WordPress v. Drupal
Almost every site we build is in Drupal, so invariably we get questions from people about how it stacks up against WordPress. First off, WordPress is a great Content Management System (CMS). It allows people to create compelling websites very cheaply and easily; but it does have its limitations that should be realized before any build. So a couple of things about both WordPress and Drupal.
Comparisons
- Themes. WordPress has some awesome themes that you can buy. So if you aren’t a designer, it might be beneficial to buy a WordPress theme and roll from there. However, Drupal has a number of base themes like Omega and Fusion; which can create a very customizable framework to build some pretty cool sites.
- Time to launch. A WordPress site can be built quickly, usually inside of a few hours if you know what you are doing. Drupal sites can take a bit longer because there is more functionality; which needs to be configured and then themes to be developed.
- Content Types and Permissions. Here is where the two systems start to separate. Drupal is really good at detailing what content people can access and what content people can’t access. This makes it much easier to set up a system with multiple users where a lot of content is cordoned off
- APIs and Web Applications. Where Drupal really shines is in the development of web applications that people can use to do all sorts of things both simple and complex. While at JAGTAG, our entire backend ran on Drupal; and we have had really good experience developing using the APIs and using modules like Ubercart to increase the functionality.
Every company has different needs. Understanding those needs and finding a content management system to manage it is really the decision you will need to make between Drupal and WordPress.