A content management system (CMS) is software that lets you edit a website without writing code. You log in, change a page in an editor much like a word processor, and the CMS turns it into the page your visitors see.
Most CMSs keep your content in a database on the web server. Some, like Grav, keep it in plain files instead.
Before the CMS
Early websites were hand-written HTML files, edited in a text editor and uploaded one at a time. Every change, even a new phone number on the contact page, meant editing code. A CMS removes that step, so the person who knows the business can update the website.
WordPress, Drupal and Joomla
Thousands of CMSs exist, but a few open-source ones run a large share of the world’s websites. WordPress is by far the most widely used, with Drupal and Joomla well behind. All three are written in PHP and run on the Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP (LAMP) setup that most web hosting uses.
Because so many sites use them, they’re well tested and have thousands of free themes and plugins.
The good side of open source
- The software is free, with no licence fee.
- Help from other users is easy to find for common problems.
- There’s usually a plugin or module for what you need.
- Developers who know them are easy to find.
The drawbacks
Popularity makes them a target. WordPress runs on so many sites that attackers build tools aimed at it, and outdated plugins are a common way in. Updates aren’t optional.
Community help runs thin on unusual problems, and there’s no guaranteed support unless you pay a developer or agency. Some organisations’ IT policies also restrict open-source software.
Hosting a CMS
Our web hosting plans include a 1-click installer for WordPress, Joomla, Drupal and other open-source applications. For WordPress, WordPress Toolkit adds updates, security checks and staging from one screen. Read how WordPress Toolkit works.