Currently, more than 65 million active websites use a content management system, abbreviated as CMS (Content Management System). With a CMS, users can build websites of all kinds – storefronts, e-commerce sites, blogs – and manage their content without having to code their site elements from scratch.

However, creating a website with a CMS platform that is not suitable for your needs can make your task difficult. Choosing a CMS that perfectly matches your web project is therefore an essential step.

There are approximately over a thousand content management systems in existence today, and their number continues to grow. Each CMS targets a target market and offers different functionalities. Some are easier to use than others, which are themselves more efficient. Your choice must above all reflect the ambitions and objectives you are aiming for in setting up your online project.

To help you find the most suitable open source CMS , we’ve put together some of the best CMS platforms on the market today, along with precise descriptions of their main features and benefits.

However, before we get into the thick of it, let’s take a few minutes to explain what a CMS is and outline the benefits of open source CMS.

What is a CMS?

A CMS is a software application that manages the basic infrastructure of creating a website. With a CMS, users can focus on the front-end areas of website creation, such as customizing site design and managing content.

There are several types of content management systems available. Here are the three most common:

– Open source CMS

With open source, a large community of developers maintain and care for the software, rather than just one company. Third party developers have access to the source code and can develop and improve the functionality of the software.

– CMS Cloud

Clould CMS benefit from a prebuilt system accessible without having to download any software or anything. Users can securely manage their web content in the cloud, then upload it and make it easily accessible from multiple devices.

– Proprietary CMS

A proprietary CMS comes with a license fee because as the name suggests, it is legally owned by a company, organization, or individual who created it. The cost can be in the form of a one-time upfront payment, a monthly fee, or an annual fee.

We will focus in this comparison on the best open source CMS. Here are the advantages of open source content management systems:

– Open source solutions are generally more profitable

The software is free to download and use, and if you are building a very basic website with few customization elements, using an open source CMS is cheaper than using a proprietary solution.

– Open source systems are frequently updated

Open source CMS platforms are managed by large communities of developers, who are always working to improve the code and provide regular updates. Bugs and other security issues are usually fixed quickly, and your CMS regularly has new features added that improve the performance of your web management tool.

– An open source CMS is easily transferable

If you hire a third-party developer or a web development agency to redesign your showcase site or create an online store, you are going to benefit from one of the main advantages of using an open source platform, which is ‘code accessibility. With an open source CMS, you have access to all of the source code, in case you want to make any changes to your site or your hosting environment.

Which open source CMS to choose for your website?

If you have not yet made the choice of a CMS to create your website, here is a comparison of the three best open source solutions currently available on the market.

1-? WordPress

Over 42% of all websites run through WordPress, making it the most popular CMS platform. WordPress is arguably the most widely used multilingual content management system in the world. This open source software is known for its flexibility, ease of use and scalability. In addition, its catalog of more than 58,000 WordPress plugins helps users create any type of website, from the showcase site to the merchant site, including the blog.

Main characteristics :
  • User management: with WordPresse, you can assign roles and access to different types of users: administrators, editors, authors, contributors and subscribers.
  • Media Management: You can include alt text and captions when inserting images to improve your SEO.
  • Embedded Comments: This feature allows visitors to comment on pages and posts.
The advantages of WordPress:
  • Its cost is flexible according to the needs and the budget of the users
  • It helps you easily customize your site, using an extensive gallery of themes and plugins.
The inconvenients :
  • Not all WordPress plugins and themes are reliable or of high quality
  • This CMS lacks personal customer support. WordPress mainly relies on community forums, tutorials, and documentation.
The price :

To use the free WordPress software, users must obtain web hosting and a domain name. Some hosting companies offer both within a single plan, and depending on whether you choose the Starter, Business, or Pro version of WordPress, it will cost you between $ 2 and $ 10 per month.

In conclusion, we can say that WordPress is a versatile CMS, which can work for all levels of use, whether it is for those who are starting a simple blog or those who want to create a complex site.

2-? Joomla

Joomla is an open source CMS that powers over 2% of all websites in the world. Compared to other CMS platforms, Joomla software offers a lot of possibilities, such as its multilingual features. However, from a technical standpoint, getting started and initial setup can be difficult for users who are not very comfortable with computers.

Main characteristics :
  • Banner management tool: allow you to create advertising campaigns to monetize your website
  • Multilingual framework: this CMS has more than 70 languages ​​available
  • Search: Using a built-in search tool, visitors quickly find the information they are looking for on your site.
Advantages :
  • Joomal allows you to efficiently manage a site with hundreds of subpages.
  • Thanks to its powerful authentication system, you avoid hacking your site.
The inconvenients :
  • The web development terminology presented in the control panel is not suitable for beginners.
  • Lack of compatibility between different modules, extensions and plugins.
The price :

Much like WordPress, a large number of hosting companies offer Joomla hosting plans with a free domain included, between and 2 and 4 euros per month only.

This CMS solution is ideal for professional websites managed by several people.

3-? Drupal

The open source Drupal CMS is designed for professional web developers. Its flexible API architecture supports different digital platforms. Compared to Joomla and WordPress, Drupal has better built-in features that bring performance and increased security. It should also be noted that websites that work with Drupal generate higher web traffic than other CMS software.

Main characteristics :
  • Multilingual: Dupral machine translation supports more than 100 languages
  • Personalization: this CMS allows you to create personalized customer experiences using geolocation data, browser history, device type and all information relating to user behavior
  • Marketing automation: Dupral offers you the possibility to create automated and therefore effective marketing campaigns
Advantages :
  • It is less vulnerable to security threats than other CMS because this open source software performs regular security tests.
  • The built-in modules help to extend the functionality of your website.
The inconvenients :
  • Requires coding knowledge of PHP, CSS and HTML
  • Getting started and managing the platform can take time
The price :

As with the two previous software, the price depends on the web hosting and the domain name. Count between 2 and 3 euros per month.

If you are looking for a CMS platform to create large scale and complex sites, Drupal is a solution to consider, provided you have good technical knowledge.

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