WordPress is currently the most popular Content Management System (CMS) in the world, with around 60% market share. However, despite its popularity and ease of use, there are several reasons to look for an alternative. In this article, we will explore the equivalent solutions available.
Reasons why there is sometimes an alternative to WordPress
First of all, it should be noted that WordPress is not necessarily the best option for all types of web projects. Depending on your specific needs, an alternative might offer features better suited to your project.
- Security : The vulnerabilities inherent in WordPress as well as its popularity make it a prime target for cyberattacks.
- Performance: Slow page loading on some WordPress sites can frustrate visitors and harm SEO.
- Personalization: Although there are many themes and plugins available for WordPress, you might be limited when it comes to customization and uniqueness.
- Specific features : You might need special features that are not available or difficult to implement in WordPress.
- Cost : Although WordPress itself is free, some premium plugins and themes can be expensive. Some alternatives offer better value for money.
- Interface: You may simply prefer the user interface or overall experience offered by an alternative CMS.
In my opinion, Wix is the best solution to replace WordPress: this platform is ideal for people new to IT. When personalizing your site, the CMS adapts to your manipulations. All you need to do is configure the different elements of your website with a few simple drag and drop gestures.
There are numerous templates and you have free access to 300 pre-established professional themes. These ready-to-use designs are available for different industries like music, e-commerce or photography.
I especially appreciate the flexibility and ease of use of this CMS. If you encounter difficulties, the videos on the platform’s features can always help you.
2. Joomla : the historic competitor of WordPress
Always adversary of WordPress, Joomla allows you to build your own site, even if you have no knowledge of programming. For this, the platform provides you with free preconfigured themes.
I particularly appreciate the adaptability of this platform. The Joomla developer community allows this CMS to regularly offer different extensions, very useful for customizing the site. Thus, you can build a site with complex graphic formatting of content. Managing your platform is also made easier.
To master the full power of this CMS and benefit from it, I advise you to take the time to assimilate all of its basic functionalities.
3. Shopify : the reference for creating an online site
Do you want to invest in dropshipping? Shopify can very well replace WordPress with a WooCommerce extension. The simplicity of this online sales platform surprised me a lot.
I had no trouble customizing my interface or building my online store. The different features of the CMS are also easy to master. And faced with some difficulties, customer service assistance allowed me to quickly resolve the problem.
However, I noted that the settings intended for SEO are less advanced compared to those of WordPress. Thanks to Google Analytics, however, it is possible to evaluate interactions on the site.
4. Ghost : the open-source content-oriented CMS
If you are looking for a powerful tool for your blog, I recommend Ghost. This platform is intuitive thanks to its simplified dashboard, made up of three options including your text, your article and management commands.
In terms of speed, I find that Ghost is faster. This speed, in my opinion, is the result of the performance of NodeJs dedicated to programming the platform. Both Ghost and WordPress offer default themes. If you want to change the appearance of your code, I think that a minimum of mastery in this area is required.
This CMS is therefore suitable for Internet users wishing to quickly post content on their blog and benefit from an easy-to-manage interface.
5. Jimdo : an efficient alternative
Jimdo is one of the most powerful site creation platforms. It impresses with its easy use. You can add, modify and configure elements with ease. With the Style menu, I was able to save a lot of time by changing the size and color of the font in one go.
This CMS also draws its reputation from its performance in terms of SEO. According to SEO requirements, I was able to optimize the title, URL and meta description of each of my pages. The Ranking Coach assistance provides, among other things, relevant advice for better positioning.
With Jimdo, I was able to build a website via mobile. To do this, you can use the Jimdo application available for Android and iOS.
6. Weebly : a simple to use solution
Looking for a simple solution for your website? Consider Weebly. This platform allows you to edit your site intuitively. It is therefore suitable for a novice user.
What I noticed about Weebly is how well its drag and drop functionality works. You can create a site quickly, without the need for programming. Several themes are available depending on your sector of activity. They stand out for their responsive property.
The other advantage of this CMS is its effective SEO. You can easily optimize it by following the guides provided. These guidelines support several parameters ranging from coding to keyword choice.
7. Webnode : ideal for beginners
Webnode is one of the simplified tools for creating a website. On this platform, you benefit from all the essential elements to design your personal or professional website.
Different templates are available to you to simplify your site development project. Customization is done intuitively by following the guide provided in the different tutorials. You can therefore make changes to elements of your site such as the header, pages, sections or illustrations.
With Webnode, you can build an infinite number of sites using a single account. All your projects are grouped in one place to help you manage them better.
The only drawback of this CMS is the impossibility of keeping its content when changing the model. In this case, you must reinstate them all.
8. Squarespace : a powerful and complete editor
Squarespace is a versatile editor. No technical prerequisites are necessary to be able to use this platform. To make creating your website easier, you can choose between 90 predefined themes. You also have the possibility to modify certain elements such as color, size or font.
This CMS allows you to build a site with good visibility on the Internet. When it comes to natural referencing, you can modify different elements such as titles or metas. The generated pages also have HTML markup.
My favorite for this CMS is its Squarespace Analytics tool. It allows you to track all traffic on your website. The addition of Google Analytics is also possible for better control of statistics.
9. Tumblr : the microblogging platform
A fan of microblogging? I think Tumblr is a must-try platform. This mix between blogging and social network will give you the advantages of blogging and instant messaging.
Creating your account automatically entitles you to an internal blog. Your posts may appear in the news feed of other Internet users who share the same interests as you. To do this, you must position yourself on specific hashtags.
Several modules are offered for your content. You can choose between formatted text, accompanied by quotes, links, illustrations or discussions. Sending multimedia files is also possible, but with a limitation on duration and size.
10. Drupal : a powerful CMS, but difficult to master
Drupal is a CMS particularly aimed at people looking for performance. This platform stands out for its modular nature. A specific extension allows you to enrich each of the functionalities of this tool. In practice, you can personalize your site as you wish thanks to these different enriched modules.
This is a general CMS, that is to say not dedicated to a particular form of site. Thus, it is not suitable for blogging, image galleries or file sharing. Its performance has earned it the opportunity to be used for major sites such as the White House or the Louvre.
The strength of Drupal lies in its great versatility. On the other hand, its use requires a minimum of adaptation.
After having tested several platforms for designing a website, I can tell you that there are credible alternatives that can replace WordPress. However, it should be noted that the choice must be made according to the objective of your website.