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The CMS is an amazing tool that lets you create and control the website and its content, even if you don’t have programming skills. The smart editing, content creation, and publishing tools of different CMS platforms allow managing any website efficiently without bothering too much about the technical aspects of the website. If you are willing to make a website without having programming skills then CMS is something that you must consider in this case. There are hundreds of CMS platforms available in marketing that offer different themes, plugins, and functionalities. Selecting the right CMS for your website is a hard task because the competition in the market is very high.

To select the perfect CMS for your website, you must know about the technical needs of your website.  Different CMS platforms in the market provide different functionalities and their usability is also quite different from each other. For example, if you want a simple website, you must go for a CMS that is easy to use and has a friendly interface. As you need the basic CMS features for your website, you better not look for a CMS with advanced functionalities.

A few years back, when I started blogging, the hardest thing for me was to select the most appropriate CMS that would suit my needs. I took a lot of time to select the right option for me and till now I have used many CMSs. In this article, with my experience and exposure, I have discussed some of the most popular CMS services available in the market, that would guide you to make a better decision about your CMS selection.

Here are some of the most commonly used CMS platforms.

WordPress

Whether or not you have any experience related to CMS you must hear of WordPress. It is one of the most popular CMS and around 65% of the websites that need any CMS are using WordPress because of its convenience, usability, and functionality. WordPress is the CMS platform that provides the user with higher usability with advanced functionality.

WordPress provides its users with customized designs, user-friendly interfaces, high security, media management, etc. One of the best things about WordPress is that it is a very SEO-friendly CMS platform that would help you maintain your Google ranking on the internet.

Around 33% of the overall websites on the internet are supported by WordPress. Some of the most popular sites made on WordPress are BBC America, Forbes, Bata, Facebook, and more. The pros and cons of WordPress are as follows:

 Pros

• You can get a range of free plugins and themes that are easy to use.
• All of the plugins are simple and SEO-friendly.
• WordPress is free to install and most of the themes of this CMS are also free.
• It is made on PHP which increases the overall performance and responsiveness of the website.

Cons

• WordPress needs a lot of updates.
• The custom layouts of WordPress are hard to use.
• WordPress is also prone to hacking, so users have to take some security precautions.

Drupal

Drupal is a fully customized open-source CMS platform that would provide you will high flexibility and scalability. It offers a wide range of content management features that can be ideal for enterprises that want to grow rapidly. The interface of the Drupal is very user-friendly. This CMS platform is mostly used in advanced websites. Some of the famous websites on the Drupal platforms are Box, EntertainmentWeekly, etc.

The Drupal is a good option for the small to medium-sized enterprises. The Drupal platform has a very active community that is supporting it. Drupal offers a wide range of interesting features such as user blogs, forums, profiles, OpenID, etc. If you want to create any website with more social features then Drupal is a good option for you to consider. Some of the pros and cons of Drupal are as follows:

Pros

• You don’t need to have a license for Drupal because it is an open-source CMS platform.
• Drupal is an ideal option for experienced programmers because of its developers’ friendly features.
• You can make highly advanced websites using Drupal.
• Drupal is a very flexible and versatile CMS platform.

Cons

• To work on Drupal, you must have web development experience with other technical skills.
• You might need an expert to install Drupal because of its complexity.

Joomla

After WordPress, Joomla is the other most popular CMS platform.  You can easily make powerful websites by using Joomla. The Joomla is an SEO-friendly CMS platform. You can find a lot of design options here. The most popular websites using the Joomla CMS platform are Linux, Harvard University, etc. Compared with WordPress, Joomla is a little bit more complex. Joomla offers a lot of modules to the users to put some extra features to your website. To manage these modules, you should have a good knowledge of programming. If you are a developer then Joomla is the best option for you. Following are some of the pros and cons of Joomla.

Pros

• You can get a lot of extensions in this CMS platform that makes it perfect for Ecommerce websites.
• It is an open-source platform that allows you to modify the content without any license.
• Modifying the content is easier in Joomla because of its intuitive sites.

Cons

• It is a little complex to manage and you might need experts.
• It can be a bit expensive because most of the resources of Joomla are paid.
• In the Joomla, the module marketplace is small.

Squarespace

Squarespace is an amazing CMS platform for making attractive websites. The Squarespace CMS platform offers fully customized control with high-quality features. One of the major qualities of Squarespace is its unique analytics. The famous websites made on this CMS are Slidebean, Trustpilot blog, Wired, Lyft, etc.

With the Squarespace, you will get a smart SEO and CRM toolkit. Squarespace is a good option for local businesses. Squarespace is very flexible and it is easy for you to adjust this CMS platform depending on your business needs. Following are some major pros and cons of Squarespace.

 Pros

• Squarespace offers the best quality templates and amazing designs to make your website attractive.
• It provides complete customization control without coding.

Cons

• You may need some time to get used to its features and usage.
• The terminology of the Squarespace can be confusing for you.
• No app store is available, so you have to use its built-in features.

SilverStripe

The SilverStripe is a CMS platform, built on PHP that makes it very much like WordPress. The SilverStripe has more configuration options as compared with WordPress. The SilverStrip has a templating language that can be helpful in the design. The SilverStripe provides some features like the SEO support tools with content version control. The SilverStripe doesn’t have a huge development community, it offers some widgets, themes, and modules to add functionality to the website. Some of the pros and cons of SilverStripe are as follows:

Pros

• The SilverStripe is an open-source CMS that is free to use.
• It follows the MVC (Model, View, and Controller) structure that is more familiar to the developers.

Cons

• The SilverStripe has limited design and styling options that don’t let the designers have the freedom.
• The learning curve of the SilverStripe is very steep and it is also hard for you to get help because its community is very small.
• If you are not a developer then SilverStripe might not allow you to install any theme or plugins.

Kentico CMS

Kentico is another CMS versatile platform that offers a wide range of features for creating websites, managing content, and marketing. It is the one and only ASP.NET CMS platform and it offers a lot of community-building tools like groups, forums, and message boards. The Kentico is a multilingual CMS that allows users to manage the content and websites in different languages. Some of the famous websites on the Kentico are Starbucks, Gibson Guitars, Mazda, etc. The pros and cons of the Kentico are as follows:

Pros

• The Kentico provides salesforce integration.
• The scalability of the Kentico is higher and it offers more flexibility.
• The Kentico is a versatile CMS with some powerful features.

Cons

• The Kentico CMS is a bit expensive compared with the other CMS platforms.
• It is hard to learn and you should have some programming and web development skills to manage this CMS.

Textpattern

If you are a beginner then Textpattern is the best option for you because of its simple to use and elegant design. It is a lightweight CMS that makes loading faster. The backend of the Textpattern is very easy to use because of its intuitive design. If you have any problem working on it, then you can get help from the official site of Textpattern. The developer’s community of the Textpattern is very active and you can easily get assistance.

The Textpattern just provides the users with the basic CMS functionalities. Some of the major pros and cons of the Textpattern are as follows:

Pros

• It is easy to use and doesn’t require any technical skill.
• The Textpattern has an active and loyal community of developers.
• It can be used by bloggers who want simplicity in their content without any added features.

Cons

• The Textpattern cannot be used for advanced websites because of its limited features and functionalities.
• It is not compatible with the growing business models to get competitors’ advantage.

Umbraco

The Umbraco is a popular CMS platform that is developed using ASP.NET. The interface of the Umbraco is very developer-friendly. In the Umbraco, the overall process of publishing content and setup is very easy and simple. If you have some web development experience then working on Umbraco can be fun for you. You can easily learn the Umbraco; you must have a good knowledge of Razor coding. The pros and cons of Umbraco are as follows:

Pros

• The Umbraco provides a professional environment for the management of content.
• The Umbraco is a very flexible and customized CMS to adjust to the organization’s changing needs.
• The Umbraco integration with other software is also easy.

Cons

• The loading time of the content in Umbraco is very slow like old sites.
• In the Umbraco, the migrations between different software’s are quite difficult.
• If you are a new user, then working with the Umbraco can be a bit challenging for you.

Magnolia

The Magnolia is a very easy-to-use CMS and it allows its users to make a website without any technical knowledge. It is written in Java, and it is the best option for businesses who want their websites to have a lot of functionalities. Magnolia CMS is very flexible and you can add more features to this CMS with increasing business needs. One of the major purposes of Magnolia is to provide advanced security features and in the Magnolia, the public and private elements of the websites are separate from each other. The authorities and controls of the admins and users of the CMS are also well-defined. The Magnolia CMS can be customized to different business needs. Pros and cons of the Magnolia are as follows:

Pros

• The Magnolia has a high level of usability that allows users to easily learn about content management.
• The Magnolia is open-source software, it is flexible enough to adjust to growing business needs.
• It maintains privacy and offers a high level of security to the users.

Cons

• There is no administrative dashboard in the Magnolia CMS to show different operations.
• In the Magnolia CMS, the migration from one version to another is a bit complicated.

TYPO3

The TYPO3 is a content management system made in PHP language. The TYPO3 is not very user-friendly but most of the features of TYPO3 are developer-friendly. There are two types of extensions in the TYPO3, handmade extensions and ready-made extensions. To make your extensions in the TYPO3, you can use the Typoscript. In the TYPO3, there are different levels of permission and you have to configure it during installation.

 The TYPO3 offers good flexibility to the user to adjust according to the changing business needs. Some of the pros and cons of the TYPO3 are as follows:

Pros

• The TYPO3 CMS has developer-friendly features.
• There are a lot of extension options in TYPO3 CMS.
• The TYPO3 CMS offers more flexibility to the users.

Cons

• Because of the complex interface, it is hard to learn for a non-developer.
• The installation of TYPO3 CMS is complicated and you might need some permission for installing this CMS.

Radiant CMS

The Radiant is one of the simplest and most elegant CMS platforms that is made on the Ruby framework. The Radiant does not have any WYSIWYG editor and you have to depend on the Textile markups. This CMS platform has a templating language that is very much like HTML, it is so intuitive that allows the users to create HTML templates. It is an open-source CMS and users do not need to have any license to use it. The Radiant is a perfect CMS for small businesses and it has a user-friendly interface. It contains all the basic functionalities that make the management of the website easier.  Here are some of the pros and cons of the Radiant.

Pros

• Radiant is an open-source CMS and you can install it free of cost.
• This CMS is easier to manage and control because of its friendly interface.
• You don’t need to have any technical or programming skills to work on this.

Cons

• The Radiant may not be compliable with growing business needs.
• It doesn’t provide any advanced functionality to the websites.

MODX

The MODX is very user-friendly CMS software that allows you to make a fully functional website in a short time. The overall content management and editing in the MODX are very easy as it uses simple features to create and edit content. It offers a lot of pricing options for the customers depending on the different needs of businesses.

MODX is a very handy CMS and you can get almost all the features and functions that you for content management. The MODX also offers you security features to make your content more protected. Following are the pros and cons of MODX.

Pros

• The MODX is an easy-to-use content management system because of its user-friendly features.
• The MODX provides a lot of functions at a reasonable cost.
• TheMODX doesn’t offer typical themes, all of the themes are quite attractive with good styling.

Cons

• Dealing with the installations and other settings can be a bit difficult for a non-technical person.
• The user roles and permission settings of the MODX can be quite confusing for the users.

Magento

The Magento offers a lot of functionality and customization to the users. The Magento CMS is the perfect option if you want to give exposure to your brand by creating amazing content. The good quality workflows of Magento allow the marketing team to manage the content and make it more compatible with their brand image.

Although the services of the Magento CMS are quite expensive you can take a free trial to decide whether it seems effective for your business or not.  The Magento CMS will surely decrease your overall marketing cost with its smart marketing features that are enough to build a solid brand image. Some of the pros and cons of Magento CMS are as follows:

Pros

• The Magento is an easy-to-use and intuitive CMS.
• The Magento CMS offers different marketing features that would allow you to build a good brand image.
• Management of content and editing is quite easy in this CMS.

Cons

• The Magento platform is very hard to understand and you need some technical skills to use it.
• The Magento CMS is not very flexible in adjusting to changing needs.
• The Magento consumes a lot of storage and you might need heavy servers to work on it.

Concrete5

The Concrete5 is an amazing CMS that allows developers to save a lot of time. The editing tools of CMS are very convenient for the end-users. It is a high-speed CMS that is highly responsive to the users. In the Concrete5 CMS, the editing of the blog is done on the blog page rather than on the admin page. So, you can say that in the Concrete5 CMS, all of the changes are live.  Some of the pros and cons of Concrete5 CMS are as follows:

Pros

• The usability of the Concrete5 is high because the blocks of the contents are quite native.
• The Concrete5 is an open-source CMS, and you can edit content here without any license.
• The Concrete5 is very SEO friendly and it also offers different SEO tools.

Cons

• The Concrete5 CMS has a smaller community and it may be difficult for you to find help when any issue occurs.
• It is not a suitable option for eCommerce websites.

Refinery CMS

The Refinery is a content management system based on the Ruby Rails language. It is an open-source CMS that is free to use. The user interface of the Refinery CMS is also very simple and easy to use. You would not have any issue learning this CMS, as it needs no technical skills to use. There are many of the design options available in the Refinery for your website. The RefineryCMS is a flexible tool that can be adjusted with changing business needs. This CMS also provides a lot of extension options, here you can make your extensions or use the ones contributed by the community. The Refinery is a good alternative CMS to WordPress. Here are some of the pros and cons of Refinery.

Pros

• It is an open-source content management system.
• The interface of the Refinery CMS is very user-friendly; you can use it without getting any technical knowledge.
• The installation and configuration of the Refinery are also easy. 

Cons

• If you made any changes to the system then you have to override the files.
• There are no post-scheduling and easy previewing options for the content.

Liferay DXP 7.2

Liferay is a new content management system in the market. The Liferay CMS allows its users to make unique websites and content resources for different businesses. This CMS uses the latest technology and design which is a major reason why people are attracted to it. It is one of the most amazing tools to make professional websites with stylish designs by using the latest technology. The pros and cons of the Liferay are as follows:

Pros

• The advanced features of the Liferay CMS reduce the overall time for development.
• The best options to make highly professional websites.

Cons

• In the Liferay CMS, no documentation is available here.

ExpressionEngine

The ExpressionEngine is a content management tool that is very similar to WordPress. Rather than focusing on the databases and comments, ExpressionEngine CMS is more concerned about your content. This CMS is mainly designed for experienced web developers. The ExpressionEngine is a very simple and easy-to-use CMS and it offers a lot of add-ons, some of them are free and some user has to buy. The pros and cons of the ExpressionEngine CMS are as follows:

Pros

• The ExpressionEngine CMS allows you to edit or create the content in the text files.
• The ExpressionEngine provides high-speed and secure content management.
• This CMS offers customization options and users can customize it according to business needs.

Cons

• For the management of the content, you need some technical skills.
• The software updating system of ExpressionEngine is not very good.
• While creating the templates with ExpressionEngine, PHP parsing was a major issue.

Serendipity

Serendipity CMS is a simple blogging platform suitable for small businesses or personal blogging. The interface of the Serendipity is very user-friendly and simple which makes the overall content creation and management easier. The user gets the notification anytime a blogger comments on your post. To customize your blog, you can also install some plugins in it. Some of the pros and cons of the Serendipity CMS are as follows:

Pros

• Serendipity CMS is simple to use and maintain the content.
• A good CMS tool to fulfill basic blogging needs.

Cons

• The Serendipity does not offer advanced CMS functionality.
• Not flexible enough to adjust to changing business needs.

Chamilo

The Chamilo is very unique CMS that is also known as LMS. The Chamilo is majorly used for e-learning websites. Content management in the Chamilo is very easy and fast. It provides all the features that any learning management system might need, for example, you can upload learning material, videos, online tests, etc. The pros and cons of the Chamilo CMS are as follows:

Pros

• The Chamilo is an open-source platform that can be customized.
• It provides all of the features required by any learning management system.

Cons

• The Chamilo CMS can not be used for all kinds of websites.

Conclusion

In this article, I have talked about different CMS platforms available in the market. I also discuss the usability, functionality, pros, and cons of major CMS platforms. The information provided in this article would help you to select the most appropriate CMS depending on your personal or business needs. I hope this information helped you to understand the functionality and usability of different CMS platforms. Now, you can make a better decision about your CMS selection. 

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