What is a CMS?
CMS stands for Content Management System. Content Management Systems allow you to build websites without necessarily having to code. Usually, they have a visual editor where you can add elements to a page, such as text or graphics.
Choosing a CMS can be daunting for people who are just starting out. Think carefully about what functionality you need before making a decision. Some platforms will not be able to provide what you need. Others will seem inexpensive at first and have costs that add up when you need your website to do more. If you need to set up an online storefront, for example, you will want to choose a CMS that allows you to do so, takes payments, provides security, and doesn’t charge a fortune in transaction fees. Look at each of these features carefully so you can make the best choice.
Each CMS has its pros and cons, and features that could be either depending on your needs. Think about your goals, priorities, skill level, and budget when you’re shopping around. We’ve evaluated four of the most popular platforms below (technically five, because we’ve looked at both the .org and .com versions of wordpress). Here are some things to consider about each:
WordPress:
Note: If you’ve never created a website before, you might be confused when people talk about WordPress because wordpress.org and wordpress.com are not the same. The .org version is sometimes referred to as the “self-hosting” version because you download wordpress (for free, which is a a big plus), design your site, and upload it to a host. The .com version’s design features work very similarly, but the site is hosted by wordpress.
Best Choice Overall If: You want total control over your site’s design and you’re willing to handle some of the technical aspects.
Pros: WordPress dominates the internet; nearly 2/3 of websites are built using it. Therefore, one of the main benefits of using it is that there are TONS of resources out there to help you learn how to do exactly what you want to do on your site. It’s free to use and many hosts will let you host multiple WordPress sites under one account, so you don’t end up paying to host each site you run. It’s fully customizable and, if you’re willing to put in the effort, you will be able to make your site do anything you want it to do.
Cons: While user-friendly, there is still more of a learning curve than Wix or Squarespace (for most people). Even though it is free, you must pay for hosting and domain registration. You can also run into costs if you want to use premium themes or paid plugins. You also have to be able to handle the technical aspects of uploading your site to your host and handling backups, maintenance, and security (if your host doesn’t take care of that).
WordPress.com:
Best Choice Overall If: You need a lot of functionality, but you don’t want to be in charge of your own maintenance and security.
Pros: As mentioned above, there are a ton of resources for people learning and using wordpress. There is also excellent customer service and a huge community of helpful users. wordpress.com provides the security and maintenance for you, while retaining most of the control and functionality of .org. Even with the lower tier paid plans, you have more options and flexibility than you have with Wix, Squarespace, or Shopify. There’s a good basic analytics dashboard (this is also listed as a con because you must be in at least the business tier if you want to use Google Analytics), and it’s very easy to optimize your site for search. WordPress.com is scalable, and it’s easy to start out small and grow as your needs change over time. You can switch themes any time you want or design pages from scratch. Basic monetization is easy (paid content, selling digital products, accepting donations or payments for services, etc.). There are plenty of plugins available (but you’ll need at least a business tier plan to use them). Responsiveness is built in to most themes, and your site will look and act right on all devices without your having to make any adjustments. You can accomplish most anything without coding, but you do have the option of switching from the visual editor into html. It’s also very easy to download and export your data if you want to move your site.
Cons: The free plans are very limited. They also have wordpress in their URLs, and ads are placed on your pages (you don’t get any ad revenue from this). While monetization is easy, transaction fees are higher on the lower plan tiers, and e-commerce plugins like WooCommerce are only available on the business plan and above. If you’re not strategic in your approach to selling, you could end up paying hefty percentages. (If you find you’re selling enough that the fees are outsized, you can upgrade your plan to get lower fees; it just depends on your own sales).
Wix –
Best Choice Overall If: You’re willing to have less control in exchange for an easy-to-use drag and drop visual editor.
Pros: Wix is very beginner-friendly. The interface is an intuitive drag and drop editor and hosting is set up for you. They also make SEO extremely easy. There are a lot of nice themes to choose from, although your theme choice is permanent, so it’s worth spending some time on the decision.
Cons: Responsiveness varies with theme, so it can be a pain to get your mobile site right if you design for desktop first. Where the process is generally automated with WordPress, the Wix desktop and mobile sites will both need to be checked with every change made to the site. Your theme choice is also permanent, so if it no longer works for you or looks the way you want, you may have to start all over. In order to accept any kinds of payments at all, you must at least have the $23 a month plan paid upfront for one year. You must also be at that level to get wix out of your URL, avoid ads on your page, or access analytics. It’s also hard to download and export your data if you want to move your site.
Squarespace –
Best Choice Overall If: You want the easiness of Wix with a site that looks sophisticated.
Pros: Squarespace is theme-driven, but the themes have a more upscale feel than those on Wix. There are also more choices overall. The interface is easy for beginners to use, and they have good customer service if you get stuck. They also have unlimited storage and bandwidth.
Cons: There is no free plan and the cheapest plan is $16 per month when paid annually up front. The templates are constraining and much less customizable than WordPress. Squarespace is also not as robust for SEO as WordPress or Wix,
Shopify –
Best Choice Overall If: You want to set up a storefront quickly and easily
Pros: Shopify is dedicated to e-commerce, which is a pro if you’re trying to get started with a storefront. There’s an intuitive drag and drop interface and a quick step-by-step setup process that’s easy to follow. It’s easy to take payments and the customer support is good. You also do have some control and the ability to write your own html if you want.
Cons: Shopify is dedicated to e-commerce, which can be a con if you need to focus on other kinds of content. There are a lot of third party apps to add features and functionality, but they can be costly, depending on what you want your site to be. Additionally, some things simply cannot be accomplished even with apps (their equivalent of plugins). The cost is $39-$399 a month with a discount for paying by year up front, which is a little steep, but, again, the percentages are lower for transaction fees, so whether the cost makes sense for you really depends on your sales volume.
Substance and Style 