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A content management system (CMS) is a must when it comes to building a successful website. There are plenty of CMS out there but finding one that lets you easily create a website without understanding any code is a sign of the best content management system. Top CMS platforms in the market will let you drag and drop elements, add features, help you push updates to your website without any hassle. However, the market is flooded with plenty of different CMS platforms. But how do you know which is the best content management system for your website? Well, that's what we will talk about here.
We here at Dropship USA specialize in creating highly optimized e-commerce websites that generate high sales numbers for dropshippers in the US. Due to our line of work, we know all there is to know about the top CMS platforms. In most cases, we've found that the most popular CMS platforms turn out to be the best ones. So we thought we should let you know what are the top most popular CMS platforms on the market right now. The aim of this list is to help you better understand what technology fits your needs better. So without further delay, let's begin!
WordPress.org
WordPress is by far the biggest CMS platform around and is the most popular CMS platform around, with over 35% of all websites on the internet using WordPress. Do not confuse WordPress.org with WordPress.com. The former is a free open source CMS initially designed for blogging but since then has moved on to be used on all sorts of websites. Whereas the latter WordPress.com is purely a blog hosting platform. WordPress.org is the true CMS that works for all websites so make sure you don't confuse it with the blogging platform. Here are some of the pros and cons of WordPress.org:
Pros
- It offers versatility and flexibility to build any sort of website.
- Requires no technical skills or coding knowledge. You can set up beautiful-looking pages without any trouble.
- It provides you with the complete freedom to make money online from your site any way you want.
- Full customization option with thousands of WordPress themes and plugins available, both paid and free. There are other features available as well, like contact forms, photo galleries, and much more.
- Perfectly SEO optimized. It comes with thousands of fantastic SEO plugins that allow you to create SEO-friendly URLs, categories, and tags for your posts.
- WordPress is open-source software and boasts one of the biggest supportive communities in the CMS niche.
- Plenty of extensions available, making it one of the top CMS platforms for both beginners and developers alike.
- It allows you to download all the content in XML format. Meaning it's easy to move into a new system whenever you need to.
Cons
- You are responsible for everything from hosting and domain name, and you'll be responsible for managing things like security and backups.
- It's a versatile CMS platform that offers a multitude of functionality, which can often be a confusing task. That's why many people use drag & drop page builder plugins to simplify things.
Joomla
Joomla has been one of the most popular CMS platforms out there for quite some time now. You will have lots of different templates and extensions to work with. There is a free option for Joomla, but you will have to pay for hosting and a domain name. It's one of the oldest and biggest CMS platforms on the internet and is packed with features, and many web hosts offer a one-click installation. Now, if you are an experienced developer or experienced website creator, this is one of the best content management systems out there, but there may be other better ones for you if you are a beginner. Here are its pros and cons you should check out:
Pros
- It gives you a multitude of features, and it offers fantastic flexibility and is a top content management system if you are building something complicated or bespoke.
- While it is ideal for developers, you can still use Joomla to create a website without writing one line of code. It makes editing your content quickly with its intuitive features.
- It's one of the most popular content management systems globally, along with being one of the oldest. That means plenty of community support available.
- Joomla lets you create high-end e-commerce websites as well with a plethora of extensions it has to offer.
Cons
- Even the most avid Joomla fan will admit that the platform is a bit complex, so you may need to use a developer to help you if you are not a coding expert.
- Unlike WordPress, Joomla doesn't have thousands of available themes and plugins that extend the core functionality, so you may find it disappointing.
- You may run into compatibility issues if you have a lot of different extensions and modules installed.
Drupal
Drupal is another of the most popular CMS out there, with major clients like The Economist and plenty of university sites. If you are looking to build a highly customized site that needs to handle many data, Drupal is the one. However, you may need to have a development team or if you are a developer yourself. You can even host a Drupal site on SiteGround. It offers you free installation and can even help you transfer an existing Drupal site. Here are some pros and cons you can check out:
Pros
- It's easy to add products on Drupal, and you can add custom content types that are flexible and offer plenty of options.
- It's a highly customizable CMS platform and comes with different modules available to add to your site, like WordPress plugins.
- It has a similar support community as the other most popular CMS platforms like Joomla and WordPress.
- It makes management more accessible, and it has a built-in system where you can create new roles and specify their permissions.
Cons
- It's not as user-friendly as other top content management systems in the market. It can be a bit tricky to find out how to change the appearance of your site or add extras.
- Usually, Drupal sites heavily customized theme created by a developer, meaning it can be an expensive undertaking.
WooCommerce
WooCommerce is one of the most popular content management systems in the world right now. It's really flexible and effortless to use. While it's not technically a CMS platform, WooCommerce runs as a plugin on WordPress. So you'll need to have WordPress on your site to install WooCommerce. With over 5.8% of market share, WooCommerce is one of the top CMS platforms out there you can use to build your website. Here are some pros and cons of WooCommerce that you need to check out:
Pros
- It's free downloadable software, but you will need to have WooCommerce hosting and a domain name.
- There are thousands of WooCommerce themes out there ensuring complete customization to create a website that looks exactly how you want it to look.
- You have access to many extensions that provide you get to add extra functionality to your site easily.
- It allows you to sell physical and digital products along with affiliate products through affiliate links.
- WooCommerce offers complete control over your inventory and ensures you get to manage your inventory efficiently.
- It comes with PayPal and Stripe payments as default payment gateways, but it also allows you to add any other payment gateways through extensions and add-ons.
Cons
- There are way too many options for WooCommerce, and it can often be a bit confusing for its users.
- While WooCommerce does work with any WordPress theme, if you want extended support, then it's better to get WooCommerce themes for extended support.
Wix
We've encountered plenty of online businesses that are looking to shift from Wix to other CMS. While Wix is one of the best content management systems out there, it pales compared to other popular names like WordPress that offers endless design and site customization options to its users. However, it is still a top CMS platform and is beginner-friendly so that you can consider it as an option for your website; add to that, Wix also has a free plan for its users. Here are some pros and cons of Wix that you can check out:
Pros
- It has an intuitive drag and drop interface that makes editing and creating perfectly customized pages easy.
- Wix has a plethora of pre-made templates that are also responsive. Meaning it looks great on all devices, mobile or otherwise.
- You can add a lot of different apps to your site from the Wix App Market. These apps work precisely like WordPress plugins.
Cons
- Templates are usually unchangeable on Wix, and that increases your chance of getting stuck with a layout that's not quite right for your site.
- There is no free plan for e-commerce, meaning you can't sell anything without upgrading to a paid plan. Even with that, it only accepts payments using PayPal or Authorize.net.
- It doesn't allow for easy migration of content. You can only download the blogs, and that too without the content. So usually, you would have to copy and paste these manually.
- The free plan has a Wix-branded domain name and ads on your site.
BigCommerce
Sometimes known as the all-in-one platform BigCommerce is one of the most popular CMS platforms out there amongst beginners. It's a fully hosted system, meaning not only does it handles your content management needs, but it also hosts the site and handles security and backups for you. Here are the pros and cons BigCommerce that can help you decide whether or not it's the right CMS for you:
Pros
- It offers a trial plan, meaning you can check out the features and functionalities of BigCommerce before committing.
- You can use a free domain from BigCommerce, or if you want, you can pay for a custom paid domain as well.
- It offers a wide range of payment options for its users, with the CMS platform supporting everything from digital wallets like PayPal, Apple Pay, and Amazon Pay to credit or debit cards.
- It has plenty of support features as well that you can access directly from your dashboard, 24/7. You can find everything from live chat, email, phone support to community support and more.
- You can use BigCommerce with WordPress, meaning you get to use features from two of the best and most popular content management systems out there.
Cons
- BigCommerce doesn't offer much control as many of the most popular CMS on the market. There are limited themes and integrations as well, and it can prevent you from using a third-party service to grow your business.
- It automatically moves you to the next tier without you finalizing, and it can be difficult for startups to handle.
Shopify
Shopify is one of the most popular content management systems in the world with e-commerce businesses. It is an all-in-one hosted CMS platform. Where you won't have to invest more in hosting, and it allows you to stall any software or manage things like updates and backups. The simple drag and drop interface makes things simple for everyone, and the best part is that it supports in-store sales and works perfectly if you have a physical store along with an online one. Here are the pros and cons of Shopify for you to check out:
Pros
- Shopify Payments allow you to accept credit and debit card payments without any problems. Along with that, the default payment system also supports PayPal.
- There are plenty of extensions and themes that let you customize your website completely. You can also use plenty of third-party apps that let you add a wide variety of features to your site.
- There is no sales limit on Shopify so that you can make as much money as possible.
- Shopify has the best support out of all the top content management systems out there. It offers 24/7 support through live chat, email, phone, and even Twitter. There is thorough documentation as well, where you will find comprehensive guides and "how-tos." It also has a thriving online forum where you can find almost all the answers within a few hours.
Cons
- The cost can run up if you use a lot of third-party apps to optimize your store.
- The features and apps aren't as comprehensive as WordPress, so you may not find all the optimization tools you want for your site.
Ghost
Often known as the "headless CMS," Ghost isn't like your other top CMS platforms. The odd nickname comes from the way it processes content. It doesn't force you to put out content in one single way. You have complete control over how the content or data you produce could be shown on a website, but it could also be sent to a mobile app or something else entirely. However, if you want just to use Ghost for blogging or if you are not a developer, then you don't have to think about this at all. Here are Ghost's pros and cons that you can look at to better understand if it's the best choice for you:
Pros
- You can use Markdown when you're writing in the Ghost editor. It's a type of formatting text where you add special characters around words to make them bold, italic, and many other features.
- Unlike WordPress's block editor, Ghost uses a card content editor.
- Ghost is highly SEO optimized, and you don't need to add any plugins to deliver optimized content.
- It's set up for charging content, so if you are running an online magazine or publication that people pay for, then Ghost allows you to do it without a hassle.
Cons
- It doesn't offer the same amount of power and flexibility as most other popular content management systems.
- It started off as a CMS platform designed just for blogging; some users feel it's become overly complicated as it now offers things like paid subscriptions for readers.
Magento
Magento was created by Adobe, and ever since its introduction, and it has become one of the best and most popular content management systems. It's open-source software that has set itself up as one of the top CMS platforms for online stores. There is a free version you can use as well, and you download and install it on your own web hosting account, called Magento Open Source.
You can start by using SiteGround Magento hosting to get your foot through the door, and then you can move into other things. The paid version is called Magento Commerce. It comes with full support, and it's hosted as well. However, you may find it very expensive. Here are the pros and cons of Magento, so you know whether or not to use it or not:
Pros
- It's a highly customizable CMS with many third-party extensions that make adding features to your site easy.
- You can handle plenty of products and customers, allowing you to grow your business seamlessly.
- It's the most popular CMS platform amongst big-name brands. Brands like Nike, Ford, and Coca-Cola all use Magento as their top choice for a CMS.
- It offers a host of different payment gateway for its users. Magento offers some of the best payment features are PayPal, cash on delivery, and bank transfer that is already built-in.
Cons
- Magento can be overwhelming for beginners who are not familiar with the online world.
- Magento usually requires developers, and it can become an expensive endeavor for businesses to hire developers specializing in Magento development.
- Magento support can vary a lot, with often people finding it hard to pinpoint the solutions to their problems. That is especially true if they are relying on Open Source and relying on online forums.
Textpattern
Textpattern has been around for almost two decades and established itself as one of the best CMS platforms in the market. Like most top CMS in the market, it has plenty of documentation so you can get all the answers you need to have to build the perfect website. Here are some of its pros and cons that you can check out to understand if it's the best choice for you or not.
Pros
- Textpattern has plenty of modifications, plugins, and templates on offer for completely no charge.
- It has a flexible process for structuring content, and you can use "sections" and "categories" to organize it, and readers can subscribe to specific RSS feeds according to your needs.
Cons
- It doesn't have any one-click installation process with any major web hosts. Even though it's not that hard to install, you need to create a database on your web host and use FTP to upload the software.
- If you are looking for authors or developers familiar with Textpattern, it might be challenging as it's not as familiar as other most popular content management systems. However, it is one of the best CMS platforms if used right.
Find The Right CMS Solution
So there you go those the ten best and most popular content management systems of 2021. Make sure you go through and check which of these top ten content management systems meet your needs. Now, finding the best CMS is only part of the job. There are so many different aspects to building a successful website. That's why we here at Dropship USA specialize in providing top-notch website building services with the best and most popular CMS on the market. Our job is to ensure you have the right platform to generate sales and pique the audience's interest. So if you are on the hunt for a highly optimized website, then please contact us, and we will take care of the rest.
And with that being said, that's about all we have for you today. Let us know in the comments below if we've missed any top content management systems. Also, hit us up on our socials and send in your thoughts and suggestions on improving ourselves. Your feedback means a lot to us, and it helps us optimize our approach to better cater to your needs. So do send them in. With that being said, we come to the end of our conversation today. We will come back with something new for you soon. Until then, see ya!
Don't forget, you can get a fully automated USA based dropship website, built for you, in whatever niche you want, in 72 hours or less. Go to https://learn.dropshipusa.io/webclass to register for our free webinar that will teach you our secret dropship model, and how you can get it built for you in only 3 days!
