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CMS Platforms Cheatsheet

A quick reference guide to popular Content Management Systems (CMS), covering key features, use cases, and considerations for choosing the right platform.

CMS Overview

What is a CMS?

A Content Management System (CMS) is a software application that enables users to create, manage, and modify content on a website without needing specialized technical knowledge. It simplifies the process of web content creation and management.

Key components include a content management application (CMA) and a content delivery application (CDA).

Popular CMS Platforms

WordPress

Widely used, highly flexible, and plugin-extensible. Powers a large percentage of websites.

Joomla

Offers a balance between ease of use and complexity, suitable for various website types.

Drupal

Powerful and flexible, favored for complex websites with custom data structures and user roles.

Contentful

A headless CMS focused on API-first content delivery, great for multi-platform content.

Adobe Experience Manager

Enterprise-level CMS with advanced marketing and personalization features.

Key Considerations When Choosing a CMS

  • Ease of Use: How easy is it to create and manage content?
  • Flexibility: Can the CMS handle the types of content and features you need?
  • Scalability: Can the CMS grow with your website’s needs?
  • Security: How secure is the CMS against vulnerabilities?
  • Cost: What is the cost of the CMS, including hosting, themes, and plugins?

WordPress

WordPress Core Features

Posts & Pages

Fundamental content types for articles and static content.

Themes

Control the visual design of the website. Thousands of free and premium themes available.

Plugins

Extend functionality with add-ons for SEO, e-commerce, security, and more.

Users & Roles

Manage user access and permissions with roles like Administrator, Editor, Author, and Contributor.

Categories & Tags

Organize content for improved navigation and SEO.

Popular WordPress Plugins

  • Yoast SEO: For search engine optimization.
  • WooCommerce: For e-commerce functionality.
  • Contact Form 7: For creating contact forms.
  • Akismet: For spam protection.
  • Elementor: For drag-and-drop page building.

WordPress Pros & Cons

Pros

Cons
  • Large community and extensive resources.
  • Highly customizable with themes and plugins.
  • Relatively easy to learn and use.
  • Can be vulnerable to security issues if not properly maintained.
  • Plugin conflicts can occur.
  • Performance can degrade with too many plugins.

Drupal

Drupal Core Concepts

Nodes

Primary content entities, such as articles, pages, and custom content types.

Modules

Extend functionality, similar to WordPress plugins. Contributed modules offer a wide range of features.

Themes

Control the visual design of the website. Drupal’s theming system is highly flexible.

Taxonomy

Categorization system for organizing content using vocabularies and terms.

Blocks

Reusable content elements that can be placed in different regions of a page.

Drupal Use Cases

Drupal is often used for:

  • Complex websites with custom data structures.
  • Websites requiring high security and scalability.
  • Enterprise-level applications.
  • Websites with advanced user management requirements.

Drupal Pros & Cons

Pros

Cons
  • Highly flexible and customizable.
  • Excellent security features.
  • Scalable for large and complex websites.
  • Steeper learning curve compared to WordPress.
  • Requires more technical expertise.
  • Can be more expensive to develop and maintain.

Joomla

Joomla Core Features

Articles

Primary content entities, organized into categories.

Modules

Extend functionality, similar to WordPress plugins and Drupal modules.

Templates

Control the visual design of the website. Joomla offers a flexible templating system.

Components

More complex extensions that provide core functionality, such as e-commerce or social networking.

Plugins

Modify specific parts of the Joomla core or extensions.

Joomla Use Cases

Joomla is often used for:

  • Social networking sites
  • E-commerce platforms
  • Business websites
  • Intranets and extranets

Joomla Pros & Cons

Pros

Cons
  • Flexible and versatile.
  • Good balance between ease of use and complexity.
  • Strong community support.
  • Can be more complex than WordPress for simple sites.
  • Extension quality can vary.
  • Less popular than WordPress, which means fewer themes and plugins.
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