Choosing the best open-source CMS

As the most widely recognised open-source LAMP CMS, WordPress was originally created in response to the blogging trend. In 15 years, it has gone from being a competitor of Bloggers, OverBlog and others platforms to being an undisputed leader in CMS... and by a long stretch, since more than 60% of websites based on an open-source CMS use it worldwide! Without a doubt, it is the easiest solution to install and manage from our control panel. It offers users a very wide range of ready-to-use templates and plugins that can quickly meet most website configurations.

In short, WordPress is great for those who want a simple, effective solution to set up, without necessarily needing any in-depth technical knowledge. What’s more, it also offers strong SEO guarantees. However, WordPress quickly shows its limits when it comes to complex projects, which it is not designed for. The CMS also requires a certain level of security vigilance - its popularity means that it is a prime target for cybercriminals.

Create a WordPress blog

Originally born as a fork (created from the source code of an existing software) of the Mambo CMS, Joomla! has long been at the forefront of the most popular open-source CMS systems on the market... until WordPress came along. Joomla! is rather easy to install and configure, and can be used to design and build websites quickly, without the need for any specialised technical skills.

Since version 3 was released, Joomla! has made a leap forward in security. It also offers interesting services for rights and profiles customisation or multisite management. This makes it possible to design rich platforms including private spaces (intranet, extranet) if needed. Until now, these features were only available with more complex solutions.

Create a Joomla! website

This newcomer to the open-source CMS market has already become one of the greats. Designed as a platform for building social networks, Drupal quickly established itself as a robust and highly customisable CMS. This is mainly due to the integration of the Symfony framework (a group of reusable components), on which it is built.

This flexibility makes it a favourite among web designers when they are faced with ambitious, bespoke projects. Thanks to its creator, Dries Buytaert, Drupal has also popularised the concept of a “decoupled CMS”, which is now very popular. However, the solution requires a bit of a learning curve to get the most out of it.

Create a website using Drupal

A favourite for many online retailers, PrestaShop is undoubtedly one of the most famous e-commerce solutions on the market. It is relatively easy to set up and configure, and stands out with its rich catalogue of add-ons. This French platform offers the opportunity to create an online store at a low cost and in record time.

Although it sets itself apart with its tailor-made projects, its intrinsic qualities have managed to attract leading brands. Without any doubt, this is a must-have solution for anyone looking to get started in e-commerce.

Creating an online shop

Primarily marketed as a blog creation tool, WordPress offers much more advanced web solutions with many plugins available for integration into the CMS. When combined with other extensions required to manage an online store, WooCommerce allows you to deploy an e-commerce website with a high level of freedom and customisation. This solution is particularly well-suited for websites where the main activity is to offer content with a connected e-commerce element.

This type of usage requires some technical knowledge in order to manage the additional modules, maintenance and security of the e-commerce platform. It's a solution that balances the simplicity of PrestaShop with the technicality of a solution like Magento.

For projects like this, we recommend our Performance hosting plan, which will give you the performance and flexibility you need.

This e-commerce solution quickly became a major leader on an international scale. Robust and highly configurable, it is mainly suited to complex and ambitious projects that require a high degree of customisation and a certain technical expertise. However, there is a learning curve involved in its administration interface. A strong infrastructure will also be required to realise its full potential.

Unlike our managed web hosting solutions, which come with one-click installation of a CMS like PrestaShop or WordPress, installing a Magento solution requires some solid technical knowledge. You can choose to deploy Magento on a Virtual Private Server (VPS) or a dedicated server.