15 Best Marketing CMS Platforms for Your Website in 2024

For business owners, content management is important. Enterprise content management can be difficult if you don’t know what you’re doing.

While you could surely go and hire the Top website design companies for your CMS needs, you need to have a holistic understanding of the platforms as well. Understanding CMS platforms is the best way to help your business flourish in the years to come.

Top 15 CMS Platforms for 2023

There are so many options available for CMS platforms on the web. We have listed the 15 best choices of marketing CMS platforms available for your business.

1. WordPress
2. Drupal
3. Joomla
4. Magento
5. Umbraco
6. Shopify
7. Sitecore
8. Kentico
9. Sitefinity
10. DNN
11. SharePoint
12. Typo3
13. Alfresco
14. DotCMS
15. Django CMS

Each of these CMS platforms has one or more special features that make it a top choice for your CMS platform website.

What is Content Management System?

For such a long phrase, it’s an easy answer: this system helps collect and organize information for the intended audience. This important aspect of business is not one method or process, but many combined. It takes multiple processes and strategies to make content management work. It’s more than knowing what the information is or where it belongs. You have to organize it and understand why it falls into this category or that section. This growing realization is what has led to the uptick in the need for website redesign services across the world, spanning industries.

There is no structure. In fact, that goes to the wayside where content management is concerned. The amount, or lack thereof, of structure, doesn’t change whether an item needs to be organized and how that should happen. It’s important to understand how your items should be organized and work toward that. This process works for your business database, as well as any online databases your company might have. It’s important to understand how it works and why it’s important to ensure you’re using it correctly.

What is a CMS Platform?

CMS (Content Management System) websites are business websites that are based on CMS designs. These websites are the regular domain for the company with the added benefit of a CMS platform website. This means the person in charge of the website or software can easily change, add, or subtract any information or pictures on the pages. The best part about CMS is that experience with programming is not required. You do not need to know web development languages in order to run a CMS successfully.

Someone working with CMS platforms doesn’t need the experience and training in programming or HTML in order to work with a CMS platform website and update or change things. With CMS, companies don’t have to wait too long or hope someone else can update their website. Anyone in the company with access to the website can easily work with CMS and update the content. Using this system provides an updated web page that looks good to your audience.

WordPress

WordPress offers a specially priced business plan starting at $25 per month. This plan provides access to all WordPress has to offer, including PSD to WordPress services. This includes their array of themes in the theme store, unlimited storage for all your documents and information, and a customized domain, specially designed for your business.

There are many advantages and disadvantages to working with WordPress. Having so many advantages and disadvantages provides an array of examples to help businesses make an informed decision when choosing a CMS for their business website.

Advantages

• One of the benefits of using WordPress is the ease of access. Because it doesn’t require PHP or HTML programming, users without a programming background can easily use WordPress themes and their functions without problems.
• It also contains a large community and an array of plugins. These advantages aid in the conversational Q&A sessions and the ability to work with discussion boards and thousands of free and paid plugins to create any templates your website may require. If you want to learn more about integrating the best WordPress plugins and themes, check out NameHero’s list for the lowdown and you’ll see just how much choice and flexibility this platform gives you.
• The multitude of free and paid templates available is another perk WordPress offers. It provides choices to give your website the look it needs to stay professional while drawing people in. These templates are available in many forms and contain an array of graphics to continue keeping your website looking fresh.
• WordPress also offers a management feature for menus. This option provides the addition of functions that could include individual pages and categories. With these options available, you can add specialized menus to your website that allow the viewer to jump to other pages and categories throughout your website.
• Another advantage to WordPress is the ability to add labels, categories, and more to your pages through plugins or on your own. This provides more details for those viewing your website and makes navigation easier overall.

All of these advantages are great options, but there are also disadvantages. As with any design, things can go wrong or not be what you’re looking for. These disadvantages are some that come with using WordPress.

Disadvantages

• One of the disadvantages that come with WordPress features is the knowledge required for modification. In order to remove fields, such as dates, you would be required to have knowledge of PHP. The easy usage that advertises no required knowledge of PHP and HTML only qualifies as a perk if you don’t need to remove any of the fields on your page. Unfortunately, removal will require you to have a working knowledge of PHP.
• Another programming concern is the required knowledge of CSS and HTML for graphics. If you’re looking to use a certain template and modify the graphics to fit your needs, working knowledge of CSS and HTML will be required. This, again, goes against the easy usage with no needed knowledge of PHP or HTML.
• Plugins are listed as a perk to using WordPress because they offer so many options to provide everything you could want for your website. Unfortunately, this array of plugins is also a disadvantage. Having so many options for plugins decreases the efficiency and functionality of the script, which slows everything down and creates problems for your page.
• Adding content to your page can also change your security. The PHP security system does not have the stamina and quality of other servers. This creates a problem as you add more content. As more content is added to your page, the security level drops in quality and your page becomes less protected.

If you’re adding tables and graphics to your page, this can be more of a hassle than other CMS sites. Unfortunately, WordPress does not have the ease of use for these options that other sites, such as Joomla, might have. This complexity can also be said of SQL queries. This is because the non-standard fields used by WordPress require additional syntax to work properly.

Drupal

Drupal is a top CMS platform for businesses. This CMS site is a more complicated CMS. It uses a higher level of programming for those who’ve surpassed the programming on sites like WordPress. As a more advanced program, there are more advantages and disadvantages to using Drupal for your CMS needs. The advantages of using Drupal may well outweigh the disadvantages; however, it’s important to note each in order for your decision to be well-informed.

Advantages

• One of the biggest advantages of using Drupal is functionality. This program has functions available for all your programming needs. It also provides modification tools for graphics to keep your pages updated.
• Content comes in a variety of options with Drupal. You have all the requirements to create and manage any content from text and blogs to pictures and videos. This content variety allows users to create the web design they need to help their business grow. It provides an array of options to help produce the design you want.
• Multiple users can be added to assist in editing or creating content with Drupal. Using this feature allows you to have a multitude of company employees available with established permission to make any changes or additions they deem fit for your site. This feature provides an opportunity for multiple people to have a hand in creating and modifying content on the website to keep one person from having to do all the work.
• Graphics can be managed, added, or created to help your business page look more professional and provide a better look for your website. There are preset page functions and an array of layouts and templates for designing the best page for your needs. You can also upload or create your own graphics as well.
• Content can be categorized in any list form that makes your work easier. Drupal provides the structure and functions needed to create your own lists to keep your content organized and at your fingertips. This feature provides a way to keep track of your content and organize it in a way that works best for you.
• Plugins can be used or created for your convenience. It’s important to be able to access plugins to help provide more functionality for your website. With this feature, you can create your own plugins or use one that’s already been created by Drupal.
• A final main advantage of Drupal is the support. The Drupal homepage has an array of options available to assist you with any problems you might have. They offer discussion boards, emails, chats, and more. Your answers are at your fingertips with the click of a button.

With any website or product, there are always disadvantages. While they are few, Drupal does have some disadvantages. 

Disadvantages

• First is the installation and modification of the page. The script isn’t user-friendly like WordPress would be. This program is set up more for advanced users and isn’t easy for beginners to use. It’s possible this could be a problem for those wishing to use a more advanced program without the hassle of learning too much in order to use it.
• Compatibility is another issue with using Drupal. This system has a lot of new and improved options and functions compared to other systems. If this isn’t something you’ve worked with previously, it could take some getting used to before you’ve mastered the important functions and uses.

Drupal efficiency is below other sites. This happens because they don’t have the compatibility for larger server loads. There are plugins available to help with this issue, but Drupal has not produced a fix for this concern on a more personal level yet.

Joomla

The advantages and disadvantages of Joomla compare favorably against many other CMS platform websites. Each CMS site has an array of advantages and disadvantages. These are what many use to determine which site will best fit their business needs.

Advantages

• One of Joomla’s advantages is the ease of installation. Joomla is one of the easiest CMS programs to install. They advertise the full ability to use Joomla and all its features within ten minutes of clicking the download button on their website. This is one of the few CMS programs you can quickly download and begin using immediately.
• Plugins are another perk of Joomla. They offer an array of free plugins that provide functionality and support without having to download them right away. Most CMS sites and programs require you to download plugins as soon as you install the program in order to get the functionality they provide.
• Having a multitude of tools and tutorials allows Joomla to provide top-quality support for users. There are so many tools, such as discussion boards, to aid in answering questions and providing an array of details to help users easily create and maintain their pages.
• Joomla provides easy navigation through each feature. This allows users to speed through the creation process and maintain the pages with less time. By providing these options, users can take less time on creating and updating which allows more time for other business needs.
• Two other perks to Joomla include great URLs and updates. The URLs are important because Joomla provides the best URLs for SEO results. Updates are easy to install directly from the web browser, but the program is ready to use upon download.
• Administration options command the advantage list with the array of functions available. The administration page provides options for many features useful to your page setup and maintenance. Unfortunately, it will take some time to adjust to the large number of choices, but once you’ve used it and gotten the hang of everything, this feature will provide top resources to keep your page going.

As with other CMS sites, there are some disadvantages to using Joomla. This list is not long compared to others, but it can be important information in deciding whether or not to choose Joomla for your CMS needs.

Disadvantages

• Despite the array of modules and templates, the options for adjustments and updates are very limited. This could be a problem for more advanced users who prefer a larger list of options. This is not a major disadvantage compared to other possible problems, but it could be a problem more so for more advanced CMS users.
• Efficiency and resources can be a disadvantage with Joomla. For most sites, this doesn’t appear to be a problem; however, depending on the size of your website and the number of modules and times you expand things, there could be efficiency issues in the long run.
• Plugins can cause problems with Joomla as well. Issues with the compatibility of plugins have been reported and it’s been said that many functions don’t work regardless of attempts to repair this concern. It has also been determined that some plugins through Joomla are paid plugins. This means you cannot simply download and use these plugins as you’d like.
• One of the main disadvantages of Joomla is the look when you first open the site. It can be daunting to see the array of modules and other options, especially if you’re a beginner. A concern like this is easily resolved by spending time learning the multiple functions and options Joomla has to offer.

Magento

The advantages and disadvantages of CMS sites can be a major point in whether or not to choose them. Magento is no different from other sites when it comes to having pros and cons for its use as a CMS site.

Advantages

Some of the pros of Magento can provide a lot of reasons to choose Magento as your CMS solution.

• One of the pros of choosing Magento is the ability to be efficient with larger sources. Magento has the ability to produce sites with up to 500,000 products and online stores that run approximately 80,000 orders an hour.
• This choice is great for those looking to create an online shopping site. It provides an array of options to make the user’s shopping experience easy. You can change your order information and move easily from page to page with a single click of a button. Users also have access to top-grade search capabilities for ease of finding the products they seek.
• For the purpose of the business, Magento provides an array of tools to aid in promoting and marketing products. It’s also a great option for multiple payment options, including PayPal and Google. These options make it a great choice for users looking to shop and businesses looking to sell.
• SEO companies across the world will be in favor of using Magento due to its SEO capabilities. This option provides more perks for the company to have better SEO results for their business. With the generation of site maps, meta tags, and landing pages this site can help the business owner promote a website with a few simple steps.
• Support is a large part of Magento and dominates the list of pros for the site. Magento uses open-source ideas to ensure the maximum availability of resources for support. This ensures the users can have answers to any questions from an array of sources and work through using Magento with ease.

Disadvantages

• Like other options, Magento also has cons to the site and its usage. One of these cons is the usability of the site. Many users have found the platform too complex the more they try different features. It doesn’t have the ease of access to functions or the user-friendly abilities some other CMS sites offer.
• Another concern for Magento use is the flexibility of use. Many users feel the functionality is lacking in many ways that are important for their business needs. This concern forces them to attempt an integration of Magento with other platforms to work around this concerning issue.
• The most concerning disadvantage of using Magento is that it runs with PHP. Many users are beginners to CMS and are not able to use programming tools like PHP. This is a problem for those who prefer to use Magento but cannot work with PHP for lack of knowledge.

Umbraco

Advantages

• Umbraco has an array of CMS tools and information to assist users with their CMS needs. Automatic updates and reliable security are at the top of this list. You are guaranteed the most updated version upon installation, as well as any updates as they’re produced. Security is a priority for Umbraco and once a bug is found, patches are created in order to keep older versions safer in the future.
• Users will also be happy with the ease of management and support they receive with Umbraco. There are multiple roles for management, each with its own access abilities to produce top-quality content and updates to your pages. The support provided by the Umbraco community is headed by a special forum for users to speak directly to each other and the Umbraco team.
• This is a free product, which users appreciate, and it has top performance available to assist in CMS provisions for users. Having access to a free CMS site provides users with saved money for other aspects of their business. Performance can be an issue for many CMS sites. Umbraco provides a fair level of performance for its users.

Disadvantages

• Umbraco has two main cons to their CMS performance; plugins and popularity. Plugins are a disadvantage because there aren’t enough of them for what may be required by users. Popularity is a concern as well because many CMS users still prefer WordPress for their needs.

Shopify

Advantages

• Shopify is one of the most sought-after CMS website development platforms when it comes to building commercially lucrative websites.
• This platform is more focused on e-commerce users and, therefore, has pros and cons focused on those needs. Their pricing is fairly reasonable for what’s offered and they provide a fair amount of options for all levels of users. An array of options provide users with choices to create a top e-commerce site for their needs.

Disadvantages

• The downside to this option is the platform is more focused on e-commerce and isn’t a great choice of other users. Those with businesses not selling products may not find Shopify as user-friendly as other CMS platforms.

Sitecore

Advantages

• Sitecore offers an array of options that aid in flexibility to bring experiences to an optimal level of use. Due to this feature, users have an easier time changing and updating their content and features. Another positive to using Sitecore is the multi-lingual content. This option is great for users in other countries who wish to use Sitecore in their own languages to create CMS sites for their businesses. It will help them reach followers and customers in their own countries as well.

Disadvantages

• The largest downfall of Sitecore is the customer experience. They are best reached through third-party means. Having a lack of availability turns users toward other options for CMS sites to ensure they can reach the company, directly, at any time.

Kentico

Advantages

• Features of Kentico are the top advantage of using this CMS site. Their features are ready to use with little to no configuration and have been labeled as a more stable option compared to other CMS sites. They are also able to integrate other technologies easier than most. Kentico’s ability to successfully bring new partners into the mix allows them to create more features for their users.

Disadvantages

• Kentico’s biggest downfall is the lack of updated products. Many CMS sites have more advanced technologies and up-to-date products to keep users running off high-quality technology and information.

Sitefinity

Advantages

• Sitefinity is best praised for its usability and multi-lingual platform. The usability is easy to use and functional. It has also been praised that mobility and flexibility are at the top of the advantages this site offers. Multi-lingual abilities allow users to have access to all items from Sitefinity around the globe.

Disadvantages

• The largest downfall of Sitefinity is the lack of user controls and the limit to the synchronization of sites among Sitefinity and others. These two concerns, while not large, are a point against them because it shows they have not moved fully into the future at this time.

DNN

Advantages

• DNN is praised mainly for being scalable, structured, and having top security. The scalable feature aids in creating an array of websites that are suited to the user’s needs. Having this ability provides the best options for websites best suited to the requirements of your business. The structure of DNN is a pro because it provides portals for websites to separate if products are sold under one company but require their own sites. DNN also provides top security to its users with regularly scheduled updates and an encrypted database for all stored data.

Disadvantages

• The downfalls many are finding with DNN include manual configuration, modules, and support. DNN gives users a blank slate and the freedom to do as they please in creating their webpage. This can be a good thing, but it also means more time because the user has to produce every aspect of the webpage alone.
• Modules are a downside to DNN because they aren’t free. DNN is a free CMS site, but any extras for the site or webpage are paid features at the user’s expense. Support is a disadvantage as well. This problem comes from the lack of market available. The reason this is an issue is due to the inability to find DNNs because of their lack of market availability.

SharePoint

Advantages

• The positive sides of SharePoint are slight but important. One of the most important positives is user experience. The program is similar to Microsoft programs and runs like Word and PowerPoint. This makes users more comfortable with the site overall. Another advantage is having an array of companies familiar with SharePoint if there are concerns with the workings of the site. It’s also been praised for the platform’s configuration. Configuring the site to fit your needs is extremely simple with SharePoint.

Disadvantages

• The largest downfall is the complexity of working with CMS. It can be difficult at times to create what you want based on the options available. At times, it can seem impossible if you’re focusing too much on one aspect or another. It’s also a question of the platform remaining in use. At times, it has seemed to disappear from the world of CMS.

Typo3

Advantages

• Modularity and extensions are at the top of the advantages for this CMS site. With the diversity the modules offer and the array of extensions available for users, this CMS site provides a lot of options for webpage creation. Another advantage is the administrator options. Typo3 allows multiple administrators access to an array of tools to update and change the pages as needed.
• Typo3 also provides options for content and changes. There is an array of content types available for users to choose from that can be changed or used to change the structure of the page. Typo3 allows users to undo changes at will to create the page they most desire. This includes changing the structure of a page to fit the business needs. Their homepage also offers a multitude of support options to resolve problems and answer questions quickly.

Disadvantages

• Their list of disadvantages is small, but not unimportant. Their installation and modification are not easy to use. Typo3 is not recommended for beginners because it does not install easily and it can take a lengthy amount of time to learn how to use it. Another concern is the resources and efficiency of the program.
• The expansions available provide the need for higher server demands. These higher demands decrease efficiency and usability as the site becomes bogged down. Typo3 is easy for editors and administrators but can be difficult for programmers to work with overall.

Alfresco

Advantages

• Many of the perks of Alfresco are based on the design and feature options for webpages and users. This CMS site works best to provide simple web design for those who are less tech-savvy, as well as collaboration tools to aid in user productivity. Editing tools and modification freedom allow users to create the webpage they seek without concern about too many licensing fees. Alfresco also works hard to ensure top development and scalability. They also retain compatibility with most operating systems and work hard to integrate with the most popular office suites.

Disadvantages

• While there are not many downsides to Alfresco, there are a few to consider when choosing a CMS site. It’s been found that content may need to be reloaded because enrichment of content isn’t easy to accomplish without reloading the page. Alfresco also doesn’t support content transformation or XQuery. Not having these options could be a concern for future uses.

DotCMS

DotCMS has been deemed easy to use and customize. It also does not require the use of codes and has been said to work fairly well once you get used to it. As for the downfalls, it can be expensive and some content is not always available when needed. There are many reviews from users on this option, but not many reputable locations have provided information to back up or decline these comments.

Django CMS

Advantages

• This CMS platform has been labeled as a quick and protected version of CMS. They have created the ability to make access and usability easier and faster, as well as heightened security to ensure the protection of user content. Django is known to be scalable and flexible with the abilities available for users to work hard with all the features and abilities needed for a customized webpage.

Disadvantages

• Disadvantages include mistakes within templated that cause problems when creating web pages. It’s also a concern that multiple tasks can’t be carried out at the same time. They aren’t able to provide a lot of options at once and some tasks cannot be carried out at decent speeds. The consensus among users is there is too much programming for the tasks at hand, causing it to create functionality and sustainability problems.

Conclusion

Ask any of the digital marketing Companies and they will tell you that all of these CMS platforms are useful in many ways, but each has its own set of disadvantages. The main goal is to find the best CMS Platform that fits your company’s needs. After you have chosen the platform for your brand needs, it is time for you to enlist the services of creative agencies to ensure your brand gets the best that there is out there. In order to ensure you end up with the best of the best, you can put together a web design checklist and see if the CMS platform is meeting most of your needs from this checklist or not.