WordPress vs. Other CMSs (And Which Hosting Package Delivers)

WordPress vs other CMS compared and which hosting you should pick

Getting started with your own website can be confusing. Even after selecting a host for your site, new problems come up. Picking an app to build and manage your site produces a whole new handful of issues and questions.

In this article we’ll cover:

But each problem you’ll face has a simple solution. That’s why InMotion Hosting does more than rent you out a hosting space for your site. Your path from idea to complete website is set out before you.

In this article, we’re going to take a look at different content management systems. (“CMSs” for short.) Choosing a CMS is most important for those who do the most writing on the web: bloggers. But they’re also valuable for smaller business sites. Anyone who wants all their content in one place needs a CMS.

I Have a Wix Or Squarespace Site

If you’re getting started from close to nothing, you may already have a platform for your website. Hosted services like Wix and Squarespace are very popular for beginner bloggers. And they start with a free tier, so many people sign up and may forget they already have a site. If this is the case, don’t worry, you can always point a registered domain to a new host.

How are services like Squarespace different than a CMS? The biggest difference is the “management” part. A CMS lets you manage your content in a space that’s all yours. Squarespace and Wix host your content on their internal network. What they give you is a builder service to create your site. But the real meat of a content management system is in the code itself. And you’re best advised to host your own code. This is where a CMS earns its keep.

Hosting Options

For most CMSs, hosting is almost universal. If you had a WordPress or Joomla site, you could host it pretty much anywhere.

But because WordPress is so popular, there are now dedicated WordPress hosting solutions. This means you get a hosted space that doesn’t need to be further optimized. It’s already fast and secure.

InMotion Hosting built their WordPress hosting package from scratch. The goal was to create the best web hosting services for WordPress.  

What About Joomla!?

Joomla! has many of the same features as WordPress. But, there are a few surprises in store.  

  • Built-in page cache
  • SEO tools

Joomla! includes features like built-in page cache and SEO tools that let you edit meta tags. Being able to edit meta tags is very important for your SEO. It lets you take some control over what the search engine may display about your page.

In spite of a few nifty features, Joomla! has been trending down over the past 5 years:

WordPress Vs. Drupal

Drupal has a wide and supportive community. But the interface and other options for Drupal are better for advanced users. Developers can get more out of Drupal than casual users.

For users proficient with PHP and MySQL, Drupal offers superior database structure and strict adherence to standards that many developers would consider the “right way” to code. This means you can combine various modules of pre-packaged code that will still work well together. In WordPress, combining too many plugins is likely going to break the site.

You can see from this graphic that the decline in Drupal searches is not as sharp as Joomla! but still trending down:

Emphasis on strong coding standards means you can build more advanced sites on Drupal than you can with WordPress, but you have to know a lot about PHP and Drupal modules in order to get the most out of Drupal.

WordPress Core Values

WordPress offers value in a variety of ways:  

  • Easy to use
  • Wide support from other users
  • Community engagement

By combining your experience with other WordPress users in your area you can get even more value.

WordPress Interface – Easy To Use

As you get started with WordPress you’ll see there’s a “WordPress way” of doing things.

You can add a theme to your site and customize the basic look and feel. Down the road your needs will change. You’ll want to add advanced features to your site. Advanced tweaks can make your job easier or improve your visitor engagement. WordPress makes it easy to add these tweaks as necessary.

Get Involved In The Community

You don’t need to be an expert right away. No need to tire yourself poring over tedious documentation. There’s always a WordPress user nearby.  

The WordPress community spans the globe. Check and see if there’s a local meetup in your city.

Making Contributions

The WordPress community also encourages contribution from users. You don’t need to be a coder to do this. You can host a meetup or even volunteer at the next WordCamp.

Whether you decide to be a casual user or a contributor, WordPress is designed to make your website creation easy and quick. If you have any questions be sure to leave a comment below or reach out to InMotion Hosting support anytime.

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