WordPress and Drupal are both popular content management systems (CMS) used to build websites.
WordPress is known for its ease of use and intuitive interface, making it a popular choice for personal blogs and small business websites. It has a large user community, which provides a vast library of plugins and themes for users to choose from.
Drupal, on the other hand, is a more robust and flexible CMS that is used to build complex websites, including e-commerce sites, social networks, and large corporate websites. It has a steeper learning curve compared to WordPress, but it offers more advanced features and customization options.
When it comes to development, WordPress and Drupal have distinct differences that can impact the development process. If you’re still undecided about which CMS platform suits your needs, keep reading for a detailed comparison between Drupal and WordPress.
Quick comparison table between Drupal and WordPress:
| Feature | WordPress | Drupal |
|---|---|---|
| Usage | Powers ~60% of CMS websites and 30% of all websites. Popular for its ease of use and broad appeal. | Powers <4% of CMS websites and 2% of all websites. Preferred for complex, enterprise-level projects. |
| Community & Resources | Large global community; ~58,000 plug-ins and 3,300 themes; frequent updates; many developers available. | Strong global community; ~46,000 modules, ~3,000 themes, 1,300+ distributions; frequent updates; more specialized developer base. |
| Ease of Use | Very user-friendly, minimal coding needed; ideal for beginners and small businesses. | Steeper learning curve; best for experienced developers; advanced customization requires more skills. |
| Customization | Flexible with themes and plug-ins; can modify or create new elements for specific needs. | Highly flexible; supports custom content types, advanced taxonomy, and complex site structures. |
| Security | Popular target for hackers; core updates and hosting security help mitigate risks. | Less frequently targeted; robust built-in security and regular patches. |
| Deployment | Can be installed via hosting providers, LAMP servers, or containers (Kubernetes); simple to scale. | Similar options as WordPress: hosting providers, LAMP servers, or containerized deployments; supports enterprise scaling. |
| Costs | Free and open-source; lower learning curve; hosting costs apply; developers generally easier to hire. | Free and open-source; higher learning curve; hosting costs apply; developers can be more expensive and harder to find. |
Further reading:
About Drupal
Drupal enables the creation of sophisticated, highly customizable websites, though it requires some time to learn. It is likely a better fit for moderately experienced web developers who are comfortable using the command line.
Best for: Expanding businesses, particularly those with strong tech capabilities, Drupal’s robust SEO features can be a significant advantage. Additionally, Drupal integrates with various e-commerce solutions, such as Ubercart, Drupal Commerce, Amazon Store, and supports e-commerce invoicing.
About WordPress
WordPress allows users to launch a website or blog quickly, with little to no coding required. If you’re new to web development or blogging and don’t need extensive scalability, WordPress is likely the ideal option.
Best for: Small businesses looking to refresh an outdated, static website, WordPress provides an effective solution.
Comparison between Drupal and WordPress
Usage
WordPress
Powers nearly 60% of all CMS-based websites and over 30% of all websites globally.
Its popularity reflects that it is user-friendly and can meet the needs of a broad range of organizations and individuals.
A robust ecosystem of plugins, tools, and skilled professionals exists to support projects.
Being widely used also makes WordPress a more frequent target for hackers.
Drupal
Used for just under 4% of CMS-based websites and accounts for about 2% of all websites.
While less common, Drupal is a strong choice for projects that require advanced customization and robust security.
Its smaller user base may mean fewer ready-made resources compared with WordPress, but it often attracts highly skilled developers who can tackle complex requirements.
Ecosystem
WordPress
Boasts a large, multi-lingual community of users and contributors, including independent developers and firms continuously creating new plug-ins and themes.
Offers nearly 58,000 plug-ins and 3,300 themes, both free and paid.
Supports integration with a wide range of third-party applications, such as Facebook, HubSpot, Salesforce, Mailchimp, and Google Analytics, mainly through plug-ins.
The WordPress core is updated frequently, adding new features and optimizing usability, with new releases roughly every month or two.
Drupal
Also has a strong global community of users and contributors producing modules, themes, and distributions for customization.
Drupal 8 provides over 46,000 modules, nearly 3,000 themes, and 1,300+ distributions, which bundle tools for specific use cases like e-commerce.
Supports integration with many third-party services and applications via robust APIs, including Facebook, HubSpot, Salesforce, Mailchimp, and Google Analytics.
Drupal’s core is updated regularly with new features and improvements, with releases occurring about every month or two.
Ease of use
WordPress
Extremely user-friendly, requiring little to no programming knowledge, though developers can still customize the code if needed.
A vast selection of free plug-ins and themes makes it easy for non-developers to quickly set up a website or blog.
Popular among tens of millions of individuals and small businesses due to its simplicity and speed of deployment.
Drupal
Has a steeper learning curve, as many functions require installing and configuring modules.
Enables developers to build highly customized, complex websites, making it more suitable for enterprise-level projects.
Simple sites can be created, but Drupal is generally favored by experienced developers who need advanced functionality.
Hiring Drupal experts can be more costly and challenging for small businesses compared with finding WordPress developers.
Customization
WordPress
Offers a wide range of themes and plug-ins that allow you to customize your site quickly.
You can modify existing templates, combine different plug-ins, or create your own to meet specific needs.
Provides flexibility suitable for most small to medium-sized websites and standard business requirements.
Drupal
Known for supporting extensive customization and advanced functionality.
Beyond modifying modules, Drupal allows you to create custom content types, adjust content taxonomy, and implement complex site structures.
Ideal for organizations that need highly tailored solutions and enterprise-level websites.
Security
WordPress
With over 75 million sites, WordPress and its third-party plug-ins are frequent targets for hackers.
The platform continuously improves core security and shares best practices with plug-in and theme developers.
Many web hosting providers also offer additional tools to help protect WordPress sites from vulnerabilities.
Drupal
Less commonly targeted by hackers, but security remains a core focus of the platform.
Drupal developers build robust security measures into the system.
Regular patches, updates, and security alerts help maintain site protection against emerging threats.
Deployment
WordPress
Can be installed via a web hosting provider or cloud service, often minimizing the need for ongoing management such as upgrades.
Can also be deployed on an enterprise-level environment, such as a LAMP-based virtual server (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP).
Supports containerized deployment with systems like Kubernetes, which simplifies scaling, improves portability, and enhances availability.
Drupal
Offers similar deployment options as WordPress, including installation through hosting providers or cloud services with optional management.
Can be deployed on LAMP-based virtual servers for enterprise-level control.
Containerization with Kubernetes is supported, enabling easier scaling, higher portability, and improved site availability.
Costs
WordPress
Free and open-source, but you’ll need to pay for web hosting or an on-premises environment. Some hosting providers also offer paid add-ons to simplify deployment and management.
Learning and training costs are generally lower due to its user-friendly nature. Hiring WordPress developers is typically easier and less expensive.
Offers free themes and plug-ins, with optional paid versions if you want more advanced features or customizations.
Drupal
Also free and open-source, but hosting costs still apply. Paid add-ons or services may be available depending on your hosting setup.
Requires more time to learn, and hiring Drupal developers can be more costly since skilled experts are less common.
Provides free modules, themes, and distributions, with paid options available or the possibility of investing time and money to customize elements.
Conclusion
Choosing the right CMS is crucial for the success of your website. WordPress offers simplicity and speed, making it ideal for small businesses and individuals, while Drupal provides unmatched flexibility, scalability, and security for complex, enterprise-level projects.
If your business requires a highly customized, secure, and scalable website, Drupal is the perfect choice. Partner with Kyanon Digital, a trusted Drupal development expert, to bring your vision to life. Our experienced team can help you design, develop, and maintain a powerful Drupal site tailored to your unique needs.
Contact Kyanon Digital today to get started on your next Drupal project.
