPress has 62.5% compared to Drupal's 4.7% market share. Apart from that, WordPress powers around 42% of all websites online, which is pretty massive.
But does that mean WordPress is better? Not entirely. As it is with every computer program, app, or service, every CMS tool has aspects where it is most efficient. This article will consider all the important aspects of both WordPress and Drupal.
Some of the top websites that use WordPress in part or full include:
- Mercedez Benz
- Sony Mobile
- The New Yorker
- University of Washington
- Tech Crunch
Below are some leading sites that use Drupal:
Feature Comparison
There are some specific features to look out for when selecting a CMS tool. So, in this section, we outline Drupal vs WordPress feature comparison based on these vital features.
Installation and Ease of Use
The installation process is the first feature we will compare in our Drupal vs WordPress analysis. Installing WordPress is pretty straightforward. In fact, many top hosting companies have WordPress pre-installed on users' C-Panels. And if you wish to install it on a local PC or server, it only takes a few clicks once you have a PHP development environment. On the other hand, installing Drupal is a bit of a lengthy process. You must create "settings.php.", run the installation script, set up file directories, etc.
Apart from the differences in the installation process, WordPress is generally easy to use, which is one of the reasons for its popularity. It is beginner-friendly, and you can get a hang of how it works quickly. As for Drupal, it has a steep learning curve but is also relatively easy to use once you are familiar with how it works.
Security
With the continuous increase in cyber risks and crimes, you should pay attention to Drupal vs WordPress security before choosing one to use. Interestingly, both WordPress and Drupal use high-end security mechanisms and processes. However, WordPress is comparatively vulnerable to some security risks. For starters, there are several third-party plugins in WordPress. So, if you download and install a rogue plugin, it can expose your content to risks. To mitigate this risk, we encourage users to follow the best practices when installing plugins or performing any actions in WordPress.
Due to the restrictive access rules and the addition of more security modules, Drupal tends to offer more security than WordPress. However, the bottom line is always to take cautionary steps to avoid falling victim to cyber crimes.
SEO Optimization
When it comes to SEO, WordPress and Drupal have done well. Each of these CMS software has unique SEO capabilities and tools that you can use to optimize your content for search engines. WordPress offers numerous built-in and third-party SEO plugins like Yoast and RankMath. Apart from access to SEO plugins, WordPress automatically helps you generate XML sitemaps, which are useful in helping search engines find your website and content.
But what about Drupal? Drupal SEO features include improved meta tags, canonical URLs, and structured data to make your website more visible to search engines. But that's not all. Drupal also has features like RDF support and title-based nodes, which you can use along with the tools mentioned earlier.
Speed and Performance
As for Drupal vs WordPress speed, Drupal is technically faster than WordPress, and for obvious reasons. With WordPress, the speed and performance depend largely on the size and scope of the website, the hosting provider, and so on. So, if you are using heavy WordPress themes, numerous plugins, and a slow hosting service, your website and content will load slower. In addition, unoptimized content and a lack of dedicated resources to serve content limits can limit WordPress speed.
So, how is Drupal faster? Drupal is not resource-intensive like WordPress. This allows it to communicate faster with its servers and offer better response speeds. Even if you have a website with thousands of web pages, the light nature of Drupal allows it to handle them faster. You can even install extensions like website caching to improve speed and performance.
Customization: Modules & Plugins
WordPress and Drupal offer great customization features, giving users total control over how their content is displayed. There are over 53,000 free WordPress plugins and 5,000+ free themes to use. With these plugins, you can add new functionalities or expand on existing functionalities in your WordPress CMS website.
Similarly, Drupal has numerous customization modules that you can use, over 40,000. These modules are codes you can integrate into your Drupal website to add new functions, modify existing functions, and so on. And the best part is that you can create your own modules if you know how.
Support
Truth be told, no perfect system exists. This means you may need the help of a support team at one point or another when using a CMS tool. So, how do WordPress and Drupal fair in the customer support department? Both CMS software offer some sort of assistance to users, but WordPress seems to have the better support system. With WordPress, you get access to 24/7 live chat during weekdays. In addition, you can get assistance from the WordPress team via localized email and contact form. You can even use the WordPress community forums to seek assistance and learn about solutions to some users' challenges.
While Drupal does not offer live chat or email support, it has forums where users can get help when needed. It also has Community Documentation, Core Issue Queue, and Stack Exchange.
Learning Curve: which CMS is better to learn?
To be honest, Drupal and WordPress are both powerful CMS tools. But as mentioned earlier, Drupal has a steep learning curve, while WordPress is easier to learn and use. For instance, while you can download themes for your website design and layout on WordPress, there are no themes to download on Drupal. With WordPress themes, you usually only need to drag and drop, click here and there, and your website is ready to publish. But if you are going for Drupal, you'll need developer-level experience to modify designs and get something that suits your taste.
But which is better to learn? It all comes down to what you need. WordPress may be the right fit if you need a blog or a small e-commerce website, especially when you host it at a top hosting service. However, if your website is complex and needs a robust architecture, Drupal is probably the best option, especially since Drupal offers faster speed and response time.
Drupal vs WordPress: Our Verdict
After carefully comparing WordPress vs Drupal features, we found that both tools have some pretty impressive features. They are powerful tools for content management, and WordPress is pretty popular, with a 62.5% market share.
Installation-wise, WordPress is easy to install and use, but Drupal offers more security, speed, and performance efficiency. Nevertheless, both CMS software have incredible customization options, SEO optimization capabilities, and advanced security protocols.
Your decision to choose WordPress or Drupal should be based on your business type, your website's complexity, concerns about security and speed, and so on. So, ensure you know what exactly your goals are, and choose the right CMS tool to help you accomplish them.
Need help with your Drupal website? Want to migrate your WordPress website to Drupal? Get in touch, and let us help you with your projects.
If you are looking to use Drupal, you should get experts to help you set it up to suit your business goals and objectives. At OSWorkshop.com, we have a team of experts with years of experience setting up Drupal for the best performance. We can also help you migrate from your WordPress to Drupal without any issues. Feel free to contact us today to know how we can help you and what will work best for you.
