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A Brief History of content management software
Content management software. Content management systems. CMS. You may have heard these terms? You may interact with one every day? If you need to publish online content and don't know how to code then a CMS gives you that power. I'd even argue that social media platforms are just giant content management systems that allow users to publish their content.
When the World Wide Web first became a thing, websites were static and hand-coded in HTML. CSS and JavaScript were quickly shipped to allow coders to style and make websites more interactive. The web was a wild west for those who knew how to write HTML, CSS, and JavaScript code. But what about those non-coders? As the requirement to publish online content became more prevalent, so too did the need for sophisticated tools that could help non-technical people get involved.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, PHP content management systems like PHP-Nuke and Drupal were released, allowing non-technical users to manage website content more easily through click-and-point interfaces.
Today, CMS platforms have become essential for businesses whose non-technical employees need to manage content and assets online.
What is a CMS?
A CMS is essentially online software that allows a person to create, edit, manage, and publish their content to a website without any specialist technical knowledge or coding skills.
Content management software will typically include two components that make up the whole:
- The content management application (CMA) which is the user interface where content creators can add and manage content.
- The content delivery application (CDA) which compiles the content from the user and published it to the website.
Each CMS will be optimised for a different use case and will have pros and cons depending on the audience they've been created for.
So let's dive in to a handful of content management systems, their strengths, their weaknesses, and their use cases.
1. WordPress
WordPress, co-founded by Matt Mullenweg and Mike Little in 2003, began as a user-friendly blogging platform that evolved from the discontinued b2/cafelog software. It quickly gained popularity and transformed into a content management system (CMS) capable of supporting websites beyond simple blogging sites. Today, WordPress is the world's most widely used CMS, powering millions of websites.
WordPress license / tech stack:
Open-source / No license fees / Some paid plugins / PHP
WordPress use cases:
💡 Blogging
💡 Small to medium-sized business websites
💡 Ecommerce (with WooCommerce)
WordPress pros:
✅ Extensive plugin ecosystem.
✅ Large community support.
✅ Highly customisable.
WordPress cons:
❌ Security vulnerabilities.
❌ Requires frequent updates.
❌ Can be slow without proper optimisation.
2. Joomla
Joomla was launched in 2005 as a fork of the Mambo content management system following disagreements between the Mambo development team and its founding company. It quickly grew in popularity due to its open-source nature and flexibility, enabling users to build websites and powerful online applications. Joomla's framework supports extensive customisation through templates and extensions, making it a preferred choice for developers and businesses seeking a versatile CMS solution. Over the years, it has evolved with numerous updates to enhance security, usability, and functionality.
Joomla license / tech stack:
Open-source / No license fees / PHP
Joomla use cases:
💡 Online communities
💡 Small to medium-sized business websites
💡 News portals
Joomla pros:
✅ Flexible and powerful.
✅ Strong user management features.
✅ Built-in multilingual support.
Joomla cons:
❌ Steeper developer learning curve.
❌ Limited marketplace for extensions compared to WordPress.
❌ Fewer ready-made themes available.
3. Drupal
Drupal was created in 2001 by Dries Buytaert as a message board, but later evolved into an open-source content management framework. Known for its flexibility and scalability, Drupal quickly became popular for building complex websites and applications. Its modular architecture allows extensive customisation through thousands of community-contributed modules. Over the years, Drupal has grown with major updates improving performance, security, and user experience, making it a preferred choice for large enterprises, governments, and educational institutions worldwide.
Drupal license / tech stack:
Open-source / No license fees / PHP / Symfony
Drupal use cases:
💡 Complex enterprise websites
💡 High-traffic websites
💡 Content-heavy websites
Drupal pros:
✅ Extremely flexible and scalable.
✅ High performance and security.
✅ Suitable for complex websites.
Drupal cons:
❌ Complex for beginner developers.
❌ Smaller community than WordPress.
❌ Custom development is typically more costly than WordPress.
4. Magento
Magento was launched in 2008 by Varien, Inc., and quickly became a leading open-source e-commerce platform due to its rich feature set and flexibility. Built on the Zend Framework, Magento offers extensive customisation options, making it suitable for businesses of all sizes. Its capabilities in handling large product catalogues and complex transactions made it a preferred choice for online retailers. In 2018, Adobe acquired Magento, integrating it into Adobe Experience Cloud to enhance digital commerce solutions with advanced analytics and personalisation tools.
Magento license / tech stack:
Open-source / No license fees (Magento Open Source) / Proprietary (Magento Commerce) / PHP
Magento use cases:
💡 Ecommerce
💡 Multi-store management
💡 B2B ecommerce solutions
Magento pros:
✅ Tailored for e-commerce.
✅ Highly scalable.
✅ Extensive features for online stores.
Magento cons:
❌ Requires significant server resources.
❌ Steep learning curve.
❌ Expensive for enterprise solutions.
5. Shopify
Shopify was founded in 2006 by Tobias Lütke, Daniel Weinand, and Scott Lake after they experienced difficulties setting up an online store for snowboarding equipment. Initially developed as an e-commerce platform for their store, Shopify quickly evolved into a comprehensive, user-friendly platform allowing businesses to easily set up and manage online stores. Known for its simplicity and robust feature set, Shopify supports a wide range of businesses with various tools for payment processing, inventory management, and marketing. Over the years, it has grown to become a leading e-commerce solution worldwide.
Shopify license / tech stack:
Proprietary / Ruby on Rails
Shopify use cases:
💡 Ecommerce
💡 Dropshipping
💡 Small to medium-sized online stores
Shopify pros:
✅ E-commerce focused.
✅ User-friendly.
✅ Secure and reliable.
Shopify cons:
❌ Limited customisation.
❌ Transaction fees unless using Shopify Payments.
❌ Cost can escalate with add-ons.
6. Wix
Wix was founded in 2006 by Avishai Abrahami, Nadav Abrahami, and Giora Kaplan. The platform aimed to simplify website creation with its drag-and-drop interface, making it accessible to users without coding skills. Over the years, Wix has evolved to include a wide range of features, from e-commerce and blogging tools to advanced design capabilities. It has grown to become one of the most popular website builders, supporting millions of users worldwide with its user-friendly and flexible website creation solutions.
Wix license / tech stack:
Proprietary / JavaScript
Wix use cases:
💡 Small business websites
💡 Portfolio websites
💡 Personal websites
Wix pros:
✅ Easy to use with drag-and-drop interface.
✅ All-in-one platform.
✅ Good for small businesses and personal sites.
Wix cons:
❌ Less flexible.
❌ Limited scalability.
❌ Not ideal for complex websites.
7. Squarespace
Squarespace was founded in 2003 by Anthony Casalena, initially as a blog hosting service developed in his dorm room at the University of Maryland. It quickly expanded to become a comprehensive website building and hosting platform, known for its sleek, designer-quality templates and ease of use. Squarespace has since grown into a major player in the website-building industry, catering to a wide range of users from small businesses to creatives, offering powerful tools for e-commerce, blogging, and website management.
Squarespace license / tech stack:
Proprietary / JavaScript / React
Squarespace use cases:
💡 Blogs
💡 Portfolio websites
💡 Small business websites
Squarespace pros:
✅ Beautiful design templates.
✅ All-in-one platform.
✅ Good customer support.
Squarespace cons:
❌ Limited customisation.
❌ Less flexible for developers.
❌ Higher cost for advanced features.
8. TYPO3
TYPO3 was initially developed by Kasper Skårhøj in 1997 and released as open-source software in 2000. Known for its robustness and flexibility, TYPO3 quickly became popular for building and managing complex websites, especially in Europe. It is highly extensible, supporting various extensions and integrations, making it suitable for enterprise-level applications. Over the years, TYPO3 has evolved with numerous updates to improve its usability, performance, and security, maintaining its position as a powerful and scalable content management system.
TYPO3 license / tech stack:
Open-source / No license fees / PHP
TYPO3 use cases:
💡 Enterprise websites
💡 Intranet portals
💡 Content-heavy websites
TYPO3 pros:
✅ Highly flexible and scalable.
✅ Enterprise-level capabilities.
✅ Strong multilingual support.
TYPO3 cons:
❌ Very steep learning curve.
❌ Limited themes and extensions.
❌ Requires technical expertise.
9. Ghost CMS
Ghost was founded in 2013 by John O'Nolan, originally envisioned as a simpler, more focused platform for blogging and content publishing. Funded through a successful Kickstarter campaign, Ghost quickly gained attention for its clean, modern design and emphasis on performance. Built on Node.js, it offers a streamlined, user-friendly interface tailored for bloggers and online publications. Ghost has grown steadily, evolving to support a wider range of publishing needs while maintaining its core mission of providing a powerful, minimalist tool for content creators.
Ghost CMS license / tech stack:
Open-source / No license fees / JavaScript / Node.js
Ghost CMS use cases:
💡 Blogging
💡 Online publications
💡 Content marketing
Ghost CMS pros:
✅ Optimised for blogging and publishing.
✅ Fast performance.
✅ Clean and modern design.
Ghost CMS cons:
❌ Limited functionality beyond blogging.
❌ Smaller community.
❌ Requires some technical setup.
10. HubSpot CMS
HubSpot CMS was launched in 2014 as part of the HubSpot platform, which was founded by Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah in 2006. Known for integrating marketing, sales, and service tools, HubSpot CMS focuses on providing a seamless user experience with features like drag-and-drop editing, personalised content, and integrated CRM capabilities. It offers a robust, all-in-one solution for businesses looking to enhance their inbound marketing strategies while managing website content efficiently. The platform has grown to be a popular choice for businesses of all sizes seeking an integrated marketing and content management solution.
HubSpot CMS license / tech stack:
Proprietary / JavaScript
HubSpot CMS use cases:
💡 Inbound marketing websites
💡 Marketing automation
💡 Sales funnel management
HubSpot CMS pros:
✅ Integrated marketing tools.
✅ Easy to use with drag-and-drop editor.
✅ Excellent customer support.
HubSpot CMS cons:
❌ Expensive compared to other CMSs.
❌ Limited customisation for developers.
❌ Not ideal for complex sites.
11. BigCommerce
BigCommerce was founded in 2009 by Eddie Machaalani and Mitchell Harper in Sydney, Australia. Designed to help businesses create and manage online stores, it offers a comprehensive suite of e-commerce tools, including product management, order processing, and integrated marketing features. Known for its scalability, BigCommerce supports a wide range of businesses from startups to large enterprises. Over the years, it has become a leading e-commerce platform, providing robust functionality, flexibility, and performance to help merchants grow their online presence and sales.
BigCommerce license / tech stack:
Proprietary / PHP
BigCommerce use cases:
💡 Ecommerce
💡 B2B online stores
💡 Multi-channel selling
BigCommerce pros:
✅ Robust e-commerce features.
✅ Scalability for growing businesses.
✅ No transaction fees.
BigCommerce cons:
❌ Limited customisation.
❌ Higher cost for advanced features.
❌ Learning curve for non-technical users.
12. Concrete5
Concrete5 was launched in 2008 by Franz Maruna and his team, evolving from an earlier version created in 2003. It was designed to be a user-friendly CMS, allowing website owners to easily manage content with an intuitive in-context editing interface. Concrete5 quickly gained traction for its simplicity and flexibility, enabling developers to build robust websites with customisable themes and extensions. Its open-source nature has fostered a strong community, contributing to its growth and continuous improvement over the years.
Concrete5 license / tech stack:
Open-source / No license fees / PHP
Concrete5 use cases:
💡 Small to medium-sized business websites
💡 Content management
💡 Marketing websites
Concrete5 pros:
✅ User-friendly interface.
✅ In-context editing.
✅ Good for non-technical users.
Concrete5 cons:
❌ Smaller community.
❌ Fewer extensions and themes.
❌ Limited scalability for large sites.
13. Webflow
Webflow was founded in 2013 by Vlad Magdalin, Sergie Magdalin, and Bryant Chou. It aims to bridge the gap between web design and development, offering a visual editor that allows users to design, build, and launch responsive websites without writing code. Webflow provides powerful design tools, a CMS, and hosting services, making it a comprehensive platform for designers and developers. Over the years, it has gained popularity for its ability to create professional-grade websites with complete design freedom and functionality.
Webflow license / tech stack:
Proprietary / JavaScript
Webflow use cases:
💡 Custom web design
💡 Creative portfolio websites
💡 Small business websites
Webflow pros:
✅ Visual web design tool.
✅ Great for designers.
✅ Responsive design out-of-the-box.
Webflow cons:
❌ Limited backend functionality.
❌ Steeper pricing.
❌ Not ideal for large-scale websites.
14. OctoberCMS
OctoberCMS was launched in 2014 by Alexey Bobkov and Samuel Georges. Built on the Laravel PHP framework, it aims to provide a flexible and user-friendly platform for web developers. Known for its simplicity and powerful features, OctoberCMS allows developers to create custom websites and applications with ease. Its modular architecture supports various plugins and themes, making it highly extensible. Over the years, OctoberCMS has garnered a loyal community, appreciated for its clean codebase, performance, and developer-centric approach.
OctoberCMS license / tech stack:
Open-source / No license fees / PHP / Laravel
OctoberCMS use cases:
💡 Small to medium-sized business websites
💡 Blogging
💡 Ecommerce
OctoberCMS pros:
✅ Laravel-based, highly extendable.
✅ Developer-friendly.
✅ Strong performance and security.
OctoberCMS cons:
❌ Requires coding knowledge.
❌ Smaller community.
❌ Limited pre-built themes.
15. Craft CMS
Craft CMS was developed by Pixel & Tonic and launched in 2013, aiming to provide a flexible, user-friendly content management platform tailored for developers and designers. Known for its powerful and intuitive control panel, Craft CMS allows for extensive customisation and is built to handle complex content structures. It supports a wide range of projects, from small blogs to large enterprise websites, offering robust features and a strong focus on security and performance. Over the years, Craft CMS has gained a reputation for its developer-friendly environment and high-quality support.
Craft CMS license / tech stack:
Open-source / License fees may apply / PHP / Yii
Craft CMS use cases:
💡 Custom web development
💡 Content-driven websites
💡 Multisite management
Craft CMS pros:
✅ Highly flexible and customisable.
✅ Excellent for custom designs.
✅ Strong developer support.
Craft CMS cons:
❌ Steep learning curve.
❌ Expensive for Pro version.
❌ Limited built-in functionality.
16. Wagtail
Wagtail is an open-source content management system (CMS) built on Django, first released in 2014 by Torchbox, a digital agency based in the UK. It was designed to be user-friendly and flexible, catering primarily to developers and content editors alike. Over the years, Wagtail has gained popularity for its powerful features, including an intuitive admin interface, rich content modelling, and support for custom workflows. It has been adopted by numerous organisations, including major brands and public institutions, and has an active community that contributes to its continuous development and enhancement.
Wagtail license / tech stack:
Open-source / No license fees / Python / Django
Wagtail use cases:
💡 Content-heavy websites
💡 Multilingual websites
💡 Websites with custom functionality
Wagtail pros:
✅ User-friendly interface.
✅ Highly flexible and customisable.
✅ Strong community support.
Wagtail cons:
❌ Requires Django/Python knowledge.
❌ Smaller plugin ecosystem.
❌ Limited out-of-the-box features.
17. Strapi
Strapi is an open-source headless content management system (CMS) launched in 2016, designed to provide developers with a flexible and customisable solution for building APIs. Built with Node.js, Strapi allows users to create, manage, and distribute content seamlessly across various platforms. Its headless architecture enables integration with any frontend framework, making it particularly popular for modern web and mobile applications. Strapi has gained traction for its user-friendly admin panel, robust plugin ecosystem, and strong community support, positioning it as a leading choice for developers seeking a versatile CMS solution.
Strapi license / tech stack:
Open-source / No license fees / JavaScript / Node.js / React / GraphQL
Strapi use cases:
💡 API-driven websites
💡 Headless ecommerce
💡 Custom web applications
Strapi pros:
✅ API-first approach.
✅ Highly customisable.
✅ Open source.
Strapi cons:
❌ Requires technical knowledge.
❌ Still maturing.
❌ Limited built-in features.
18. Contentful
Contentful is a cloud-based headless content management system (CMS) launched in 2013, designed to help teams create, manage, and deliver digital content across various platforms. With a focus on API-first architecture, Contentful allows developers to build flexible applications while enabling content creators to easily manage and update content without technical assistance. Its user-friendly interface and robust integration capabilities have made it popular among enterprises and digital teams, fostering a collaborative environment for delivering rich, consistent user experiences across web and mobile applications.
Contentful license / tech stack:
Proprietary / JavaScript
Contentful use cases:
💡 Content-driven websites
💡 Multi-channel content management
💡 Custom web applications
Contentful pros:
✅ Headless architecture.
✅ User-friendly interface.
✅ Good scalability.
Contentful cons:
❌ Costly for larger projects.
❌ Complex setup.
❌ Limited localisation.
Conclusion
It can be overwhelming evaluating all of the different content management software that's out there. It's taken me days of research and existing developer insight just in order to write this article! I work with content management software every day and have seen the good and bad in many of the options that are out there. There are literally hundreds of content management software options out there to choose from and I've only highlighted a handful in this article.
When it comes to the type of clients that we work with here at Pivale there's one clear winner. Our clients are often enterprise-level, larger organisations that need flexible, scalable, and powerful websites and software that is performant, accessible, and SEO-optimised. A strong security track record and proven performance at the highest levels are a hard requirement of the businesses we work with and that's why our choice is Drupal each and every time.
Drupal fits with our open-source ethos and has no license fees meaning our clients can own their websites and software, with no vendor lock-in or ongoing license expense. Drupal has also been the choice of larger companies, charities, governments, and educational institutions for over 20 years meaning it's tried, tested, proven, and trusted.
It's endlessly flexible, scalable, and has great integrations with third-party services as well as headless options making anything possible on the frontend. Drupal's security record is outstanding and it has a dedicated security team and protocol around vulnerabilities meaning Drupal websites that are up-to-date are some of the most protected on the web. When we couple this with ethical, secure, read-only hosting via Platform.sh, and Cloudflare's excellent security and protection features, Drupal becomes a digital fortress!
Drupal's performance, SEO, and accessibility optimisations, customisations, and plugins make it a platform that truly has it all.
Drupal's ecommerce ecosystem - known as Drupal Commerce is one of the best we've ever worked with when it comes to tailoring an ecommerce solution to your business. And, of course, we built our Drupal multisite solution in the Drupal framework because of how flexible the options are, meaning every multisite setup can be customised completely to each specific client's requirements. Drupal multilingual and internationalisation options are extensive and allow us to support clients all over the world.
This content management software comparison table was compiled in 2024 and is based on my personal experience with each platform at that time. We frequently review content management software options in order to provide our clients with the best advice.
Made up your mind?
Do you still feel like you're drowning in the sea of content management software? Or do you agree that Drupal looks like a good fit for your organisation? Either way, let's talk about your ambitions and how Pivale can help you choose the correct content management software and achieve your content management goals.
