Amazon search engine optimization SEO services.

One of them reigns supreme, with a much larger market share than all the others. That CMS platform is WordPress. It absolutely dominates the field, powering more than 40% of all websites on the internet.

Given that WordPress is the go-to platform for so many sites, you might assume it’s the right CMS for you, too.

But we all know that assuming anything is rarely a smart move. Instead, it’s better to take your time, weigh things up, and consider at least one or two alternatives before rushing to the most popular option.

That’s where Drupal comes in. Sure, it lacks WordPress’ global recognition and reach, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad CMS. Far from it. In fact, it could be the perfect fit for your digital presence.

To find out more, let’s put both WordPress and Drupal to the test. This WordPress vs. Drupal guide will dig into each CMS platform.

We’ve covered the basics. Now, let’s dig into the details to see how the great Drupal vs. WordPress matchup plays out.

On the face of it, there should be an obvious winner here. WordPress is so much more widespread and popular than Drupal, and there are many distinct WordPress advantages that make this platform the CMS leader.

However, don’t discount the Drupal CMS right away. It has some interesting elements that make it a real contender and even a superior option for certain kinds of businesses and CMS-based websites.

We’ll begin our WordPress vs. Drupal battle with a look at the pricing systems in place across these platforms.

Naturally, when setting up a website, cost is often one of the site owner’s top concerns. You have to think not only about the price of making the site but also hosting, management, security, domain-related fees, and so on.

All those prices add up, which is why many people seek out content management platforms with fair prices and freebies.

WordPress Pricing Plans

If you want to build a basic WordPress website, you can do so for free. There are also a series of paid plans, starting as low as just $4 a month.

The $5 Starter plan isn’t bad at all, packing in a free domain for your first year, along with a completely ad-free experience and access to dozens of WordPress themes.

The more expensive plans come with additional features. Like priority support, unrestricted site visitor counts, security tools, and no transaction fees.

All in all, WordPress’ pricing is fair and reasonable. There are options to appeal to any budget and plenty of features and functions packed in with even the cheapest plans. Overall costs to make a WP site can be as low as $100. But they may be much higher, depending on the scale of your project.

Drupal’s Complex Costs

Drupal is a completely free content management system without any licensing costs whatsoever. There are no premium plans when you pick Drupal, but that doesn’t mean you can simply use it to build and manage a site without paying a thing.

Instead, given the relative complexity of the Drupal ecosystem, you may have to spend quite a lot on building a Drupal site. Potential fees include hosting charges, add-ons to address security vulnerabilities (like an SSL certificate), and fees for Drupal developers to design and build your site.

All in all, costs can easily enter the tens of thousands for a single site.

The Verdict

WordPress wins this round, without a doubt. Even taking into account the freely accessible nature of Drupal, WordPress is generally much more affordable for site building.

The success or failure of any website is largely dependent on its design.

Why? Because people won’t stick around to find out more about a site they feel to be bland, boring, or ugly. In fact, the majority of users will make up their minds about a site in a fraction of a second, and most of the time, their first impressions will be based entirely on the way the website looks.

As such, you won’t want to waste your time with a CMS which delivers dull or uninspiring design.

WordPress’ Massive Theme Library

As explained earlier, it’s possible for even total novices to make amazing sites with WordPress.

Part of this is due to WP’s colossal library of premium and free themes and templates. There are over 12,000 free themes to pick from and thousands more paid ones in an almost never-ending array of styles to suit every kind of brand and business.

WordPress offers a selection of page builder plugins, too, which you can use to easily customize the design and layout of your web pages.

Drupal’s Modular Development

Drupal isn’t able to match WordPress in terms of the number of available themes. But it’s still got a few thousand to choose from.

Drupal also has a modular development system. There are tens of thousands of modules that let you customize your site’s feel and functionality. With the help of the Drupal community of developers, you can build a beautiful and truly one-of-a-kind site with this platform.

The Verdict

WordPress again has the edge. Drupal themes aren’t as numerous as those for WordPress, nor is it as easy or affordable to get the design you want. With that said, Drupal offers more customization options for building a unique site that looks and feels different from all the rest.

The eCommerce industry is growing bigger and more valuable with every passing year. It’s expected to reach a staggering valuation in excess of $57 trillion by 2032.

With this industry being so valuable and fast-moving right now, many savvy entrepreneurs are eager to get involved and set up their own online stores. Drupal and WordPress can both work well for this purpose, but one may be a little better than the other.

WordPress’ Easy eCommerce Development

The beauty of WordPress for eCommerce is in its simplicity. It’s so quick and easy to make your online store, add product pages, and install WordPress plugins to help with aspects like marketing and inventory management.

You can also easily configure WordPress to work alongside various payment processors and providers.

Given that running an online store is a big job, with a lot of different roles and responsibilities to worry about, the straightforward nature of WordPress is a serious advantage.

Drupal Commerce: A Dedicated eCommerce Platform

Drupal actually has its own dedicated eCommerce platform, known as Drupal Commerce. This is specifically designed for the development of eCommerce sites. It offers a whole host of features. From dynamic product catalogs to promotion management, payment APIs, order management tools, and more.

You can integrate payment systems like PayPal and enrich your store with dozens of different eCommerce-oriented modules.

The Verdict

This one is tricky to call. For those who are new to eCommerce and looking for an easy, efficient way to make an online store, choose WordPress. But for more established brands, the flexibility of Drupal Commerce may be more appealing.

Security is another big issue to contend with when you’re developing and managing a website. That goes for any kind of site, from a simple brand site to an online store or database. Hackers will target pretty much anything in the hopes of extracting some sort of profit, whether that be through ransomware, phishing, or some other form of cyber attack.

Let’s see how WordPress and Drupal compare in this category.

WordPress’ Possible Vulnerabilities

On a general level, WordPress is reasonably secure. There are several security practices site owners can employ to safeguard their sites against hacking and malware.

But it’s not perfect. Issues have been identified with WordPress third-party plugins, in particular, which can create vulnerabilities in your site. Themes also may introduce vulnerabilities or weak spots for hackers to exploit, which could lead to data leaks or other issues.

Again, this is why it’s generally recommended to turn to WordPress experts who can carry out security audits and set up defensive measures to protect your site.

Drupal’s Strong Security

One of Drupal’s core selling points has to be its outstanding levels of security. It’s a really tough nut to crack when compared to other CMS options on the market.

There are many modules with this CMS platform that aim to enhance security and address possible weaknesses in your site. With the help of seasoned Drupal developers, you can minimize the risk of any hacks or attacks on your network.

So, after our comprehensive Drupal vs. WordPress comparison, what’s the verdict? Which of these two CMS platforms and site-building systems should you opt for when developing your next website?

Well, the simple truth of the matter is that it depends. It depends on what type of site you want to make, how big and popular you expect it to be, and how much you value certain aspects, like customization, eCommerce, and scalability.

If you want the highest levels of customization and have a big budget to match, Drupal is a fine choice. It’s complex and deep, well-suited to large-scale projects. Plus, the community forums for Drupal are second-to-none, packed with wisdom and helpful devs.

However, for the majority of users, there’s only one winner. And that’s WordPress. Want to set up a fully functional site that looks top notch in less than a day? This is the platform to pick. Intuitive, affordable, flexible, WP has it all.