Top Choice: Best Website Content Management System
What is a content management system (CMS)? In short, it’s the software you use to manage content across your website. Some CMS also lets you build your website from scratch, but the gist is that you gain control over everything from posting blogs to updating web pages. The beauty of a content management system is that you can do all of this without knowing a thing about coding. It makes website management easier than ever before!
Consequently, you’ll see a dearth of content management systems online, all vying for your attention. Which one should you choose for your business website? We’ve collected some of the top options and compared them all to help you see which one is the most suitable.
Top Website Content Management Systems
Apparently, there are over 922 types of CMS for you to choose from. That’s a crazily saturated market, so we’ve boiled it down to a shortlist of the top five CMS based on the current market share:
- WordPress
- Shopify
- Wix
- Squarespace
- Joomla
WordPress
WordPress is the number one CMS in the world, holding a 63.5% market share when compared with all other CMS. That’s a massive jump above Shopify, which holds a 5.5% market share. Moreover, it’s estimated that around 40% of websites use WordPress these days. People love it as a CMS because it’s user-friendly, self-hosted, and comes with the widest range of plugins to improve website functionality.
Shopify
Shopify is easily the best CMS for ecommerce websites. It’s built around this concept and will give you all the tools you need to create and manage an online store. It may lack the plugins and customization of other CMS, but there’s no substitute for Shopify if your website’s core goal is to sell things online.
Wix
Wix is a great CMS if you want to build your website from scratch with no coding and lots of design options. It’s slightly better than WordPress from a usability perspective, and its functionalities make it a jack-of-all-trades for small business websites, ecommerce stores, or freelance portfolio sites.
Squarespace
If you’re looking for a more design-focused CMS, then Squarespace might be the best option. It’s not the most flexible option out there, but its all-in-one platform makes it a favorite choice for small businesses focused on creativity.
Joomla
Perhaps the least known CMS on this list, Joomla is hotly recommended as a more advanced alternative to WordPress. It carries many of the same functions and works best on complicated websites with lots of pages. However, it’s the least beginner-friendly option, so keep that in mind when sizing it up against the rest.
Expert Reviews on CMS Software
Reviews will always give insights into the different CMS and what makes them good – or bad. We’ve collected reviews for all five of the top content management systems from reliable platform G2.
WordPress Reviews
WordPress currently carries a 4.4 out of 5 rating on G2 from over 9,200 reviews. It’s easily the most reviewed CMS on the platform, and some of the key pros and cons from users are as follows:
Pros
- Easy to use
- Lots of functional plugins
- Great customization features
- Integrates with loads of other apps
Cons
- It can have a steep learning curve
- Many of the plugins require additional purchases
Shopify Reviews
Shopify also boasts a 4.4/5 rating from users at G2. It’s been reviewed over 4,600 times, with these being the main talking points:
Pros
- Very user-friendly
- Integrates well with many third-party apps
- Very quick to set everything up
- The best range of ecommerce services
- Excellent customer support
 Cons
- Fairly expensive
- Not many customization choices
- Limited features beyond ecommerce
Wix Reviews
Wix is rated at 4.2 stars out of 5 from 1,694 user reviews. That makes it the lowest (so far), but only by the tiniest of margins. Looking at the reviews, most users agree on the following benefits and drawbacks.
Pros
- Easy to create a website
- Very simple content editing options
- Loads of additional features and style choices
- Extremely beginner-friendly
 Cons
- Lacks the same amount of plugins as WordPress
- It doesn’t have many website templates
- The best features are hidden behind paywalls
Squarespace Reviews
Squarespace is another CMS with 4.4 out of 5 stars by over 1,000 G2 users. There are many features that people clearly love about this system, but it does lack in a few key departments that may turn some of you away.
Pros
- Loads of templates
- Visually beautiful
- No coding at all
- Simple to use
 Cons
- A low degree of customization
- Hardly any widgets or plugins
- Not many features beyond content creation
Joomla Reviews
Finally, we have Joomla – which is the least reviewed CMS on our list. Only 385 users have reviewed this software, giving it 4 out of 5 stars. When you look at the advantages/disadvantages, it’s clear that one key thing goes against this CMS.
Pros
- A very deep level of customization
- Tons of features
- Excellent for content management
 Cons
- A very confusing user interface
- Requires a small bit of coding knowledge to get the most out of it
- Hard to pick up from day one
Choosing the Best CMS for Your Website
Taking these reviews into account, how do you choose the best CMS for your website?
- WordPress – Best All Round Pick: If you want a CMS that does it all and is easy to use, then WordPress is hard to beat. It ticks all the right boxes, and it’s no coincidence that the majority of sites use it.
- Shopify – Best Ecommerce CMS: For ecommerce websites, you need to choose Shopify. You’ll get the best content management features to develop and control an online store, helping you make more sales.
- Wix – A More-User Friendly WordPress: If you don’t need that many plugins and prefer a CMS that’s more intuitive than WordPress, Wix is the platform for you.
- Squarespace – Ideal For Creatives & Portfolio Sites: Pick Squarespace if your website is more about visuals and you want it to look nice. A great choice for service-based businesses or businesses with creative portfolios.
- Joomla – The Most Advanced CMS: If you’ve got some coding experience and want to get the most out of your website’s advanced features, then Joomla is the best choice in this regard. However, it’s never a great option for beginners!
Comparing Website Management Systems
We’ll round off this guide with a quick comparison table highlighting some of the key points about each website content management system we’ve analyzed. It’s a good summary of the options and helps you make your decision.
|
 |
WordPress |
Shopify |
Wix |
Squarespace |
Joomla |
|
Price |
From $25/month |
From $29/month |
From $16/month |
From $18/month |
$199 per user |
|
Free Version |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Best For |
Anyone! |
Ecommerce Websites |
Blogs or Ecommerce |
Blogs or Portfolios |
Websites with advanced features |
Get In Touch With May Media Today
Overall, choosing the right content management system can help you get on top of your website and manage it from the ground up. If you need professional help maintaining your website and managing content, then get in touch with us today. We provide a range of services designed to help you take your site to the next level – click here to schedule a consultation.