WordPress vs Drupal; What’s the Difference?
We’ve recently been getting a lot of calls asking about the plethora of open-source content management systems (CMS) available nowadays. We’re going to take a look at two of the most popular systems (and ones we like a lot), specifically WordPress vs Drupal. When we’re talking to the typical non-savvy website owner we’ve been getting the same question repeatedly:
WordPress vs Drupal: Market Share and Popularity
When considering WordPress or Drupal, market share may help guide your decision. WordPress dominates with over 43.6% of all websites using the platform, compared to 2.3% for Drupal. This level of adoption contributes to the size of their respective communities, plugin/module ecosystems, and support options.
WordPress vs Drupal
To help our clients and anyone who doesn’t know one from the other — especially those considering new builds or merging websites — I have happily volunteered to spell out the main points of both platforms in non-technical terms that anyone understand!
WordPress…not Just for Bloggers Anymore
WordPress began as a user-friendly blogging platform. It still is an great tool for bloggers, but has grown tremendously via a passionate community of designers and developers dedicated to building up the repertoire of themes, plugins, and core functionality which help make WordPress a more efficient platform for dynamic websites.
With minimal training, content managers start entering their posts quickly and it’s smooth sailing from there. What’s not to love?
Drupal…Massive Power and Then Some
Drupal oozes power. This robust platform, with a spectacular taxonomy system, is developer-friendly and has a passionate community behind it, just like WordPress does. When you have a complex website with an enormous amount of content on your hands, you might consider Drupal. Its penchant for taxonomy is perfect for tagging, categorizing and structuring complex content.
However, like most powerful tools, Drupal does require some getting used to for non-technical users to successfully operate. More training is necessary, even for basic content management, and the building of the system itself can be both time and budget consuming — especially when merging websites with complex content structures. If your massive site has an intricate content system and many moving parts, Drupal is calling your name.
Security: WordPress vs Drupal
When choosing between WordPress or Drupal, one of the most important considerations is website security. WordPress, while widely supported, can be more vulnerable due to the extensive use of third-party plugins and themes — a common entry point for attackers, according to security experts like Sucuri. Drupal, on the other hand, is often the preferred CMS for high-security environments due to its rigorous core codebase and dedicated security modules like Security Kit and Login Security. For businesses that handle sensitive data or require advanced user permissions, Drupal may offer a more robust solution out of the gate. That being said, with the right implementation team – who will restrict non-essential and unvetted plugins – WordPress can certainly be hardened to meet the most stringent security requirements.
WordPress vs Drupal: SEO Tools and Multilingual Capabilities
SEO and multilingual capabilities are important considerations when choosing between WordPress or Drupal. WordPress offers user-friendly SEO plugins like Yoast SEO and Google Analytics integration. Drupal, while more technical, includes built-in multilingual support and advanced control over structured data, meta tags, and clean URLs — giving it a alight edge for complex, multilingual websites.
In a Nutshell
WordPress is an efficient, user-friendly content management platform that provides maximum layout flexibility without requiring extensive developer experience.
Drupal is an intricate tool with powerful taxonomy capabilities that are ideal for larger, more complex websites.
Both WordPress and Drupal can be scaled to enterprise-level content management and security requirements.
If you’re still puzzled about which way to go in the WordPress vs Drupal battle, or you’re looking to partner up with a vendor to help make your website dreams come true, get in touch with us.
With a passionate team of designers and developers here in our WDG is a leading web agency, specializing in both innovative web design and solid web development services. Located just outside of the nation’s capital, we enjoy riverfront views while we’re building phenomenal WordPress and Drupal websites for our fantastic clients. Feel free to stop by and chat with us about your web needs!
