10 Best CMS Platforms.
Are you wondering what CMS platform to use for building your website?
A CMS (Content Management System) platform lets you easily create a website without understanding any code (at least for most of them). There are lots of CMS options available, which means you might struggle to choose the best CMS for your needs.
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What is a CMS Platform?
A CMS platform (content management system platform) is a piece of software that allows you to easily manage content and create a website.
Normally, web pages are written in HTML, JavaScript, and CSS programming languages. If you were to build a website without a CMS platform, then you would need to learn these languages and write a lot of code.
CMS platforms solve this problem by allowing you to make a website without writing code or learning programming.
10 Best CMS Platforms in 2022
1. WordPress.org
WordPress.org is our number one choice for the best CMS platform. It’s the world’s most popular CMS software, and it powers around 43% of all websites on the internet.
It’s important to not confuse WordPress.org with WordPress.com. WordPress.org is a free open source CMS originally designed for blogging, but now it’s used by all sorts of websites / online stores. WordPress.com is a blog hosting platform.
If you’re not sure about the difference between the two, check out our detailed comparison of WordPress.org and WordPress.com.
2. HubSpot CMS Hub
HubSpot CS Hub is a fully integrated content management system that is specifically designed for marketers and business owners.
Because it is built on top of HubSpot’s CRM platform which includes all sorts of marketing automation, sales, service, and operations tools, CMS Hub is an ideal solution for growing businesses as well as large enterprises looking for an all-in-one system to manage their website.
The Starter plan is $25/month and has all the features you need to build a fully-functioning website. The higher tiers are better suited for building more complex web apps with dynamic personalization and internal processes.
A lot of smart business owners use HubSpot’s free marketing tools while using WordPress as the CMS platform to build their website.
3. Joomla
Joomla.org is another popular free open source CMS platform that comes with lots of different templates and extensions. It’s free to use, but you’ll need hosting and a domain name.
It was first released in 2005, so like WordPress, it’s been going for years. Joomla is packed with features, and many web hosts offer a 1 click installation. However, it’s really an ideal CMS platform for developers and experienced website creators, so it’s not such a good option for beginners.
Joomla itself is free, though you’ll need to pay for a domain name and web hosting that supports Joomla. SiteGround is a good option here, as they have specific Joomla hosting plans with lots of handy features.
You may find yourself paying for some extensions to add more functionality to your website. You might even want to budget for getting help from a developer, depending on what you’re trying to achieve.
4. WooCommerce
WooCommerce is the most popular eCommerce platform in the world. It’s really flexible and it’s easy to manage.
WooCommerce isn’t technically a CMS platform itself. Instead, it runs as a plugin on WordPress, so you’ll need to have WordPress on your site in order to install WooCommerce.
If it was a CMS platform, though, it’d have 5.8% of marketshare, according to W3Techs. That’s the percentage of all the websites in the world that use it.
The WooCommerce plugin itself is free, but you may need to pay for extra plugins and extensions for your online store.
You’ll also need to pay for a domain name and a web hosting account. Bluehost is a great web host to pick as they’ll install WooCommerce and the Storefront Theme for your site for you.
5. Drupal
Drupal is another open source CMS platform. It’s the CMS behind some major websites, including The Economist’s site and a number of university’s sites.
Drupal is a good option for developers, or for people able to hire a developer. It’s especially good if you’re aiming to build a highly customized site that needs to handle a lot of data.
You can host a Drupal site on Bluehost. They offer free installation and can even help you transfer an existing Drupal site.
6. Wix
With that said, Wix is beginner-friendly and it might be worth considering. It offers a free plan, too.
You can use Wix for free, if you’re happy with a Wix-branded domain name and ads running on your site. The paid plans offer more flexibility and start from $13 per month (paid upfront annually).
If you want to take online payments, you’ll need to pay $23/month or more (again, upfront annually).
7. BigCommerce
BigCommerce is a fully hosted eCommerce platform, which is sometimes called an all-in-one platform. It’s easy to get started with if you’re a beginner.
BigCommerce hosts your site for you, as well as providing the actual CMS platform itself. It also handles security and backups for you.
8. Shopify
Shopify is another all-in-one hosted CMS platform. You won’t need to buy hosting, install any software, or manage things like updates and backups.
9. Ghost
Ghost is a CMS platform specifically designed for bloggers. You’ll often hear it described as a “headless CMS,” which might sound quite odd. This just means that the CMS platform doesn’t force content to be delivered in a specific way.
So, the content or data you produce could be shown on a website, but it could also be sent to a mobile app or something else entirely. If you’re not a developer, though, or you just want to use Ghost for blogging, you don’t need to worry about this.
10. Magento
Magento is one of the best eCommerce platforms out there. The CMS software focuses on security, SEO, and customization to optimize all types of eCommerce sites. As it caters to bigger online stores, the platform is powerful enough to feature a high number of products and orders.
Pros:
- Manage multiple stores in various locations, using different languages and currencies.
- Content management is responsive to mobile devices.
Cons:
- Complicated initial setup.
- Customizing design and listing products is time-consuming.
Best for:
Magento is great for medium to large-scale eCommerce stores. One example of a large eCommerce store using Magento is Olympus, which sells cameras, audio equipment, and binoculars.
Pricing:
Magento’s three different versions influence the cost to use the platform. The Magento Open Source platform is free but requires a web hosting provider and a custom domain. Bluehost Hosting plans are recommended for Magento and they come with free domains:
- Cloud Startup costs ₹799/month.
- Cloud Professional costs ₹1499/month.
- Cloud Enterprise costs ₹5099/month.
As for the premium editions Magento Commerce and Magento Commerce Cloud, customers need to contact sales for pricing.
Key Features:
- Checkout. Secure payment gateway using Worldpay and Cybersource.
- Touch-friendly features. The back-end admin dashboard is touch-sensitive, making it easier to make edits.
- Catalog management. Showcase products virtually using inventory management, including immediate product creation and dynamic pricing.
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