When it's time to update or create a website, one of the first decisions you'll face is choosing the right platform. For those not steeped in technical jargon – such as those in marketing or communications — deciding between WordPress and Drupal can seem confusing.
In this article we'll dive into two of the most popular content management systems (CMS) to help you make an informed decision.
Before making a technical choice, it’s worth considering the needs of your business, marketing, communications, and especially your customers. Ultimately, it’s just a tool that enables these areas. But for now, let’s focus on the platforms.
What are WordPress and Drupal?
Both WordPress and Drupal are known as content management systems (CMS), allowing users to manage and present content online without extensive technical skills. Each has its own strengths and is suitable for different types of websites.
WordPress: The Internet’s Favorite
WordPress is the cornerstone of website development, based on open-source code and the PHP programming language. It dominates the CMS market:
- As of 2024, WordPress powers 43% of all websites on the internet.[1]
- It holds about 65% of the CMS market share, with Drupal and Joomla trailing significantly.[2]
Tech analyst Perttu Tolvanen notes, “WordPress and Drupal have become central technologies in the global web service market, maintaining their position ahead of other open-source communities.”[3]
WordPress for Ease and Scalability
Originally a blogging platform, WordPress has evolved. Its self-hosted version (wordpress.org) offers extensive customization, unlike its more limited, hosted counterpart (wordpress.com).
Advantages of WordPress:
- User-Friendly: WordPress is renowned for its ease of use.
Adjusting themes, adding content, and customizing features usually don’t require extensive technical skills. Most marketing professionals have used WordPress at some point. - Cost-Effective Development: Tailoring WordPress to meet specific needs can be done swiftly, partly due to its vast plugin and library ecosystem, and partly because of its competitive market that keeps costs down.
- Robust Community Support: The platform is supported by a vast global community, offering plenty of plugins, tutorials, and resources. There are many WordPress developers world-wide with strong support networks among them.
- Scalable and Flexible: With thousands of plugins and a built-in REST API, WordPress is adaptable for almost any type of project.
- No Vendor Lock-In: Its open-source nature means you’re never tied to a specific vendor or service provider.
Disadvantages of WordPress:
- Plugin Overload: Choosing the right plugins from thousands can be overwhelming and requires careful consideration. Typically, we recommend avoiding excessive plugins except in carefully considered cases.
- Inconsistent Code Quality: The quality of plugins and themes can vary, which may impact site performance and security. This highlights the importance of choosing a professional partner and leveraging WordPress’s standard features.
- Frequent Updates: While regular updates are good for security and new features, they can sometimes break existing functionality if not managed properly.
Drupal: The Power User’s CMS
Holding a smaller market share, Drupal is popular for complex projects, with incredibly highly customization needs. Increasingly, it is used as a content management solution for ‘headless’ setups where a separate stand-alone web application is used.
- Drupal powers about 3% of all websites globally.[4]
- It is particularly popular among websites with high volumes of content and complex data integration needs.
Advantages of Drupal:
- Highly Customizable: Ideal for complex sites that require extensive customization, multiple data models, or integrations.
- Advanced User Management: Drupal supports complex user roles and permissions, making it suitable for large organizations with sophisticated access needs.
- Built for Complex Multilingual Sites: Comes with robust built-in multilingual support.
Disadvantages of Drupal:
- Steep Learning Curve: Its powerful features come with a complexity that can be daunting for new users.
- Higher Development Costs: Customizing Drupal can be more labor-intensive and costly, reflected in higher project and maintenance costs.
- Less Frequent Updates: While this means stability, it can delay access to new features and improvements.
Making the Right Choice
The best platform for your website depends on your specific needs:
- WordPress is ideal for those who need a user-friendly platform that's flexible enough to handle a variety of content types and integration needs.
- Drupal is better suited for sites requiring extensive data organization, complex workflows, or high levels of customization.
What about Costs?
Building a website on either platform can vary widely:
- WordPress projects WordPress projects can range from €30,000 to €80,000, with more complex services costing easily over €100,000.
- Drupal projects
Drupal projects generally start at around €80,000 and can exceed €200,000 (or more) for highly specialized sites.
Remember, the right CMS for you depends on more than just initial costs—it's about long-term scalability, ease of maintenance, and how well the platform aligns with your digital goals.
Interested in learning more about WordPress?
At Valve we are experts in building WordPress-based websites that meet the needs of your business or organization. If you’re looking for a sales generating machine for your growth-hungry business we’re ready to help you meet your goals. So get in touch, and let’s get started!
- "WordPress Market Share", Kinsta, 2024.
- "CMS Market Analysis", Gartner, 2024.
- Perttu Tolvanen, "Web Service Market Trends", Vierityspalkki, 2024.
- "Drupal Usage Statistics", W3Techs, 2024.
