WordPress or Drupal: Your guide to Choosing the Right Digital Platform for Your Organization

WordPress vs. Drupal? This debate has been around for quite a while. And why not, as these are the two most popular open source platforms that are also available at no cost. It is much like making a pick between popular Hollywood actors Will Smith and Tom Cruise. 

We understand that differentiating between two heavyweights can be tough. But it’s not that difficult when you compare it with measurable features. We take an in-depth look at whether you should build your website with WordPress or Drupal.

Drupal: An Introduction

Drupal is a go-to option for developers who want to create highly customized websites. It has been on the scene since 2000 and has powered millions of websites around the world. Some of the famous names on this list include the likes of NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration, U.S.A.) and The Economist.

Advantages

• Free to use.
• Excellent customization capabilities to tailor your website according to customer needs.
• Reliable and secure platform.
• Multiple impactful features like Views and custom fields.
• Excellent support from a global community of developers.

Disadvantages

• Developers not well-versed with the platform might face a steep learning curve.
• Custom features need experienced developers for effective implementation.

WordPress: An Introduction

WordPress is another reliable open source platform that has been around since 2003. You can create several types of websites with WordPress. These include as small as a travel blog to full-fledged websites like that of famous news channel CNN.

Advantages

• Free to use.
• Customizable through plugins and themes.
• No need for PHP coding.
• Community support.

Disadvantages

• Poses a lot of security risks.
• You are alone responsible for the security of the website.
• Lesser functionalities than Drupal.
• Ease of use makes several websites look similar.

WordPress vs. Drupal: Pricing

Cost is one of the most essential factors in making any business decision. Besides the download or installation, you will also have to factor in the development costs.

Drupal

It is a free-to-use tool, and you will only have to pay for the development charges. These will not be high if you get the work outsourced to a reliable service provider. Another option is to do it yourself. But you might end up losing a lot of time. Additionally, without expert guidance, the outcome won’t match the standards you expect.

So, you can opt for the services of expert developers from third-party service providers.

WordPress

WordPress is also free to install and use like Drupal. But the freebies end there. If you want to build advanced websites, you will have to spend on buying themes and plugins. There are free versions available, but most of them offer limited functions. 

You might end up losing a lot of time if you try to create the website from scratch by yourself. Additionally, if you hire a developer, you will need to factor that cost as well. Next, it is about the hosting charges that usually have annual billing and get renewed each year.

WordPress vs. Drupal: Themes

The theme is the most important element that will determine how your website looks and functions. You would want a robust theme that can support all the customization you make the website attractive.

Drupal

Drupal has a rich library of themes that also have the option of custom coding. There are no pre-configured options, which is beneficial for developers. You can design the layout exactly as you would like and differentiate it from other similar websites.

WordPress

WordPress has a range of free themes, but most of them have limited features. To explore all the functions, you will have to pay and get the premium version. Besides limited functions, free themes also do not offer development support or updates. So, you will invariably have to opt for a premium theme. 

WordPress vs. Drupal: Features

Additional features are critical to making the most of the platform. They also help you make your website stand out and customize it to your customers’ needs.

Drupal

There are more than 40,000 Drupal modules that offer excellent features and functionalities. You can create a highly customized website and gain an advantage over your competitors. The content architecture is also flexible and scalable to support a high volume of content.

WordPress

If you want to get the same level of customization on WordPress, you will have to install several plugins. You can also make use of page builders to match the standards of Drupal. However, it is an additional task, and you will still have to work on them for further customization.

WordPress vs. Drupal: Security and performance

Security of websites is critical, especially in the wake of increasing phishing and hacking attempts. Security-related issues can also affect the performance of a website.

Drupal

Security is one of the strongest selling points of Drupal. As compared to WordPress, Drupal has faced far less cyber-attacks. 

WordPress

Themes and third-party extensions like plugins of WordPress remain vulnerable to attacks and are a concern. It is advisable to use a limited number of trusted plugins that have regular updates.

WordPress vs. Drupal: Support

You would want reliable support so that you do not get stuck midway when completing an important project.

Drupal

Drupal has a big community of global developers, documentation, chat support, and other helpful resources. Its marketplace also offers reliable professional services, including a history of issues resolved in the past.

WordPress

There is no dedicated central support, but there is a big community of WordPress developers. You can additionally access the support documentation offered by WordPress. Themes and plugins have their dedicated support.

Bottom line

After a one-to-one comparison of all essential aspects, it is clear that Drupal web development offers more benefits than WordPress. If you are looking to up your customer satisfaction game by creating highly customized websites, Drupal is an ideal choice. The rich features and functionalities of Drupal can help you get there in no time.

Who We Are and What Makes Us an Expert?

getSmartCoders is an expert Drupal web development company with extensive experience in providing multi-dimensional services for Drupal application and website development, maintenance and migration. Our next generation solutions have helped a host of companies across industries leverage the unlimited benefits of the Drupal platform.  Interested in knowing more about how Drupal is the ideal choice for your website? Contact us today, and our expert developers will be happy to assist you.