What types of cms are there? Comparison of free CMS. CMS for knowledge base

The question of choosing an engine for a website is very similar to the question of choosing a car (if this is familiar to you). Because the choice is very large, and what is best specifically for you cannot be said until you try several engines. Once the choice has been made, the CMS is almost never changed. This is due to the fact that changing a site’s engine is quite a difficult task (I mean maintaining SEO, functionality, design and other features). Most often, it is easier to create a new website from scratch on a different engine than to transfer it.

Site engine(eng. CMS) is a special set of files (scripts) that are needed to simplify work with the site, as well as to create functionality for the site (send a message, place an order, sorting, search, etc.). To put it even more simply, the engine is an intermediate link between end result(output of a website page) and content. You can read a more detailed definition.

In principle, the site can have no engine at all. Such sites are called "static". They simply consist of a collection of ".html" files. Unlike a static site, the engine does not contain ready-made files. Every time a specific URL is accessed (for example, site/primer-cms.html), the page is generated anew. That is, with each request, the database is accessed, data is retrieved, a page is created using a template, etc. All this slows down the speed of the site, but this slowdown is not at all critical.

1. Does the site need an engine at all?

Of course, I would not recommend learning HTML in order to create a simple website, since it will take up your time, and the created website is unlikely to impress anyone. This is due to the fact that creating a website requires a certain amount of experience, which a novice webmaster does not have.

The choice of engine depends entirely on the purpose for which the site is being built. A business card website does not need an engine, and if you have an online store, then you cannot do without an engine. Each engine focuses on a specific website theme. There are universal engines, that is, those on which you can do anything, but in the end everything works crookedly.

A site without an engine has the advantage that it is basically impossible to hack, since there is simply nothing to hack. Such sites are very robust and load very quickly.

2. Paid vs free engines

Many people divide website engines into paid and free. Well, that's how it is. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each and which one should you choose?

2.1. Pros and cons of paid CMS

2.2. Pros and cons of free CMS

I would focus on free engines because of their popularity, and also that you can do anything in them. However, I would not recommend making modifications yourself. The chance of making some serious mistake is very high. It’s better to find a programmer who knows this engine and give him tasks.

3. Review of popular engines

We will consider only the most popular and common engines. Naturally, there are many more of them. I recommend using popular CMS because, as a rule, they contain fewer bugs, there is more information on them and it is easier to find programmers for improvements.

3.1. Engines for blog/website business cards and all occasions

1.Wordpress

A super engine that can also be called a real designer. Very popular in Russia. Most sites work on it. There are a bunch of add-ons for it that allow you to do anything you want with this engine. Its popularity is due to the openness of the code and the fact that everything is free. Of the minuses: it is undesirable to create a super huge portal on such a site, since WordPress is not optimized for a large number of users.

2. DLE

Paid engine (though its price is only 2000-3000 rubles). In terms of working inside the engine, everything is very convenient. There are also a lot of modules and all sorts of bonuses. The code is noticeably more difficult to debug and understand. If it were free, then it’s not a fact that WordPress was in first place. DLE is often hacked and can basically be used for free.

3. Joomla

Beginners often make small websites using this engine. Pros: free, lots of information. Cons: not optimized for website promotion at all. At the same time, making it “optimized” is quite problematic, since the code is very unpleasant and complex.

4. Drupal

Just a good engine. Not very popular and because of this it may be difficult to find various add-ons. The engine is very secure and safe.

3.2. Engines for online stores

There are a lot of different engine options for online stores. It's difficult to choose the best one among this whole bunch. I will list the most popular

  • Bitrix;
  • PrestaShop;
  • ImageCMS Shop;
  • osCommerce;
  • Magento;
  • ShopCMS;

In addition, you can create an online store using blog engines. This will be the link:

  • WordPress+eCommerce;
  • WordPress+eShop;
  • WordPress+WooCommerce;
  • WordPress+Quick Shop;
  • Joomla+ VirtueMart;
  • Drupal+Ubercart;

Is it worth doing? It depends on what the goals are. If very good internet store with wide functionality, then you should choose specialized online store engines. And if you just need to post a couple of dozen products with prices, then you can use a Wordpress or other link.

The article was updated on January 18, 2018 and is completely current.
Almost every beginner is faced with the question of choosing a CMS for their website or blog. This is understandable, because it is impossible to know everything in advance. And quite a lot of different content management systems have already appeared. IN this review Only free solutions are collected. They are in no way inferior paid analogues, and sometimes even compare favorably with their background. After all, it is much easier to make amendments to open source code, therefore all found vulnerabilities are fixed faster. And also all new and bold ideas appear here first.

To begin with, we should conditionally divide systems according to their focus. There are CMS designed exclusively for creating blogs, as well as more flexible systems that allow you to create full-fledged websites and media portals. At the same time, blogging systems can be designed to create a whole series of projects, for example, for an entire enterprise. It is also worth noting the development period of the platform (the longer it is, the better the system is developed and contains fewer errors), the presence of a community (it will help if difficulties arise in installing, debugging or using the system), performance (not all systems are suitable for high-load projects). so, Now let's look at each CMS in more detail.

Official site .

This is one of the fairly old and well-proven engines. It is great for e-commerce and selling products online. Many plugins, such as VirtueMart, allow you to open a store very quickly and in a short time. True, to understand everything from scratch, you will have to spend a little time reading manuals, reading documentation and forums. Fortunately, Joomla has very good support and a huge community in several languages, including Russian.

The advantages of the system include the presence of the following functions “out of the box”:

  • user authentication, including through OpenID;
  • visual article editor;
  • convenient file management;
  • comment system and protection against spam in them;
  • manager of plugins and extensions.

In fact, there are many more advantages; it is very difficult to simply list them all in one article. That is why it occupies a leading position in CMS ratings and tops. But there are some drawbacks: thanks to its flexibility and many settings, a beginner will have to spend more than one day understanding all this diversity. Also, its functionality may be redundant for many simple business card sites. But it is suitable for online stores and product displays.

TYPO3

Official site .

Not long ago, a fairly old CMS, TYPO3, began to gain popularity on the Internet, and now it is firmly entrenched in the TOP 5. The site structure here is represented by a tree of pages. Each of them can contain standard content elements: text, pictures, tables, etc. This content management system is based on templates that you can either download ready-made or write yourself in TypoScript.

Pros of TYPO3:

  • opportunity fine tuning user rights;
  • ease of maintaining several sites at the same time;
  • ability to use extensions from TER (TYPO3 extension repository);
  • high safety requirements;
  • advanced text editor with spell check, preview, change history.

Disadvantages of this system:

  • the difficulty of editing the site structure using a template engine;
  • slow rendering of large pages with varied content (tables, pictures);
  • few ready-made solutions for online stores

Recommended for use within large industrial companies and banks. It will most likely not be suitable for young and small sites, or the costs of development and support will be disproportionate to the benefits of use.

Drupal

Official site .

It is also a very popular and widespread CMS, which is used to create websites by very large enterprises, for example, Sony Music. They choose Drupal because of its wide range of functions for building both internal and external websites for corporate network. There is a huge database of tools for managing a single user base. Well suited for organizing a system of blogs and forums. Drupal has a very active developer community, huge database knowledge, live forum. You can find answers to questions about installation and deployment of sites and modules quite simply.

Advantages of Drupal:

  • excellent support from the user and developer community;
  • more than 6000 modules that facilitate the expansion of functionality;
  • Easily manage user rights, create collective blogs and forums.

Disadvantages of the system:

  • may be overly complex for simple sites;
  • total lack of beautiful and functional themes;
  • difficult to learn for an untrained user.

For business card websites, choosing this CMS is categorically not recommended, but for organizing medium and large portals where users will add their material and comment on it, Drupal is suitable like no other.

MODX

Official site .

One of the youngest CMS (development has been going on since 2004), which appeared at the very beginning of the formation of the so-called Web 2.0. The idea was to involve users in editing and adding content to the site. For example, writing reviews, reviews and even entire articles. Therefore it is present here good system user registration, site search using AJAX (without reloading the page), you can quickly expand the news feed, and a collective blog. The disadvantages include common problems with Russian encoding, which have not been fully resolved, although they appeared a long time ago; lack of ready-made modules and solutions for organizing a gallery, forum, or electronic store.

WordPress

Official site .

If anyone still doubts that WordPress has long outgrown the “blogging system” stage, then these doubts should be cast aside. A great variety of websites are developed on this CMS, including social networks, company websites, online stores and product displays, forums, as well as simple business card sites.

Thanks to thousands of ready-made themes, plugins and even ready-made assemblies for various needs, WordPress takes a well-deserved place in the TOP 5. There is an active community of developers that generates lessons and information materials.

Advantages of WordPress:

  • large developer community and well-structured documentation;
  • thousands of free plugins and themes for the site;
  • convenient admin panel.

Disadvantages of WordPress

  • the starting functionality immediately after installation is quite modest, you need to supplement it with at least 4-5 plugins;
  • After a simple installation, some security improvements are needed.

In fact, this is one of the simplest and most beginner-friendly systems. It allows you to create websites without understanding anything about programming (read mine). Highly recommended as your first CMS. In the future, if its functionality turns out to be limited for you, then you can easily transfer the site to another engine of your choice.
[In most cases, the top ones are occupied by these 5 CMS, which I reviewed in this article.

When answering the question “which CMS to choose for a website,” you should pay attention to the fact that popular engines are constantly under attack. Their code is open for use by everyone, including not entirely honest people who can look for vulnerabilities in it and use them for their own selfish purposes. The danger can be avoided if the engine is updated in a timely manner. latest version. At the same time, if you use a less common content management system, then if difficulties arise, you may have nowhere to find help and can only rely on yourself. Take this factor into account as well. Good luck!

Free CMS (Content Management System - “content management system”) are in great demand. You can simply download any of them, install them on your hosting and launch the site. But they are all so different that, having mastered a couple, it is not a fact that the third one on the list will be initially understandable. This is especially true for specialized platforms for online stores. Most do not have a common basis in the interface, and the approaches to creating the structure and functionality of pages differ significantly.

Beginners who want to master any CMS should understand what it is for and what it should be like. To avoid misfires and wasted time. TOP 10 list for your attention.

Rating of the best free CMS 2019:

Our choice!

1. WordPress / WordPress → detailed review

WordPress is the most famous and popular CMS in the world, a kind of niche symbol. It was written to create blogs, but in the process it turned into a universal engine thanks to the developers of plugins, templates and community activity. The control panel has built-in libraries of plugins and templates with an immense range. Everything has reviews, ratings, instructions, ratings. You can sort by various criteria - it’s easy to choose. Many studios draw templates for this system. Mountains of videos with lessons and kilometers of discussion forums are included. It is easier to learn how to use than many others.

WordPress operates with two types of content - page and article. The button for creating a post is placed separately, you can publish a post directly from the site - everything is tailored to the convenience and speed of publishing the news feed. SEO is implemented through plugins, as is speed optimization, security and much more. To create stores, landing pages, forums, and other things, there are many specialized, powerful plugins, which in terms of capabilities are reminiscent of separate, full-fledged software. It is also available in website builder format for those who prefer to use a ready-made boxed version.

Pros:

  • Popularity: a large number of developers work in the WordPress ecosystem, constantly expanding/improving the range of plugins and templates;
  • There are many hosting providers that have a separate plan with settings optimized for this CMS;
  • A huge number of available educational materials of any format;
  • Relatively easy to learn, more or less suitable for beginners;
  • A large number of high-quality and useful free plugins;
  • Most templates have fairly detailed customization settings without the need to edit the code;
  • Able to withstand huge traffic with decent hosting;
  • Versatility due to plugins, suitable for creating large websites.

Minuses:

  • More than a third of all websites in the world run on WordPress, which makes this system one of the main targets for attackers and inexperienced developers;
  • Out of the box, the system is suitable for creating a simple blog or business card;
  • Creates a considerable load on the server, the hosting must be good;
  • Produces duplicate pages, although this can be solved using a plugin.

2. Joomla / Joomla → detailed review

Joomla is the second most popular CMS on the list. Large community, lots of plugins and templates. Best suited for creating small and medium-sized informational websites. It works especially well when creating types of resources that are filled with content by users themselves - message boards, forums and even social networks. There are well-developed plugins for all this. Out of the box the functionality is relatively rich (many general, fine and SEO settings). The difficulty of mastering is average. The logic of interaction with the system is unique. If you're not used to it, you can get confused in modules, template cells for displaying content, and connections between them. Once you get used to it, it will no longer seem confusing and difficult.

Joomla allows you to create fairly complex types of sites with simple types content. It has a great interface for administering a large number of articles. E-Commerce is developed through plugins, although it is better not to create a large store here - the engine has average performance, much depends on optimization and the quality of hosting. There are an endless number of templates (both paid for $30-60, and so on), they contain a variety of functionality: some contain more than a hundred built-in modules with kilometers of settings screens. What's good is that the templates are easy to edit with code - they are based on HTML and CSS. Knowing them, you can modify almost everything. Flexible, interesting mass CMS.

Pros:

  • Suitable for creating any type of website, the main thing is not to overload the engine with modules and the volume of the database (content), otherwise with weak hosting there will definitely be problems with page loading speed;
  • Adaptability for running social networks at a decent level - not many engines can do this;
  • Powerful ecosystem, information and experienced developers in abundance;
  • There are many templates, plus they contain a huge range of functionality;
  • A wide selection of plugins and components, many of which are free;
  • Full access to the code; a minimum set of editing skills is required.

Minuses:

  • The control panel is confusing and looks complicated to the average beginner;
  • The speed of work is average, although this gap is filled with fast hosting, optimization with plugins and settings;
  • Powerful template instances are difficult to set up - you can rarely do without reading the instructions;
  • The level of security out of the box is mediocre and requires additional work using plugins and hands;
  • Engine updates do not always work correctly and can lead to failures, including the inability to log into the control panel or loss of data.

3. Drupal / Drupal → detailed review

Drupal is an engine aimed exclusively at experienced developers. It’s absolutely not suitable for beginners as a first CMS, and it’s not even worth trying. The level of difficulty of mastering is high. Well suited for creating large websites with a complex data structure. Allows you to create as many custom content types as you like, which can be displayed through modules at any point on the site’s frontend. No restrictions on layout or content. Thanks to the CCK (Content Construction Kit) plugin, you can implement Various types content into documents, bypassing the taxonomy mechanism characteristic of this system.

The engine is universal and will allow you to create a business card, a portal, a store or a dating site. It features a high level of security out of the box and speed of operation. However, it creates a large load on the database, so it requires more or less fast hosting. There are enough SEO settings even without installing additional plugins, of which a lot has been written for the system. Characteristic features are excellent scalability, optimization, and the need for programming knowledge for effective use. There are a lot of templates (paid for $50-60, on average), but the installation process is relatively complicated. You need to copy files into directories, and then manually activate the modules. The system is not for beginners.

Pros:

  • True versatility, flexibility in all directions;
  • Ability to create and implement an endless number of content types;
  • Out of the box, powerful SEO, security and a modest appetite for hardware;
  • Extensive community, a lot of guides, documentation and competent developers within the ecosystem;
  • A rich set of modules that expand the basic functionality;
  • The ability to use hooks - procedure processing modifiers to simplify large-scale changes to the engine algorithms;
  • High level of standardization - almost all code is written by developers in the same style, making it convenient for the community to work with it.

Minuses:

  • For ordinary users not suitable due to the obvious complexity of development and use;
  • Without programming knowledge, it will not be possible to configure most modules;
  • For stable and fast work The site needs a powerful server.

4. OpenCart / OpenCart → detailed review

OpenCart is one of the most popular E-commerce platforms. Designed exclusively for creating online stores and out of the box contains an impressive set of features: a visual template editor, no restrictions on the number of products, categories, manufacturers, pages and other things, supports multilingualism, discounts, reviews, delivery options, tax calculations, product ratings, etc. etc. The engine system is modular, that is, the store can be expanded unlimitedly. There is a built-in statistics collector (views, sales report, popularity rating, etc.), but SEO optimization out of the box is lame. You will have to use a third-party and, most likely, paid module.

The level of difficulty of mastering is average. The system is logically built, but the store has a lot of obvious and subtle settings. It will not be easy for a beginner, but if you have motivation, there is a considerable chance of bringing the project to fruition. Stores of modules and templates are built right into the control panel; you can search by filters. The design editor interface is user-friendly, with syntax highlighting. For many templates you can use the mode visual editor tune appearance and functionality. Within one admin panel you can manage several stores at once. And before downloading the update, the system scans for compatibility installed extensions to avoid conflicts that could put the store out of commission. This is a big plus.

Pros:

  • Can be learned and used effectively by a beginner;
  • Advanced functionality - almost everything important for the store is included out of the box;
  • Convenient user interface for shopping;
  • High performance and relatively low hosting speed requirements;
  • Many high-quality templates and useful modules;
  • Developed ecosystem: a lot of information and active developers;
  • Detailed built-in statistics of sales and store traffic;
  • Simple code, which makes it easy to make modifications;
  • Present detailed setup access rights (for managers, for example);

Minuses:

  • Weak SEO out of the box (few settings, problems with indexing pages, producing duplicates, errors when generating CNC), the problem is solved by installing extensions;
  • Inconvenient image loader;
  • No quick checkout out of the box;
  • There is no live search for products (by the first letters of the name);
  • You cannot sort articles into categories to display them as a news feed, for example;
  • Engine updates are released quite rarely;
  • Quite a large number of minor bugs and inconveniences (for example, the button to add out-of-stock items to the cart is always active).

5. MODX / MODEX → detailed review

MODX Revolution is a flexible system whose properties are closer to frameworks than to CMS. Suitable for creating all types of websites, easily scalable. However, large websites are not very convenient to administer due to the chaos in displaying the tree structure of pages and elements. The problem is solved by a module like “Collections”. The module installer with search is located right in the admin panel, there are ratings, you can read descriptions of the extensions. In general, out of the box the engine is lightweight and does not boast detailed functionality. Requires the mandatory installation of a gentleman's set of modules, at a minimum.

The level of difficulty of mastering is average, provided that the user is fluent in HTML/CSS. The control panel has a clean, nice design and a relatively clear layout. Can be used by beginners, but rely on educational materials. Out of the box you receive powerful tools SEO optimization and high level of security. Specially tailored for you ready-made designs does not have an engine, but it allows you to add any HTML template to the site. The range of these is huge, but to edit within the system you will have to learn its specific syntax, which is not used anywhere else.

Pros:

  • High level of flexibility, structures and elements of any complexity can be built;
  • Excellent optimization of code and settings to meet search engine requirements;
  • Undemanding quality of hosting, high website performance;
  • High level of security, flexible settings for authorization of user groups;
  • Good implementation of multilingualism, high quality Russian localization of interface elements;
  • A sufficient set of ready-made modules available for installation directly from the admin panel;
  • Pleasant to the eye and more or less understandable interface;
  • Detailed official documentation in Russian.

Minuses:

  • Inconvenient approach to installing templates;
  • Non-standard engine syntax;
  • Without programming skills it is impossible to work productively with the engine;
  • There are few adapted templates; modifications by hand and code are usually required to optimize HTML layouts and display them correctly;
  • There are an order of magnitude less training materials than more popular CMSs.

6. Magento / Magento → detailed review

Magento is the most popular shopping engine in the world, owned by Adobe Inc. A very powerful CMS with a developed community. But not on RuNet. You can download the Community Edition for free, but it is not at all adapted to our market and does not have Russian localization. A raw, potentially advanced product that requires manual development - code. There are assemblies for use in RuNet (localization, integration of our social networks, payment systems etc.), but they are paid. Actually, this free system has a high level of monetization: templates, modules, developer services, licenses - almost everything is paid.

This engine should only be used if you have a decent budget. The cost of developing stores on Magento is high, especially when purchasing an Enterprise license (from $15,000 per year). The functionality is excellent, the control panel is informative and relatively convenient. A lot of statistical reports, a built-in rating system for evaluating products and commenting, discounts, adjustment of user rights, a good level of SEO optimization and security out of the box, an advanced caching algorithm to speed up page loading - all this and much more is included out of the box.

Pros:

  • Good functionality out of the box, suitable for creating huge stores;
  • Lots of templates, although most of them are paid and not cheap;
  • An effective caching system that greatly increases page loading speed;
  • You can manage several stores from one admin panel;
  • Everything related to search engine optimization and site safety is well implemented.

Minuses:

  • Demanding quality of hosting;
  • Difficulty of use, from the installation process to code modifications;
  • There is a relatively small number of ready-made extensions, and the services of qualified developers are very expensive;
  • The overall high cost of stores, despite the formal availability of a free version;
  • The original version is not at all adapted for use on the Runet, and the assembly optimized for our market costs from 8,000 rubles.

7. ImageCMS / ImageCMS → detailed review

ImageCMS is a platform for creating online stores, a hybrid of WordPress, Premmerce and WooCommerce. A ready-made boxed combination that requires the installation of a minimum number of additional modules. The level of functionality and flexibility is average, the difficulty of mastering is average, but without knowledge of at least HTML/CSS you won’t get far. There are only four ready-made templates, there is a cosmetic design customizer, so to get a unique look for the store you need to either order the development of a design, or carefully redo the existing one by hand. One is expensive, the other is difficult to implement and almost impossible for beginners. But there are integrations with MoySklad, 1C, Nova Poshta, RetailCRM and other popular services out of the box. A lot has been done for SEO optimization.

The control panel is similar to that of WordPress, the only difference is the number of extensions pre-installed out of the box. There are a lot of them here, which makes the admin area look oversaturated. In fact, this CMS is an assembly that requires modifications to meet the requirements of a specific task. There is no direct compatibility with WordPress plugins; developer optimization services are expensive. This system It makes sense to use it only if you have enough functionality out of the box. After all, templates, modifications and custom plugins will cost more than it’s worth. The shops here are good only if you have a sufficient budget.

Pros:

  • The core of the system is the well-known WordPress, understandable and convenient;
  • A rich built-in set of plugins that covers most of the requirements for running a store;
  • Full arsenal of WooCommerce features available;
  • There is a high-quality built-in blog.

Minuses:

  • There are few native extensions, it is not easy to find a programmer, and the cost of services will be inflated;
  • You cannot manually configure the display order of individual products and other useful little things;
  • There are few ready-made templates, and an individual design from a developer costs from $2000;
  • High load on the server, low performance with a large database volume;
  • Weak ecosystem - there is quite a bit of information on the product, discussions, etc.

8. TYPO3 / TypoTri → detailed review

TYPO3 is an advanced development environment for experienced users. It’s not easy to learn, and it’s also not easy to maintain. Definitely not for beginners. Programming knowledge and experience in website development are required for normal use. It shows itself best in creating blogs, portals, online magazines/newspapers of strong medium volume (up to 5-6k pages). Let's say that creating a store or social network is also possible, although it involves unprofitable difficulties - many plugins and modifications will be required. You also need to have a budget to be successful. Good hosting, programmer services, modules - you will have to spend money.

The interface of this CMS is by no means simple, and to customize the site, a special internal language is used - TypoScript. Without mastering it, success cannot be achieved. This results in the high cost of specialist services - the profile is narrow, not everyone can help. Out of the box, the system does not have sufficient functionality to implement serious websites. Many plugins can be downloaded from the repository for free. Their quality level is supervised by the CMS community. You can manage multiple projects from one control panel. The Templavoila template engine will help you turn any HTML template into a compatible one. There is also a visual editor for making cosmetic changes. Flexible, powerful, specific engine for pros.

Pros:

  • High-quality localization of the engine interface;
  • Using the Templavoila/TypoScript combination allows you to do whatever you want with the design;
  • High degree of website scalability;
  • Support for page caching, which significantly speeds up their loading;
  • A sufficient set of extensions collected in a reliable single source - TYPO3 Extension Repository;
  • Great for creating websites for large corporations and industry giants.

Minuses:

  • The community is predominantly English-speaking, there is little Russified documentation;
  • Creates a large load on hosting and takes up a lot of space;
  • Difficult to learn, absolutely not suitable for beginners;
  • Suitable for creating sites where only the administrator will publish information, that is, projects without user content;
  • The high cost of maintaining the functionality of the site.

9. CMS Made Simple → detailed review

CMS Made Simple is a system designed for use by beginners. Indeed, there is a visual design editor, similar to those found in cloud-based website builders. Easy installation on the server, simple configuration, a good set of available extensions that are easy to use. Suitable, first of all, for creating business card websites and online stores, but it is impossible to achieve a unique design using the editor - only cosmetic changes. Deep customization will require code edits (PHP, HTML, CSS), which negates all the simplicity and convenience and puts the system on the same level as other CMS in terms of complexity of effective use.

The interface is partially Russified, there is little documentation in the native language - to fully master it you need to be familiar with the English language. The engine works quickly and does not require super-hosting even to launch a store. There are few built-in templates; they are written in an accessible HTML/CSS format, which allows you to adapt third-party design themes for use within the system. The API is open, developers have written more than 200 plugins different levels quality and usefulness. Optimization is excellent thanks to the lightweight engine and built-in page caching mechanism. Security is implemented at a good level out of the box. It's a good engine, but its potential is revealed only in the hands of experienced developers.

Pros:

  • Relative simplicity of the control panel;
  • Ease of making cosmetic changes to templates;
  • Good level of SEO optimization and security;
  • Beneficial for creating small stores on a limited budget;
  • Low requirements for hosting quality;
  • A sufficient set of ready-made plugins to solve typical problems;
  • Regular updates.

Minuses:

  • Small and mostly English-speaking community;
  • A meager amount of training materials, including video lessons in Russian;
  • It is impossible to obtain a unique design without interfering with the code;
  • Sometimes, during updates, previously working plugins “fall off”;
  • Without knowledge in English and, at a minimum, the basics of programming will not be able to reveal the potential of the system.

10. Concrete5 / Concrete 5 → detailed review

Concrete5 is a popular CMS, similar in the mechanics of interaction with website builders based on a visual editor. A distinctive feature and the reason for the popularity of the system is its truly simple interface, within which you can create quite complex websites. By adding elements (widgets), the user assembles pages. They can then be edited by changing the contents of the blocks, colors, backgrounds, fonts, navigation, etc. The editor allows for simple customization of any elements without getting into the code. If you need more, please, this is a CMS, the code is completely open.

Templates can be downloaded for free and purchased ($30-45) on the marketplace of the system’s official website. To expand functionality, you can use plugins by downloading them there. The selection is decent, although it doesn’t reach the leaders in popularity, of course. This CMS is perfect for creating company websites, information portals, and blogs. To a lesser extent - for online stores, since out of the box there are no integrations of payment systems, deliveries, and other things that are important for the Runet. SEO optimization capabilities out of the box are basic; paid plugins start at $30.

Pros:

  • Interface in the style of designers with a visual editor;
  • Suitable for use by beginners;
  • Centralized plugin and theme stores with many free options;
  • Moderate average cost of templates and paid plugins;
  • The engine supports multi-languages.

Minuses:

  • Poor adaptation of the system to the needs of the Runet: few extensions with service integrations that are important to us, a small community, sluggish discussions on forums, dead groups in in social networks, documentation in English.

In details, the process will differ depending on the CMS used: which plugin to download, where to click, how to install and configure the template, what the texts should be - all this and much more are nuances that depend on the choice of engine and the problem that you solve with its help .

FAQ (Question – Answer)

  • Is it possible to make a website using a CMS yourself?

    • Creating websites on a CMS requires preparation. The person must be an experienced PC user in general and understand coding entry level complexity (HTML/CSS). The ability to perceive training materials and then apply them in practice is also important.

    Few people can just sit down and use the same relatively simple WordPress or very simple Concrete5 from scratch, without preparation and tips. You need to have an understanding of the process and/or be able to learn. These things are not intuitive by default.

    In general, yes, it is possible to create a website on a CMS yourself. But it depends on what kind and who will do it. Some can, many others cannot and never will. It is a fact. The task is not for everyone. Many people succeed from scratch if they have stable motivation. The rest pay third-party developers or use website builders - the simplest option.

  • Which CMS is better to choose?

    • The easiest way is to choose a profile system for the type of site you are creating. For example, creating good store based on Woocommerce + WordPress - the best way for beginners. It is quite possible to implement a full-fledged online store on your own; many people do this. It will be easier for an experienced webmaster to create a store on Opencart than on WP in combination with the Woocommerce plugin. This is because it is a specialized CMS for an online store, containing a solid layer of necessary functionality out of the box. Information sites work well on Joomla, blogs on WP, websites of large companies, portals, etc. on Drupal, Typo3 and MODX.

    In addition to the specialization of the engine, it is necessary to take into account the cost and quality of the plugins that will be needed to implement the idea. The popularity of the system also plays a role. The more in demand the engine, the more information, extensions, templates and developers who can help for a reasonable fee. This will ultimately affect the comfort of work and the cost of the project. In general, when you decide on the type of site (business card, store, blog, portal, etc.), read/watch reviews, ratings for specialized CMSs. Choose the most popular one on the RuNet - this is a general recipe that is justified in most cases.

  • Is it possible to make a website using a CMS for free?

    • Definitely not. The engine itself may be free, but the hosting and domain are definitely not. Unless you are creating a website on LAN for yourself. There are many paid plugins for any system, and templates too. Entire studios and development teams make money from these ecosystems. That is, a free CMS means there is no need to pay the cost of an engine license and open access to its API for everyone. Meanwhile, the costs of creating/maintaining a website can be impressive depending on a number of factors.

    To be fair, we note that in initially paid ecosystems, the average prices for extensions are often higher, and there are fewer free ones - both plugins and templates. The cost of developer services depends on the popularity of the system and its complexity. The cost of hosting, as well as the requirements for it for a specific CMS and type of site, also vary. All these and many other factors influence the project estimate. One thing is for sure - you will have to invest money in any case. But how much is an individual question.

    If you have no money at all to maintain a website, you can use the uCoz constructor - with a free tariff it gives you the opportunity to get hosting and a domain for free: 400+ MB of server space, a website on a subdomain (such as *.ucoz.net, *.ucoz.org, etc. . or free domains *.tk, *.ml, *.ga), access to HTML/CSS/JS source code and other features.

There are many free CMSs. They have varying degrees of popularity and features. There are specialized ones, and there are universal ones due to the structure and extensions. Monetization occurs around any popular system - developers write plugins, provide services, draw, layout and sell templates. Life inside such ecosystems is in full swing, people work and earn money in them. Websites always cost money; there are no free ones.

Creating a website using a CMS is not a task for everyone. It is much easier for the average PC user to solve this problem with the help of a suitable website builder. It makes sense to use a CMS when you have plans to connect your activities and income with this type of system. Or it’s just very interesting to find out what’s going on there. Many engines for a long time remain the domain of pros and gifted beginners. And it’s no coincidence that they are complex. General advice for beginners, taking all factors into account: use WordPress or website builders.

If you want to try out what and how, then the easiest way is to go to any free hosting, install WordPress or Joomla automatically, and then go through them with an inexperienced eye, try to create pages, edit a standard template, etc. Without being tied to the result, just watch and understand how it happens. It is advisable to support the voyage by watching a couple of basic training videos to make it a little more interesting.

Systems like Drupal, MODX, Magento, TYPO3 are definitely complex and are not suitable for the role of the first CMS. If necessary, they should be addressed after mastering another, more accessible system in terms of understanding. Usually we are talking about WordPress - the most obvious and practical for the first steps. Or OpenCart is the number one choice for creating your first store. Joomla is good for those who want to relatively easily learn the basics of programming in practice and create a business card or information portal. The templates here are pure HTML/CSS and are quite easy to edit.

CMS (popularly called engine) is a website content management system. This is the backbone on which everything is built. The ease of filling the site, its “friendliness” for search engine promotion, and the ability to connect additional services depend on the engine.

We gathered specialists from the WebCanape Development and Internet Marketing Departments and passionately interviewed them about the good and bad of different CMSs. This article will help you choose an engine so that it won’t be excruciatingly painful later.

Universe of engines: variety of species

All existing CMS can be divided into 4 large categories:

  1. Self-written
  2. Boxed
  3. Constructors
  4. Studio

1. Custom CMS

A self-written CMS is a content management system that is written from scratch for the tasks of a specific business. This is a non-serial solution. It is created for one project and is not replicated.

☺ Full compliance with your business objectives

Boxed engines and designers have sets of modules to expand the functionality of the site, but ready-made solutions always have limitations, and you will have to make compromises.

A custom control system will fully meet the tasks specified in the technical specifications, because it is not being developed in order to then be sold to a diverse audience. The developer keeps only your needs in mind.

☺ Integration of the latest achievements

Technology is constantly outpacing the market. Even if you buy the latest version of a boxed CMS, you cannot be sure that all the achievements available at the moment have been implemented into it. By creating an engine for you, the developer has access to the latest programming technologies and, if you are lucky, will use them in working on your project.

☺ Exclusivity

You can brag that you are the owner of an exclusive solution, unique functionality, and breakthrough development. You are guaranteed the honor and respect of your colleagues, the indignation and envy of your competitors, and the bewilderment of knowledgeable people.

× Unproven technology

Serial solutions are being tested on thousands of sites (for example, more than 2,000 projects have already been created using Canape CMS). In each subsequent build, bugs found in previous versions. This means you don't have to deal with your own problems.

If your site is created on a custom (that is, non-serial) CMS, you will be a pioneer. Setting up processes, adjusting algorithms and programming the necessary modules from scratch will fall on the shoulders of your developer. And he will have to deal with mistakes himself.

× No technical support

All problems will have to be solved on your own. And the forums will most likely not help.

× Difficulties with SEO promotion

Usually in such systems, if there is any SEO functionality, it is presented rather sparsely, because programmers and SEO specialists are creatures from different worlds. A lot will have to be added in the process.

× Complete dependence on the developer

By agreeing to a self-written engine, prepare to be with the developer for centuries, in sorrow and in joy, until death do you part, and further in the text... We categorically do not recommend quarreling, since the viability of the self-written site depends on the author of the code.

Usually there is no regulated technical documentation for such engines, and if you suddenly decide to change the development team, there is a high probability that the site will have to be rebuilt on a different engine. Digging into someone else's code is a dubious and expensive pleasure.

2. Boxed CMS

A boxed CMS is a ready-made software product. Such a system can be downloaded (in the case of free solutions) or purchased (commercial engines). It would be incorrect to compare free and commercial products, since they have fundamental differences that are important for business.

Free engines out of the box

Examples: WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, Opencart, Magento and others like them.

☺ Open relationship with the developer

Thanks to their free nature, many people know about such products. This means that it will not be difficult for you to find a developer. And it won’t be a problem to replace it if your paths diverge.

☺ Cheap (if you make compromises)

Creating websites on such engines is relatively inexpensive. Basic functionality usually free. You can find a huge number of plugins to solve a variety of problems, and many of them are also free.

☺ Change design in 2 clicks

Boxed engines have the ability to add design templates - if you are tired of the design, you can download/buy a new one and put it on the site. Sometimes this is done in 2 clicks.

× Lack of a uniform standard

Open source solutions do not have a single development standard, so even despite the huge army of WordPress developers, every next specialist will want to remake your CMS for themselves.

× Module selection problem

A large selection of modules can also turn into a problem. Since they can be created by completely different people, the network produces a huge number of solutions for the same problems. It can be difficult to determine which module is suitable for a particular task. When connecting, it's best to cross your fingers; it may not be compatible with your version of the engine.

Scary story for the night:

Sometimes free modules are created solely for the purpose of spreading viruses. That is, the plugin seems to be useful, but is essentially a loophole for infection. Many people are guilty of this free templates for WordPress and Joomla, template developers use them to post links and even viruses to make money. Here Joomla-Master.org, they say, has especially many templates with links.

× Vulnerability

Vulnerability is the price you have to pay when choosing a free, open source engine. Thanks to (or because of) the popularity of such solutions, sites using them are hacked much more often. Although there are no viruses in the source code, it costs attackers nothing to hack the site and infect it. We have to develop countless patches to get around the problem.

× Non-compliance with the requirements of the laws of the Russian Federation

Free boxed products, as a rule, are not produced in Russia. Nobody adapts them to Russian realities, and the requirements of Russian legislation are also not taken into account.

× No technical support

But there is a large community of developers, and the forums will most likely help you. But there is no technical support. That is, finding a solution may take a lot of time, and the effect is not guaranteed.

Exit: enter into a technical support agreement with a contractor company that developed the site using a free engine.

× SEO restrictions

Promoting such sites is difficult. Either there is no way to edit meta tags (you need to connect a plugin in WordPress), or rel="canonical" cannot be written on some templates.

Joomla, for example, is famous for its dirty code. It creates several duplicates for each page of the site, so it will be extremely difficult for you to get to the top of the search results. That's why Joomla sites are poorly indexed. And they load slowly for the same reason.

Drupal also generates a lot of unnecessary stuff. If you finally figure out which modules you need for SEO, then be prepared to rack your brains about how to get rid of the extra technical pages that the system will produce.

× Inconvenient to edit content

In many free CMSs (hello, Joomla), in order to make minimal modifications to the display of one page, sometimes you cannot do without the help of a developer, not free of charge.

Commercial boxed CMS

Examples: 1C-Bitrix, NetCat, HostCMS, UMI.CMS, CS-Cart, etc.

☺ Easy to select and change developers

To work with popular paid solutions (as well as popular free ones), you can easily find a developer.

☺ Specialization

Many commercial serial engines are tailored to solve specific groups of problems. For example, there are CMSs that are convenient for building online stores (Amiro CMS, CS-Cart).

☺ Compliance with Russian realities

Popular paid engines in Russia are adapted for Russian business. And 1C-Bitrix is ​​generally a Russian development, which a priori takes into account all the requirements.

☺ Serious technical support

You will not be left in the lurch if you have questions about service integration, problems connecting modules or software bugs.

× Annual license fees

You will have to renew your license. Without purchasing a license for the next year, you will not be able to update the CMS to the latest version and, for example, it will be much more difficult to comply with the requirements of search engines.

× Need for improvements

If you change the developer, you will still have to update it.

× Unfriendly content editor

Typically, such CMS have problems with content; it’s difficult to figure it out without a developer. Content managers scare children with tales about sites on 1C-Bitrix.

A riddle for the little ones: which button needs to be pressed so that your three-hour work on the layout will be saved.

And here you will have to think hard to find the right page to edit.

× Paid technical support

They will help you, but not for free.

3. Website builders

Builder is an online platform for creating websites. To build a simple website using a website builder, you don’t need to bother with code, databases, or hosting. There is no need to download or install anything. You register on the platform, specify the necessary settings, select a template - the site is ready. This is a cheap and often beautiful solution for one-page and simple sites.

Examples: Tilda, Nethouse, Wix, uKit, Weebly, etc.

☺ Fast (and on your own)

The designer allows you to quickly (and on your own) create a landing page or a simple website.

Most often, no special knowledge is required. You can make a website to run advertising on it in a day.

☺ Popular

If you don’t want to do it yourself or need to tweak something, you can easily find a developer for a website using a popular website builder.

True, improvements are possible only in terms of the front end and content. Don't worry about functional improvements.

☺ Cheap

On Wix or Tilda you can cheaply put together a beautiful one-page website or a simple website that can collect applications.

× Forget about complex functionality

If complex software modifications are required, compromises will have to be made. For example, using Tilda it is not possible to ensure that notifications about applications are sent to additional email. The technical support service will answer that such functionality is not available, but may be added in the future. Or it won't.

× Captive of someone else's hosting

By choosing a SaaS solution to create a website, you become dependent on someone else's hosting. The ability to transfer to another hosting is only available in rare designers, and if there is, it costs a lot.

In addition, if the designer’s pricing policy suddenly becomes not close to you ( subscription fee, say, will grow 4 times), you will have to redo the site in another place, either using a different designer, or already on a CMS.

× Incompatibility with Russian realities

Many designers are foreign-made and are not adapted to Russian realities. There is a recent story about how Yandex stopped indexing sites on the Wix builder due to javascript errors.

In addition, usually the offer agreement from the owners of the constructors is drawn up in such a way that the company does not bear any responsibility to you:

  • not for hosting downtime,
  • not for system failures,
  • nor for non-compliance with the law,
  • not for “sudden” updates,
  • not for blocking.
  • These are all your risks, reputational and financial.

× Subdomain name

On many website builders (for example, Tilda) with a free plan, you will be asked to register a site name on a subdomain like site.tilda.ws. This will not add trust to the site on the part of users, although search engines hardly care about such trifles.

4. Studio CMS

Many web studios develop their own engines to build websites for their clients. Some of these control systems are sold as an independent product, that is, any third-party developer can buy such a solution to implement their own projects. However, such cases are rare.

Examples: Canape CMS, UralCMS, Argilla, MediaPublisher, etc.

☺ Detailed technical documentation

Unlike self-written CMS, when working with a studio engine, a third-party developer can easily understand the code, since for Canape CMS, for example, there is a detailed technical manual. documentation that is supplemented and updated from release to release.

☺ There is a support service

Web studios usually have closer contacts with clients, which is why technical support for studio CMSs is usually more responsive. They will always answer you, help you, and advise you if problems arise.

How Canape CMS Help Desk Works

☺ SEO-friendly functionality

If the studio that developed the engine provides search engine promotion services, it is highly likely that the CMS meets all the requirements of search engines and has the necessary functionality for SEO. When developing a website on Canape CMS, basic SEO parameters are configured by default, and all opportunities for further promotion in search engines are provided.

☺ Customization for business tasks

Working with engines out of the box is like turning a sculpture out of a block of stone. You take a rigid product, cut off unnecessary things, and mold additional modules. Things don't always work out as originally planned.

With studio CMS, everything is different - the necessary functionality is collected according to your business requirements with the possibility of expanding and scaling it.

☺ Test sites

This is a design standard that is not always followed, for example in constructors. Canape CMS has a test platform where developers can test the implementation of a particular solution on the studio engine. This is safe for a “combat” site and useful if outside developers are involved.

☺ Customer-oriented, not developer-oriented

If boxed solutions are aimed at the developer, who is their target buyer, then studio solutions are created with an eye on the end consumer - the company for which the site is being created.

Studio CMS take into account individual business needs to a greater extent, and usually have a specialization (online stores, information portals etc.)

Different types of websites built on Canape CMS

☺ Security

The security of such engines is many times higher than free or popular paid solutions. Not many people are familiar with the code of studio CMSs, so they are hacked much less often.

WordPress, for example, gets broken quite often. An attacker can easily gain access to the admin area if the user is not very experienced. Websites are usually hacked to extort money from the owner or to frame him for malicious code. The same situation occurs with OpenCart and MODX.

× Difficulties for third-party developers

Such solutions are less widely replicated, and a third-party developer has to understand someone else’s code (Canape CMS has test sites and technical documentation, and the code is open and standardized, so the problem is not too big).

× Dependency on studio services

There may be no integration with popular services, as studios usually have their own alternatives. Therefore, if you need to implement a popular CRM, the site will have to be slightly modified programmatically.

× No one is safe from untimely death

If the studio closes or abandons its CMS, the engine will stop updating.

However, users of popular engines are not immune to this. Although the likelihood of such an outcome is lower for them.

The easiest way to avoid making a mistake in choosing an engine

The mistake many business owners make is hyper-involvement. If you don’t understand programming or SEO at all, entrust the choice to someone who will promote the site. At the same time, it is very desirable that development and promotion be carried out by one contractor or contractors who work in conjunction. Anyone who does not promote sites themselves will hardly be able to foresee everything at the development stage, but a company working with specific CMSs has precisely studied all their capabilities and will certainly be able to use them to your advantage.

If they write a website for you in one place, and then you decide to take it to another web studio for promotion, be prepared for unexpected expenses:

  • You will have to pay for connecting additional modules or third-party development of the necessary functions in order, for example, to be able to edit meta tags. Typically, these expenses are unexpected for a business owner.
  • You may be asked to move your site to another CMS that is more suitable for promotion (or that your new contractor is more familiar with). The cost is often comparable to the development of a new website.
  • Promotional activities will be less effective and will require much more than if you did everything in one company. That is, again, spending.
  • Some CMS have extremely inconvenient tools for editing content. If you are “lucky” to have a website on one of them, you will have to attract developers, even to change the phone number on the pages.

Regardless of the engine you choose, the easiest way to save money is to avoid hassling with the developer. Even the most popular CMS does not guarantee that the site will not need to be modified when changing the contractor. Therefore, you should not be afraid of less popular studio engines. In addition, the implementation of improvements, for example, on Canape CMS will not be a problem for third party developer, since the code is standardized and all technical documentation is available.

For a manager, it should not matter what CMS the site is built on if it occupies the top positions in search results and brings you applications. Choosing an engine is the task of an SEO contractor, from whom you will require specific KPIs for promotion. By imposing your preferences on the CMS, you complicate the work of specialists and, most likely, increase your own costs for Internet marketing.

Hello! When I decided to make a new blog on the Internet, I faced a typical situation for a webmaster. Which engine is best for creating a website on the Internet? I went through a lot of options to choose the best one to achieve my goals. Today I’ll tell you more about it. I will also tell you about the features of choosing such software products.

Let's start with the fact that the engine is a simplified name. This software solution is called CMS (content management system). It greatly facilitates various work on electronic resource.

Let's consider each point in order.

Paid and free website engines

I decided to make a small selection of popular options. Let's see what happened?

Popular free CMS for the website:

  • WordPress (https://ru.wordpress.org/);
  • Joomla (http://joomla.ru/);
  • Drupal (http://www.drupal.ru/).

Most likely, at least one of these engines is familiar to you. There are plenty of mentions of them on the Internet. This is not surprising, because they are used by a huge number of webmasters from different parts of the world.

One of simple systems Content management will be discussed in more detail later in the text. Now let's take a look at other options.

Popular paid CMS:

  • 1C-Bitrix (http://www.1c-bitrix.ru/);
  • UMI.CMS (http://www.umi-cms.ru/).

Very useful software solutions. You can get acquainted with them in more detail by going to the appropriate address.

Can you guess why I included these particular engines in the top five? There are two reasons for this.

I constantly see that many high-quality hosting sites indicate the possibility of supporting these particular CMSs.

By the way, I dedicated a separate publication to the topic.

From time to time I look at successful resources on the Internet and see that they work using one of the above-mentioned content management systems.

There are exceptions. For example, a unique development created specifically for a specific site. This is a different story.

How to choose the right engine for a website?

Choosing one of them is not an easy task for a beginner. However, it only seems complicated at first. Now we will make sure of this.

Paid options are always better. Sounds familiar? Yes, it is true in most situations, but now there are interesting nuances.

If you have firmly decided to make a successful website, then the choice of engine should be based on a number of factors. It is worth considering the necessary functionality and main goals of the new project.

Without theoretical knowledge and decent practical experience, it will be difficult to choose the optimal CMS for yourself. The task will be greatly simplified if you pay attention to a couple of recommendations.

  • Seek help from a professional. A paid consultation in this case may be much more useful. free advice.
  • Look at what engines are used on successful websites with themes and functionality similar to the resource being developed. Service for checking CMS – https://2ip.ru/cms/.

By the way, do you know where to look for professionals? Owners of successful resources, specialists from web development companies, experienced freelancers on . There are many options, you just need to choose.

I’ll add some specifics on my own behalf. For example, for simple information sites, blogs, training systems, and online stores, I consider WordPress to be the best option. For more complex projects - 1C-Bitrix. It is worth understanding that each specific case is individual and must be considered separately.

The best engine for an information site

There are many opinions on this matter. And I, as you already understood, consider WordPress to be such.

Now I will briefly explain why I came to this decision.

  • Sites on it can be promoted perfectly in search engines. For example, on my blog it all started with the first goal - and now the indicator is already over 1500 and continues to grow.
  • The engine is free, relatively simple and easy to use.
  • There is a huge selection of free and paid website templates.
  • There are a bunch of free add-ons (plugins) if you need to expand the functionality.
  • Even if it is necessary to develop and implement additional functionality, the cost of the work is quite acceptable. If similar work is carried out for some paid CMS, then the cost may well jump several times.

There are other benefits, but I won’t make a “kilometer” list. This alone is enough for me to classify WordPress as the best engine for creating information websites. This is my personal opinion, formed on the basis of many years of observations.

Let me note an important nuance. Regardless of the choice of engine, there will be no decent results if you approach website development incorrectly. Familiar with the professional intricacies of technical setup, compilation semantic core and others necessary work? I have already talked about certain nuances; at the beginning of this article I gave a link to a thematic selection of materials.

Would you like to get help from professionals by taking part in a step-by-step training program on creating, promoting and monetizing a blog from scratch? This opportunity is provided at this school.

Information about which engine is best for creating websites on the Internet is now nearing completion. It was interesting? Leave comments.

I continue to prepare new materials. I regularly publish them on the blog, and add announcements to social pages created for this blog. You can find the corresponding transition icons in the right side column. There is also a free thematic email newsletter.

Good luck with choosing a CMS and simple human happiness! See you later.