Drupal vs. Wordpress: Finding the right CMS

Pop quiz: What is the one piece of technology almost every marketer needs? 

Well ... yes, a phone. Definitely a computer. Probably a pair of headphones for those days. Maybe we opened this one up too wide — that’s on us.

The actual answer: A content management system. But, before you go searching for your own and end up with a dizzying amount of results, let us provide you with the cheat sheet for two of the most popular on the market: Drupal and Wordpress.

First, the question on everyone's mind: Do I really need a content management system?

The short answer: yes.

Now, for the longer answer.

A CMS allows members of your marketing team to edit and manage new and existing content from a single platform. Once your site is built, your team can get new pages up and running with ease — no coding expertise necessary.

Less time messing around with your website equals more time to find new ways to engage and connect with customers.

Although each company’s martech stack will look a little different based on their unique business goals, a CMS is one piece of the puzzle nearly every team needs. Drupal and Wordpress are two of the most popular CMS options on the market, and while the platforms have their differences, they do overlap in several ways:

• Open source: When software is open sourced, it means every user has the ability to modify and extend its features with full creative power. Since thousands of organizations around the world leverage Drupal and Wordpress, your team can directly benefit from the plug-ins they develop.

• Active communities: Speaking of the organizations that use the two platforms, they both have very active users. With regular events and helpful forums, if you ever have a question about the CMS you're using, the answer is just a click away.

• Themes, themes, and more themes: Both platforms offer tons of themes and plugins that can be used as-is or further customized to reflect your brand’s unique personality.

At first glance, Drupal and Wordpress are very similar — but this is only true in theory. Understanding some of the key differences between the two will help your team to figure out which makes the most sense for you.

If you're in the market for a large, enterprise-level platform, Drupal is likely your best bet. 

The advanced features offered by this CMS means there’s no limitation when it comes to your digital marketing strategy:

• Modules: Drupal users can download community-built modules which extend the functionality of their website. With hundreds of modules available, your team will have all the tools you need to build a one-of-a-kind digital experience for your customers.

• Omnichannel integration: The Drupal platform can handle complex integrations with other solutions in your martech stack. Since your customers are interacting with dozens of touchpoints before they come into contact with your site, this can be a valuable extension of your personalization strategy.

• Digital Experience Platform (DXP): Drupal prides itself as being "more" than a CMS. As a DXP, Drupal offers extensive capabilities that help your team create a digital experience. With the platform’s advanced analytics on your side, personalization and content can easily be scaled across all of your digital channels — not just your Drupal website.

If your team is looking to begin your digital transformation or to optimize your existing customer journey, Drupal offers the flexibility and customization to get you there.

Looking to get your website off the ground as soon as possible? Let us introduce you to your new best friend: Wordpress.

While Wordpress shares CMS features with Drupal, the platform has some unique characteristics including:

• User-friendly interface: While the features of Wordpress are less complex than Drupal, your team could log on to the platform and be experts within the afternoon.

• Plugins: Plugins are the Wordpress equivalent to Drupal’s modules, and users of this CMS platform have thousands to choose from.

• Content and articles: Wordpress originally got its start as a popular blogging platform, and that expertise hasn’t been lost since they’ve grown. For content strategies centered around blogs and articles, Wordpress offers everything you need to create engaging and customer-focused pieces.

For small-to-medium sized teams working for startups or nonprofits, you'll likely find that Wordpress has all of the marketing tools you’re looking for.

Now that you’re an expert in what makes these two content management systems unique, you’re ready to make your decision.

When it comes down to it, the structure of your organization and your unique marketing strategy will be the leading factors in deciding which CMS is right for you:

• Security: Due to the sheer size of WordPress' library of third-party plugins, it's more vulnerable to hackers. For teams working in the government, education or health care, the peace of mind provided by Drupal's default security configurations is invaluable.

• Content types: Your content marketing strategy will play a major role in determining which CMS is right for you. If you’re mostly creating article-based pieces, WordPress has everything you need. However, if you’re looking to build out more integrated campaigns, Drupal’s added functionality is better suited for your needs. 

• Usability versus functionality: Since the Drupal platform is more complex, you’ll likely need to work with a third-party developer or hire a new role internally to get the technical knowledge you need to get your website off the ground. If you’re looking to handle the project entirely on your own, the WordPress dashboard offers less features but is the more user-friendly option.

Long story short, for larger or security-minded organizations, working with a third-party partner to develop a feature-heavy Drupal site makes the most sense. However, for smaller organizations, WordPress can empower your team and allow you to get a highly customized website up and running in just a matter of days.