Table of Contents
» What is WordPress?
WordPress is the most popular website-building platform for bloggers and business owners. In a recent study, it has been observed that more than 35% of the web uses WordPress as the website building platform. WordPress is power-packed with features and useful plugins to float a successful blog or business online. With WordPress, there are many possibilities as it offers excellent SEO services and plugins for your website.
The designs are customizable, and it also provides media management for your site and blog. Moreover, WordPress also offers security and maintenance for the website that is built by using WordPress.
» Why Do We Need an Alternative to WordPress?
WordPress has a vast library of media, CMS, and plugins that users can use. However, some users do not need the advanced CMS nor have time to learn them. In such cases, users need a platform with simple website-building tools without the need for complex plugins and data.
Moreover, if the user needs a publishing website, in that case launching WordPress can be time-consuming and stressful. To cater to the various types of users, we have compiled a list of website-building platforms that can be perfect alternatives to WordPress.
» 11 Best WordPress Alternatives
1. Wix
Wix is a perfect solution for creating a website for your new blog or small business. Wix comes with an innovative way of designing the website with a simple drag-and-drop method. The platform also optimizes the website for the mobiles while you create and develop the site for your work. Wix also offers paid or free versions for the web hosting and purchase of domain names in-house.
There are hundreds of templates you can choose for your site. Wix offers SEO tools for the website, which is automated; hence even if you do not know much about SEO planning, Wix has covered you. Wix also has an app market where you can find tons of free apps for your website.
› Features
• Wix has Artificial Design Intelligence with Smart Assistant to create a beautiful website
• Browse and use the apps for your website from the App market
• Add animations to your site for free
• Flexibility
• Hundreds of templates with high-definition photos
› Pricing
• Wix is free with Wix ads. The standard Combo plan starts with $13 per month, which is ideal for personal use.
2. Weebly
Weebly is an excellent WordPress Alternative as it offers outstanding professional service for website building. There are designs available for all sorts of businesses in Weebly. Initially, you can create a free site with Weebly, use the designs and guidance from the builder, and get online. Later you can purchase a domain and customize your website as per the needs of the business.
Weebly also offers an excellent range of e-commerce tools for online store owners. Manage orders, secure payments, and manage shipping with these tools. Weebly also provides SEO planning tools for your store or site, captures the leads, and collects contact forms for the users.
› Features
• Free SSL Security with the website builder
• SEO tools
• Chat and Email support
• 500MB of storage in the open plan
• Hundreds of templates and designs for all sorts of business
› Pricing
• Weebly is free for basic use. The Pro plan starts from $12.00 per month when billed annually.
3. Drupal
Drupal is a feature website builder that will suit the needs of most of the Industry. Whether your business is connected with the finance industry or retail, Drupal offers a high level of features and tools for the robust performance of the website.
Drupal comes with decoupled Drupal Solutions that can be rendered with any front-end experience built by the builder. Basically, Drupal is for everybody. Whether you are a developer, agency, or digital marketer with Drupal, you can create an interactive and intuitive site.
› Features
• Availability of plugins, widgets, and apps for the site
• Smart content management tool for authorizing the content, rich text editor, and internal content repository
• Built-in templates for building professional sites
• Mobile site enhancements
• Navigable and flexible
› Pricing
• Pricing details are not available on the official website. Contact Drupal for pricing.
4. Joomla
Joomla is free and open-source software that offers excellent CMS services to all kinds of businesses. The users can build, organize, design, manage, and publish online content for the website and blogs. The platform is very popular among web users and contains more than two million active users around the globe.
Joomla is an excellent WordPress alternative that is open source and free of cost to use. Hence, if you are a developer, too, you can make your changes and distribute the copy. Joomla is more secure than WordPress. Therefore you can be assured of privacy and security. The CMS features in Joomla are good enough to build a reliable and professional-looking site.
› Features
• The system is flexible and can be customized
• Excellent SEO tools for website
• Free and Open-source software
• Easy to operate and build a website
• Easy CMS management
› Pricing
• It is free of cost
5. Shopify
Shopify is an eCommerce platform where you can quickly build an online store for your business needs. The platform is very popular and helps you create a user-friendly website for your business. With Shopify, you can set up an online store with powerful tools to drive sales, manage orders, secure payments, and get customers.
There are hundreds of templates available in Shopify that will suit the needs of any kind of business. The in-build sales analytic tool is also convenient if you want to keep records of the sales and understand the trend. Gain insights about your business income and growth with Shopify tools. You can also save the orders and record the transactions for future use.
› Features
• Shopify is one destination for starting an online business or store
• 24/7 customer support
• Guidance for managing your store with Shopify experts
• Showcase an unlimited number of products
• Create and manage staff accounts
• Assign inventory for up to 8 locations
› Pricing
• The Basic plan of Shopify starts from $29.00 per month with a 14-day free trial for everyone.
6. Ghost
Ghost is a publication platform ideal for bloggers, vloggers, and podcasters. The application is straightforward to create an instant and attractive publishing site for your creativity. Just create the page and share it online. The platform is an excellent alternative to WordPress as it is fast and made for publishers, entrepreneurs, and developers.
The application comes with a rich text editor for editing and creating beautiful content for your page; you can also manage your page with powerful tools, and it also stocks high-definition library for content management. You can also create free membership registration for your website and share your creativity.
› Features
• Enjoy powerful CMS with Node .js
• Add a membership registration page for free or paid fees
• Manage membership fees via Stripe
• The application supports SSL security
• Automated setup and publication of Content
› Pricing
• Ghost Basic Pro starts at $29.00 per month if billed annually.
7. Squarespace
It is very easy and simple to start your website with Squarespace. You just need to choose the template for your site and select the useful tools to manage and float your website instantly. There are thousands of designer templates available with Squarespace, which suit the needs of every topic and style of the site.
Whether you are a novice or a seasoned blogger, Squarespace will help you seamlessly with the site creation and management. You can also create a beautiful portfolio for your store or market your business. Squarespace is a natural alternative to WordPress that offers excellent services at competing rates. It is also power-packed with tools and plugins that will make your online website workable and manageable.
› Features
• Professional designs for portfolio
• Powerful blogging tools like post creation and distribution
• Built-in SEO tools
• Useful analytics for website traffic
• Apps market filled with free and/or paid apps for your site
› Pricing
• The Basic plan starts from $12 per month.
8. Medium.com
Medium is an interactive platform for the publication of writers and blogs. In recent times, many big companies and brands have moved their blogs to Medium applications. It contains millions of write-ups on various topics. Just choose your niche and follow the page. If you are a publisher, you must consider Medium application over WordPress, as it is a dedicated platform for publishing your content and gaining fellowship.
The application is developed for a curious reader and offers ideas and knowledge about various subjects. With the Medium application, you can read and write your content and publish it for thousands of readers. You can also earn a subscription from the platform by partnering with them.
› Features
• Write for the most significant online platform and gain a fellowship
•The platform is SEO friendly
• Reward the stories and authors you like
• Gain a subscription for your writings
• Add beautiful pictures to your articles
› Pricing
• Subscribe to Medium for $5.00 per month or $50.00 annually.
9. HubSpot CMS Hub
HubSpot is powerful software that comes with power-packed CRM features to the core. You can create a sales drive website with HubSpot easily. Manage the sales team, maintain the insights about the contacts, and manage sales team tasks through HubSpot. HubSpot comes with an efficient CMS that will help you create a professional-looking website easily. You just have to drag and drop and create a design for your webpage.
› Features
• CMS for personalized pages of the site
• Hundreds of website themes to match your need
• Share your content in the social media with plugins
• Drag and drop webpage editor
• Settings with adaptive features
› Pricing
• The Professional plan starts at $240 per month
10. Webflow
Webflow is an easy alternative to WordPress that helps you build a webpage for your business easily and instantly. Webflow is loved by users who do not know how to code or develop websites. Just choose the theme for your site and add tools. You can also create attractive interactions and animation for your pages with Webflow. The platform is powered by Amazon Web Services, which can launch your website overseas. Uptime is assured of, and you need not spend a dime on the maintenance of the site.
› Features
• The combined power of CSS, HTML, and JavaScript for the designer and adaptive themes
• Build visual interactions for your site
• Innovative CMS tools
• e-Commerce tools for online store
• Quick website hosting
› Pricing
• The Basic plan starts at $12.00 per month if billed annually.
» Conclusion
All the above-mentioned WordPress Alternatives are not an exhaustive list. We have compiled the list as per the needs and requirements of the users available online. Do your research and choose the platform for your projects.
» Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1) What is WordPress and how does it work?
WordPress is an online platform to publish websites and create blogs. You can start making sites and blogs freely, but to avail more customized versions, get custom URL, and use various plugins, you have to update to the paid version. Many bloggers, small businesses, and companies use it around the world.
2) Is Wix better than WordPress?
Wix has numerous limitations like you cannot have a custom domain name, and also it does not support add-ons like Google Analytics. So if you are serious about blogging or your website and want to monetize it, it is not the best choice for you. WordPress, on the other hand, has features perfect for all professional or even passionate hobbyists, making it better than Wix.
3) Is Ghost better than WordPress?
Ghost provides a very straightforward platform with a simple layout and is also really fast compared to WordPress. Ghost is not free, it only provides a 14-day trial period and specializes in blogging mainly. It is not used for making websites. So if you want a creative blog or a website, WordPress is your go-to option.
4) Is WordPress Secure?
If the respective websites opt for safe and secure services like secure plugins and themes, WordPress is secure. WordPress core is maintained by a top-notch security team, making it secure if upgraded to the latest versions. But only legitimate and popular plugins with their updated versions are secure.
5) What are the best alternatives to WordPress?
- Wix
- Weebly
- Drupal
- Joomla
- Shopify
- Ghost
- Squarespace
- Medium.com
- HubSpot CMS Hub
- Webflow