After spending years (~20, yikes) implementing and migrating websites across every major platform, I’ve learned that choosing a CMS isn’t about features lists or flashy demos. It’s about understanding what you’re actually signing up for – the good, the bad, and the expensive surprises that come later.
Let’s talk stats: WordPress still dominates at 61.3% market share, while Shopify has grown significantly to 6.7%. But market share doesn’t tell the whole story. Let’s break down what really matters.
WordPress: The Swiss Army Knife (That Sometimes Cuts You)
The Reality
WordPress runs more than half the web for good reason. It’s genuinely flexible, has an ecosystem that dwarfs everything else, and you can find developers anywhere. But that flexibility comes with complexity most businesses underestimate.
Pros:
- Massive plugin marketplace (60,000+ options)
- Developers everywhere, from £20/hour freelancers to enterprise agencies
- SEO capabilities are genuinely excellent with proper setup
- You own your content and can migrate relatively easily
- Cost can be very low (hosting + theme + plugins)
Cons:
- Security is entirely your responsibility
- Plugin conflicts will happen, usually at 3am on weekends
- Performance requires constant attention and optimization
- Updates can break things – and you need to keep updating
- The learning curve is steeper than most admit
Best For: SMEs with some technical resource, content-heavy sites, businesses needing extensive customization. Budget: £500-5000+ setup, £50-500+ monthly depending on hosting and plugins.
Webflow: The Designer’s Dream
The Reality
Webflow offers high customisation without extensive coding but has a steeper learning curve. It’s visually impressive and modern, but you’re trading flexibility for simplicity in some areas.
Pros:
- Visual design control that’s genuinely powerful
- Hosting included and performance is solid
- No plugin management headaches
- Built-in SEO tools are competent
- Great for custom animations and interactions
Cons:
- Monthly costs add up quickly (£15-212+ per month)
- Limited third-party integrations compared to WordPress
- Learning curve is real – expect weeks, not hours
- E-commerce functionality is basic
- You’re locked into their platform
Best For: Design-focused businesses, agencies, companies wanting modern aesthetics without developer overhead. Budget: £180-2500+ annually.
Drupal: Enterprise Beast Mode
The Reality
Drupal is used by large organisations, government websites, and enterprises needing advanced security and complex functionality. It’s powerful but demands respect – and budget.
Pros:
- Security is genuinely enterprise-grade
- Handles complex content structures brilliantly
- Performance scales well with proper setup
- Multilingual support is excellent
- Fine-grained user permissions
Cons:
- Development costs are significant (£100-200+ per hour developers)
- Learning curve is brutal for non-technical users
- Module ecosystem is smaller than WordPress
- Updates are complex and expensive
- Overkill for most businesses
Best For: Large enterprises, government, complex membership sites, multilingual corporate sites. Budget: £10,000-100,000+ for proper implementation.
Shopify: E-commerce Specialist
The Reality
Shopify has grown robustly to 6.7% market share, and for good reason. If you’re selling products, it handles the complex stuff so you don’t have to.
Pros:
- E-commerce features work out of the box
- Payment processing is seamless
- Mobile optimization is solid
- App store has solutions for most needs
- Hosting and security handled for you
Cons:
- Transaction fees on external payment gateways (0.5-2%)
- Monthly costs: £25-2000+ depending on plan
- Customization beyond themes gets expensive quickly
- You’re locked into their ecosystem
- Blog/content features are basic
Best For: E-commerce focused businesses, product launches, subscription services. Budget: £300-24,000+ annually plus transaction fees.
Wix: The Get-Started-Fast Option
The Reality
Wix has improved significantly, but it’s still primarily for businesses wanting something quick without technical complexity.
Pros:
- Genuinely easy to use
- Templates look modern
- All-in-one solution (hosting, domain, design)
- App market covers basic needs
- Affordable starting point
Cons:
- SEO limitations compared to other platforms (although it is better than years gone by)
- Loading speeds can be sluggish
- Limited customization without upgrading
- Difficult to migrate away from
- Professional features require higher-tier plans
Best For: Small businesses, service providers, quick launches. Budget: £120-500+ annually.
Sitecore: Enterprise Content Powerhouse
The Reality
Sitecore is for when you need industrial-strength content management and have the budget to match.
Pros:
- Personalization capabilities are genuinely advanced
- Analytics and testing built-in
- Handles complex content workflows
- Enterprise security and compliance
- Scalability for massive sites
Cons:
- Licensing costs start around £50,000+ annually
- Implementation requires specialized developers
- Learning curve is severe
- Overkill for most businesses
- Updates and maintenance are expensive
Best For: Large enterprises, complex B2B sites, organizations needing advanced personalization. Budget: £100,000-500,000+ annually.
The Underestimated Players
Squarespace: The Creative Professional’s Choice
The Reality
Squarespace has quietly become the go-to for creative professionals who need something that looks exceptional without the technical overhead. Their templates genuinely are superior to most competitors.
Pros:
- Templates are genuinely beautiful and professionally designed
- Built-in e-commerce that actually works well for smaller catalogs
- Excellent image handling and gallery features
- All-in-one solution reduces complexity
- Mobile responsiveness is handled well
- Decent SEO capabilities with recent updates
- Customer support is responsive and knowledgeable
Cons:
- Customization hits walls quickly – you’re working within their system
- Blog functionality is good but not great for serious content marketing
- Third-party integrations are limited compared to open platforms
- Transaction fees on e-commerce (3% on basic plans)
- Can’t export your site design if you want to leave
- Advanced SEO features lag behind WordPress
- Loading speeds vary depending on template choice
Best For: Photographers, designers, restaurants, small retail businesses, portfolios, service businesses prioritizing aesthetics. Budget: £144-576+ annually depending on features needed.
Plugin/App Ecosystem: Limited but covers essentials – email marketing, social media, basic analytics. About 50+ extensions compared to WordPress’s thousands.
Ghost: The Publisher’s Weapon
The Reality
Ghost was built specifically for publishing and has stayed focused on that mission. If content is your primary business driver, Ghost deserves serious consideration.
Pros:
- Blazing fast loading speeds out of the box
- Writing and editing experience is genuinely superior
- Built-in membership and subscription features
- SEO is excellent for content sites
- Modern, clean admin interface
- Newsletter functionality integrated natively
- Handles high traffic volumes efficiently
- Open source with hosted options available
Cons:
- Limited beyond content publishing and memberships
- E-commerce requires external solutions
- Smaller developer community means fewer themes and integrations
- Custom functionality requires technical knowledge
- Migration from other platforms can be complex
- Template customization requires coding knowledge
Best For: Publishers, bloggers, newsletter creators, membership sites, content-driven businesses. Budget: £240-900+ annually for hosted, or £50-200+ monthly for self-hosting with management.
Integration Reality: Focused ecosystem with quality over quantity. Zapier connects to most services you’d need. Stripe integration for payments is seamless. Email marketing tools integrate well.
Themes: Smaller selection (50+ vs WordPress’s thousands) but higher quality baseline. Most are optimized for speed and readability.
Craft CMS: The Developer’s Secret Weapon
The Reality Craft CMS sits in the sweet spot between WordPress flexibility and proprietary platform simplicity. It’s what many developers choose when they want control without chaos.
Pros:
- Genuinely flexible content modeling without WordPress’s compromises
- Security is handled properly from the ground up
- Performance is excellent with minimal optimization needed
- Admin interface is intuitive for non-technical users
- Updates rarely break things (unlike WordPress)
- Matrix fields handle complex content structures beautifully
- Multi-site management is built-in and works well
- Commercial plugin ecosystem has quality focus
Cons:
- Requires developer setup and ongoing maintenance
- Smaller community means fewer resources and tutorials
- Plugin ecosystem is much smaller than WordPress
- Hosting requirements are more specific than simple shared hosting
- Learning curve for developers coming from WordPress
- No free version – starts at $259 per project
Best For: Businesses with developer resources, complex content needs, agencies building client sites, organizations wanting WordPress flexibility without WordPress problems. Budget: £2,500-15,000+ for setup, £259+ annually per site.
Developer Landscape: Growing but specialized. Craft developers typically charge £75-150+ per hour. Quality tends to be higher than general WordPress developers.
Plugin Market: Smaller (400+ vs WordPress’s 59,000+) but curated. Most essential functions covered. Less chance of plugin conflicts.
Enterprise Readiness: Craft Pro scales well and handles complex permissions and workflows. Used by Netflix, Ikea, and other large organizations needing flexibility without WordPress maintenance overhead.
Making the Decision: What Actually Matters
The technical specifications matter less than these practical considerations:
For SMEs: WordPress or Webflow depending on technical resources. WordPress if you need extensive integrations or have developer access. Webflow if you want something that works without ongoing technical maintenance.
For E-commerce: Shopify unless you need extensive customization, then WordPress with WooCommerce (but budget for proper development).
For Enterprise: Drupal or Sitecore depending on complexity needs and budget. Don’t underestimate the total cost of ownership.
For Quick Launches: Wix or Squarespace, but plan migration paths if you grow.
The Hidden Costs Nobody Talks About
- WordPress: Ongoing maintenance, security, plugin licenses, developer time
- Webflow: Monthly fees compound, limited flexibility grows frustrating
- Shopify: Transaction fees, app costs, custom development
- Enterprise solutions: Training, specialized developers, lengthy update cycles
The Bottom Line
Most businesses overthink this decision. Your team’s technical capabilities should influence your choice. A well-implemented simple solution beats a poorly managed complex one every time.
Start with your constraints: budget, timeline, technical resources, and growth plans. The platform should serve your business strategy, not drive it.
The CMS landscape offers genuinely good solutions at every level. The key is matching your actual needs – not your wishlist – with platform capabilities. Because the best CMS is the one you and your team can actually use effectively.
