Creating content, managing that content, modifying, and optimizing it is what a Content Management System does, and this is how it optimizes the viewer’s digital experience. A Graphic User Interface (GUI) makes interacting with a website's database user friendly. Numerous tools of a CMS help you manage content, but leveraging the right one and investing in it is the key to building a successful and an eye-popping digital platform. In these times of an aggressive competitive market, the choice depends on various factors and indeed, the user’s ability to use the CMS. 

Wordpress was launched in 2003 and Drupal was developed in 2000. Both are open-source Content Management Systems. However, Wordpress beats Drupal on the popularity front by being the world’s most popular Content Management System. Nevertheless, both have marked their place in the market by their strong individuality. Let’s elaborate on this further, and give you a whirlwind tour of the determining aspects that control our choice.

Plug-ins vs modules

Plug-ins in Wordpress CMS are what are Modules in Drupal. If you are not a coder and are a technically challenged user, you will need a theme, a couple of plug-ins and modules to construct your website. The plug-ins and modules are software components that are added to a website so that multiple functions could also be added along, extending the site’s flexibility, features, and functionality wherein modifications can also be made when and where required. Wordpress plug-ins are in the PHP programming language, but Drupal modules is a set of PHP ([Personal Home Page or hypertext processor), Javascript, and/or CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) files. Drupal offers over 48000 free modules besides Wordpress provides over 55000 free plug-ins. However, modules are available in three types - Core modules contributed modules and custom modules. 

Design choices

According to W3techs, WordPress has 61.8% of the CMS market share — more than all other systems (e.g., Drupal, Joomla) combined. 

A website’s look and feel are underpinning for an impelling online presence. Both the CMSs use themes to design the site, but the approach is different. Wordpress has more options for themes than Drupal. The predetermined features like adding header images, adding menus, changing the site’s color themes, etc. are inherent in Drupal. Still, in Wordpress, you have to install add-ons and plug-ins to avail specific functions and features. A better understanding of custom web development with CSS, HTML, and PHP goes a long way with Wordpress CMS. On the other hand, with Drupal, these skills become prerequisites.

It comes as a considerable aspect to consider when choosing a CMS for a website development and management. Both provide numerable options when it comes to customization. The theme options are both paid and free again in the two. But Wordpress provides an easy-to-use interface compared to Drupal. The design process in Drupal takes longer and involves rigorous learning. Therefore, a marginal difference is noticed in terms of usability in both CMSs. Drupal can be a tough one to wield, and one might need to take the help of a skilled expert to get on with it.

Having said that, a drupal web development company can help you create a Drupal website from scratch; editing, or modifying later, if needed. 

Usability

Wordpress CMS first started as a blogging platform, so it became necessary for it to be easy to use and provide flexibility. Meantime, Drupal is a powerful CMS if used appropriately to build great websites and not preferably simple ones. Universities, government, and nonprofits are examples of who uses Drupal. There’s a lot to learn while configuring Drupal as it provides access to the implicit code to make modifications. 

Drupal development at first can be challenging to use for those who have no industry experience. Thus, it expects more technical expertise from the user's end. While on the other hand, Wordpress provides ease when we talk about usability. With basic knowledge, it takes minimal time to set up a website. 

Drupal keeps progressing and enhancing the user’s experience with every version update. It offers practical solutions to get your website the attention it deserves by providing graded customization and ample capacity to1 foothold lots of content.  

Cost

Both the CMS Platforms are free for download and installation, but there are additional costs that come hidden depending on the website you want to build and how you want it to be managed. Plug-ins and modules are the ones you need to pay for in the two. While Wordpress provides you with the basic functionality and themes, Drupal, on the other hand, has in-built functions that need skills to monitor. The money is mainly spent on the actual construction part.

Choosing a CMS must rely on the needs of the company or brand. While there is a lot of hype on the internet that Wordpress costs less than Drupal, Drupal seems to have an upper hand in the long run.

Security

Security becomes crucial for anything that’s on the internet but at the same time it is also challenging to achieve. Drupal has an advanced security protocol, while Wordpress is vulnerable to cybersecurity issues due to its poorly coded plugins. It usually requires third-party plugins to provide a more secure service. Also, its popularity poses way more security threats than any other factor. Hands down, Drupal wins the security game, here.

Search Engine Optimization Control

Wordpress offers several SEO plug-ins such as Cache, All in One SEO Pack, and Yoast SEO, whereas Drupal offers in-build SEO-supportive features. Let's take Caching as an example. While Wordpress has a developed plug-in for Caching, Drupal has it like its features, and it lets it optimize websites to deliver high-performance by supporting faster load time and reducing latency. There are many other inherent features of Drupal. Still, in Wordpress, one may have to add numeral plug-ins to achieve the same optimization with customizable meta tags, title based URL codes, etc. The SEO tasks in Drupal are much more manageable and automated.

Compared to Wordpress, Drupal offers a higher level of customization, and with that, the level of skills that Drupal requires is also high. The scalability it provides makes it a top content management system pick for businesses and enterprises.

Multilingual capabilities

English is the most widely spoken language globally, but that does not make it the most preferred. So, it is sensible and advantageous to go for a multilingual site for better communication, more substantial reach, healthier client satisfaction, and increased sales.

A multilingual site gets more visits. A considerable majority of those surveyed, 90% said they always visited a website in their language. 

(Source - Pantheon)

There is an immense demand for multilingual sites on the internet as the netizens have realized the importance of websites that run in several different languages. They say, “building brand loyalty is more than making a sale.” When customers consume content in their native language, they feel connected to the brand.

WordPress offers a few plugins that let the viewer translate the content on a website into hundreds of languages, with other premium plugins or services that help build the perfect multilingual site. Similarly, Drupal offers modules that allow you to translate other language sites without a problem. Especially, Drupal 8 was created, keeping multilingual use in mind.

All things considered, which CMS will work the best for you hinges upon factors like your website needs and business goals. It also depends on the technical expertise of the user. Evon, one of the top wordpress development company in India, provides web development services backed with 14 years of experience. The team of developers make sure to encompass all dimensions required to deliver a great website where content is quicker and easier to publish. A site that draws majority attention and hence, maximum traffic with a CMS that displays and manages great content. It’s for you to choose between Drupal, Wordpress or any other CMS basis what you are looking for in a website and our developers will develop, maintain, modify, secure, and keep up with your prerequisites.