Key takeaways
- Top pick: WordPress, best for: Bloggers, small businesses, content publishers, portfolios.
- Also near the top: Shopify, best for: Online stores and serious e-commerce sellers; and Drupal, best for: Large enterprises, government agencies, complex content workflows.
- How it was ranked: 10 SaaS products compared. Each verdict is below.
WordPress dominates for bloggers and small businesses with its vast plugin ecosystem.
Shopify leads e-commerce with managed hosting and payment integration.
Drupal suits enterprises needing highly customisable, scalable solutions with complex content workflows.
Top 10 CMS Platforms, compared| RANK | ENTRY | BEST FOR | SCORE |
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| 1 |  WordPressWordPress.org is free and open-source; WordPress.com offers managed hosting from £4/month | Bloggers, small businesses, content publishers, portfolios | 95.0 |
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| 2 |  ShopifyShopify hosts over 4.3 million shops globally and processed over £334 billion in sales in 2022 | Online stores and serious e-commerce sellers | 92.7 |
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| 3 |  DrupalDrupal powers sites for the US White House, BBC, and Twitter's early infrastructure | Large enterprises, government agencies, complex content workflows | 90.3 |
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| 4 |  MagentoMagento Commerce is a cloud-based version offering managed hosting and 99.95% uptime SLA | Enterprise retailers, complex B2B operations, high-volume sellers | 88.0 |
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| 5 |  JoomlaJoomla powers approximately 2.8% of all websites and has been actively maintained for 18+ years | Community portals, membership sites, small to medium businesses | 85.7 |
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| 6 |  WixWix uses proprietary technology and does not allow code-level customisation, ensuring simplicity | General business and portfolio websites | 83.3 |
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| 7 |  SquarespaceSquarespace designs are known for pixel-perfect layouts and strong visual appeal out of the box | Creatives, photographers, and modern blogs | 81.0 |
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| 8 |  HubSpot CMSHubSpot CMS integrates directly with the HubSpot CRM, providing unified customer data | Marketing teams, lead generation focused businesses, inbound marketers | 78.7 |
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| 9 |  ContentfulContentful allows content editors and developers to work independently using APIs | Developers, multi-channel content distribution, modern web applications | 76.3 |
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| 10 |  GhostGhost is specifically designed for membership models with built-in subscription and email newsletter functionality | Independent journalists, bloggers, membership-driven publications | 74.0 |
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How to choose
Start from what you need it for. Where each entry fits best:
- WordPress (#1): Bloggers, small businesses, content publishers, portfolios
- Shopify (#2): Online stores and serious e-commerce sellers
- Drupal (#3): Large enterprises, government agencies, complex content workflows
- Magento (#4): Enterprise retailers, complex B2B operations, high-volume sellers
- Joomla (#5): Community portals, membership sites, small to medium businesses
- Wix (#6): General business and portfolio websites
- Squarespace (#7): Creatives, photographers, and modern blogs
- HubSpot CMS (#8): Marketing teams, lead generation focused businesses, inbound marketers
- Contentful (#9): Developers, multi-channel content distribution, modern web applications
- Ghost (#10): Independent journalists, bloggers, membership-driven publications
Each entry's full verdict is below.
The ranking, in detail
01
The world's most popular website builder
Open-source CMS powering over 43% of all websites. Self-hosted or managed through WordPress.com. Offers unmatched flexibility through thousands of plugins and themes.
PROS- Vast ecosystem of 58,000+ plugins and 9,000+ themes
- Extremely beginner-friendly with no coding required
CONS- Requires regular updates and security maintenance on self-hosted versions
- Can become slow without proper optimisation and caching
- Best for
- Bloggers, small businesses, content publishers, portfolios
- Where it falls short
- Self-hosted versions require regular updates and security maintenance.
- Pick something else if
- you want a fully managed solution with no maintenance.
95.0
02
The all-in-one commerce platform
Cloud-based e-commerce CMS with built-in payment processing, hosting, and inventory management. Focused entirely on online store creation and order management.
PROS- Industry-leading e-commerce and inventory features
- Extensive app ecosystem for scaling sales
CONS- Transaction fees apply unless you use Shopify Payments
- Best for
- Online stores and serious e-commerce sellers
- Where it falls short
- Transaction fees apply unless you use Shopify Payments.
- Pick something else if
- you want to avoid extra transaction costs.
92.7
03
The most powerful open-source CMS
Enterprise-grade, open-source CMS known for scalability and complex content management. Powers major government and media websites. Requires technical expertise to configure.
PROS- Exceptional flexibility and customisation for complex requirements
- Superior content access control and user permission systems
CONS- Steep learning curve requiring developer expertise
- Slower to launch than WordPress due to complexity
- Best for
- Large enterprises, government agencies, complex content workflows
- Where it falls short
- It requires developer expertise due to a steep learning curve.
- Pick something else if
- you need a platform that launches faster with less complexity.
90.3
04
Flexible, scalable enterprise eCommerce
Robust open-source e-commerce platform owned by Adobe. Built for large-scale enterprise retail with advanced merchandising and personalisation features.
PROS- Unlimited customisation and scalability for complex requirements
- Powerful multi-store, multi-vendor and B2B capabilities
CONS- Steep learning curve requiring experienced developer involvement
- Higher total cost of ownership including hosting and development
- Best for
- Enterprise retailers, complex B2B operations, high-volume sellers
- Where it falls short
- It requires experienced developers due to a steep learning curve.
- Pick something else if
- you lack an experienced development team.
88.0
05
The flexible open-source CMS
Open-source CMS offering more structure than WordPress whilst remaining accessible. Strong community support and extensive extension library for various use cases.
PROS- Strong built-in user management and permissions system
- Good balance between flexibility and ease of use
CONS- Smaller plugin and theme ecosystem compared to WordPress
- Community is smaller, resulting in fewer third-party integrations
- Best for
- Community portals, membership sites, small to medium businesses
- Where it falls short
- It has a smaller plugin and theme ecosystem compared to WordPress.
- Pick something else if
- you need the largest available library of extensions.
85.7
06
Create your website without limits
Cloud-based website builder with drag-and-drop interface and AI-powered design assistance. All-in-one solution including hosting, domain, and e-commerce capabilities.
PROS- Very easy to use drag and drop interface
- Large selection of professional templates
CONS- Cannot switch templates once the site is published
- Best for
- General business and portfolio websites
- Where it falls short
- You cannot switch templates once the site is published.
- Pick something else if
- you need to change your design after launch.
83.3
07
Everything you need to sell anything
All-in-one CMS with emphasis on beautiful, mobile-responsive design. Integrated hosting and e-commerce with curated template selection and modern aesthetic.
PROS- Stunning, professional template designs
- Exceptional built-in blogging and portfolio tools
CONS- Navigation is restricted to a maximum of two levels
- Best for
- Creatives, photographers, and modern blogs
- Where it falls short
- Navigation is restricted to a maximum of two levels.
- Pick something else if
- you need deep site navigation.
81.0
08
CMS built for inbound marketing
Free CMS integrated with HubSpot's marketing automation, CRM, and sales tools. Cloud-based with strong SEO and content analytics built in.
PROS- Seamless integration with HubSpot's marketing automation platform
- Excellent SEO tools and content performance analytics included
CONS- Limited design customisation compared to pure website builders
- Costs escalate significantly with advanced marketing features
- Best for
- Marketing teams, lead generation focused businesses, inbound marketers
- Where it falls short
- Costs escalate significantly with advanced marketing features.
- Pick something else if
- you need its advanced features on a tight budget.
78.7
09
Headless CMS for modern content delivery
Headless CMS separating content management from presentation. API-first approach enabling content delivery across websites, apps, and channels.
PROS- Incredible flexibility for delivering content to any platform or device
- Excellent developer experience with comprehensive APIs and SDKs
CONS- Requires technical expertise and separate front-end development
- Higher learning curve for teams without development resources
- Best for
- Developers, multi-channel content distribution, modern web applications
- Where it falls short
- Teams without development resources face a higher learning curve.
76.3
10
Modern membership and content platform
Lightweight, modern CMS optimised for blogging and membership models. Focuses on distraction-free writing environment and audience engagement through paid subscriptions.
PROS- Clean, distraction-free editor experience optimised for writers
- Built-in membership, subscriber management, and email newsletter tools
CONS- Smaller ecosystem of themes and integrations compared to WordPress
- Less suitable for businesses requiring extensive customisation
- Best for
- Independent journalists, bloggers, membership-driven publications
- Where it falls short
- It has a smaller ecosystem of themes and integrations compared to WordPress.
- Pick something else if
- you need extensive customization or a large theme library.
74.0
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Frequently asked questions
Should I choose open-source or a managed CMS solution?
Open-source platforms (WordPress, Drupal) offer more control and lower costs but require technical maintenance. Managed solutions (Shopify, Wix) handle hosting and updates automatically, reducing responsibility but increasing ongoing costs and limiting customisation. Choose open-source if you need flexibility; choose managed if you prefer simplicity.
Which CMS is best for e-commerce?
Shopify is optimal for pure e-commerce businesses due to integrated payments and inventory. WooCommerce (WordPress) works well for smaller stores. Magento suits enterprise retail. For content-heavy sites with shopping, use WordPress with WooCommerce or Drupal with Commerce modules.
Can I migrate my content between CMS platforms?
Migrating between open-source platforms (WordPress to Drupal) is possible but complex. Migrating from proprietary builders (Wix, Squarespace) is extremely difficult due to vendor lock-in. Plan your CMS choice carefully, as switching platforms later requires significant effort and cost.
Sources
Where we checked each company's facts, and when.
Some links on Lister are affiliate links. Rankings are not affected.