Drupal is an open-source content management system that provides the framework for developers to build websites. Like WordPress, Drupal, is a free open-source CMS and has grown to one of the more popular CMS’s for web developers.
Just like any CMS, there are positives and negatives when choosing to build with Drupal. We decided to break down when and why you should build with Drupal.
Open Source
Drupal is an open source CMS. This means that it is free to download, install, and make further modifications to. Like WordPress, this has made it popular with web developers. It has also allowed for a forum within the Drupal community that helps with the growth and development of the platform.
The community is not as big as WordPress’s; however, it is made up of over 38,000 active developers. Drupal’s slogan is “Come for the software, stay for the community.” This is surely the reason why many have adopted the CMS and has led to a ton of resources and learning material for novice developers to learn and implement Drupal.
Security
Drupal is known to be one of the most secure CMS’s available. It’s trusted by the U.S. Government at the state and federal level. Unlike WordPress, Drupal doesn’t rely as much on third-party plug-ins for integration and development. This creates a more secure product. Third-party plug-ins open the gate for a website to be hacked if the proper security measures aren’t in place.
Drupal developers tend to be more experienced when it comes to web development due to the higher skill level required to create customizations within Drupal. Since WordPress is easy for novice developers to pick up there can be a greater chance of poor coding practice during the development process that can lead to gaps in security. The idea is that a more experienced developer increases the chance that best practices are followed and therefore making your site more secure.
Data Management
Drupal is the favorite of government agencies, education institutions, and large corporations for a reason; it is extremely adept at handling mass amounts of data and information.
Drupal allows the developer to custom tailor it’s back-end to handle mass amounts of data with ease. This makes it a favorite for major agencies, institutions, and corporations due to the amount of data that they are required to manage.
Learning Curve
Drupal requires a higher skill level than WordPress to develop a successful website. However, because of the size of the community and popularity of Drupal, there is an unlimited amount of resources to learn from. Though it may be a little more complex to develop a high-end website with Drupal, the CMS is still open source, which allows for you to set the bar of how complex you want your website to be.
Conclusion
As with any software solution, the decision comes down to your specific needs. Drupal is an open source CMS, but you will still spend money to hire a skilled developer to efficiently get the most out of the CMS. If you’re looking for a secure website that can handle a large amount of complexity and data; then Drupal is the right CMS for you. It may take more time to develop a Drupal website but in the end, the benefits speak for themselves.