By the type of data processing, all systems are divided into 3 classes

Classic content management system with an integrated database

Conventional CMS, such as WordPress, Joomla, Drupal and TYPO3, work with a connected database. This means that all content is stored in a separate database.

Flate-file content management systems
As an alternative to conventional CMSs that work with connected databases, there are so-called flate-file systems. They store site content as simple files, so they don’t need their own database on the server. These include products such as Grav, Pico and Kirby.

Static site generators
In addition to content management systems with or without a database, there are more and more static website generators on the market. They are not populated with content like a regular CMS. Every time a change is made, the system creates static HTML files and rebuilds the page. Thus, the pages are static and have high performance. Generators are more suitable for professional, technically savvy users, but work with them is becoming easier because of the additional services and administrator interfaces. The best representatives here are Forestry.io, DatoCMS and Lektor

According to the management model, all systems are divided into 4 types:

• CMS Content Management Software regardless of the type of data presentation.
• WPS A simplified CMS for blogs.
• WCMS A management system for web content adapted for mobile devices.
• ECMS Enterprise content management system.

The most popular CMS

WordPress

WordPress began as a simple software for creating a blog. Over the years, the system became more and more popular: new features and templates appeared. Solutions such as the “5-minute install”, the many free themes and the easy integration of plugins have certainly contributed to the success of this CMS.

If you need a website but have little or no budget or time for one, WordPress is the right choice. The system installs in minutes, then users can start publishing content immediately. By investing a little money in a quality theme, you can quickly achieve a professional look and feel. If more specific project requirements arise over time, you can quickly find a ready-made solution in the form of a plugin.

Joomla

Like WordPress and TYPO3, Joomla is based on the PHP programming language, which visually converts the contents of the MySQL database. Installing Joomla works on almost every web hosting site and takes only 30 seconds. Developers can program a large number of custom extensions for the system.

Unlike other CMSs, Joomla offers only an input box with text editor support for creating and formatting content. This looks very simple at first glance, but causes problems with complex formatting.

Drupal

Once conceived as a social sharing platform, Drupal has evolved into one of the most widely used open-source editing systems.

In addition to its core features, Drupal focuses on developing social publications and community portals so members can create their own content and interact with others. In Drupal, as in WordPress and Joomla, sections are managed on an object basis. The modular structure of the CMS allows for separate and complex page structures. Initially quite thin, it can be adapted to your own desires with various additional extensions.

In general, Drupal is more suitable for experienced web developers because, unlike WordPress, the desired configuration must first be assembled in a certain order.

TYPO3

TYPO3 is the most popular system for large firms and companies. The CMS is available in over 50 languages and has over 5,000 extensions. A large community is constantly and actively involved in the development of the system. Even in its basic installation, this powerful CMS includes many features such as support for multiple domains and advanced rights management for multiple administrators and users.

For the implementation of complex page structures with multilingual content, however, the editing system requires special knowledge. All in all, TYPO3 is an incredibly complex CMS that is often able to do more than users need in their website. Compared to other systems, it requires a long learning curve and comparatively more administrative effort.

MODx

“MODx Evolution” is a combination of CMS and CMF – from “Content Management System” and “Content Management Framework”, that is a platform. The system is suitable for both small and large websites, that is, from a web business card to the resource of an international company.

The biggest hurdle you have to take in MODX is yourself: MODX is a system for professionals. You need a minimum knowledge of HTML and CSS to use it.

MODx emphasizes the usability of the websites you create and the optimal mix of design and content. You won’t need programming knowledge to begin with, but once you want to implement special and customized solutions, you’ll need to apply CSS and HTML.

MODh manages the content and provides the markup, which should be specified down to the last detail. After successful installation, MODx provides a blank white page with minimal HTML source code. This is how every MODx project starts.

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Once created, any content needs to be published and then it needs to be managed, updated and distributed online. Regardless of the size of the website, this is a time-consuming task that is accomplished with a content management system (CMS).

There are currently about 300 different CMSs available on the market. When managing content with their help, programming skills are not needed at all, and administration is reduced to simple repetitive functions – for example, creating new sections and copying text from Word in the built-in editor. It uses a graphical user interface that is intuitive for most people in the smartphone age.

The software itself is an interactive resource, a so-called web application. In practice, it works in such a way that employees go to their login page to get to the part of the site that is invisible to visitors. This part is called the backend. The publicly accessible part of the website is the interface.

The backend is used to customize the resource and manage content. Without a CMS, website operators would have to edit the page for each change using an HTML editor and then upload it to the server using an FTP program. With a CMS, this is no longer necessary.

The ease of management makes these systems ideal for supporting both large and single-page sites. Some of the CMSs are free and some are open source, which means that each owner can make edits to meet the requirements of their own unique projects.

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Defining the domain. If you are going to do a blog – you need WordPress, if a business card site or a directory better opt for Joomla. If the forum, you can use Drupal. If a corporate site – MODx or TYPO3. To create an online store, suitable for any CMS, but WordPress and TYPO3 have advantages in transaction protection.
Determining the learning curve. With a complete lack of experience, you will quickly master WordPress, the second place in ease is Joomla, then Drupal. MODx or TYPO3 are more difficult to master.
Determining the time of employment. Here the picture is similar. The easiest to administer WordPress, and the most difficult – MODx.
Determining the effectiveness of SEO. In principle, the level of quality of SEO is not so much dependent on the CMS, but WordPress leads in the number of plugins for optimization.

How do you check what CMS the site is?
If you want to know what CMS a website was created with, you can do in three main ways.

1. The first and easiest way is to access the code of the page.

If you’re using the WordPress control panel, you’ll usually see a line like this in the code:

This means you’ll see a generator as the operator, which shows which CMS this website was created with. You can also check what the path to the other files looks like. In the link to the pictures, you can see the information through the control panel.

2. You can check the robots.txt file. This way, the control panel recognizes webmasters who have already created such a file and are well versed in their directories.

For example, we have a Robot.txt file for WordPress:

Disallow: / cgi-bin
Disallow: / wp-admin
Disallow: / wp-includes
Disallow: / wp-content / plugins
Disallow: / wp-content / cache
Disallow: / wp-content / themes

And the same Robot.txt file serves as an example for Joomla:

Disallow: /administrator
Disallow: /cache
Disallow: /includes
Disallow: /installation
Disallow: /language
Disallow: /media
As you can see, the Robot.txt files look very different.

3. Special services which recognize CMS.

It is also possible to check the content management system with the help of special services. They work online and quickly identify the control panel of the site.

For example, whatcmsisthis.com is a tool that is available to you around the clock. All you have to do is insert the URL of the desired website and click the “Go” button.

Plugins for CMS
Plugins, also called extensions, are small programs that work in conjunction with a CMS and perform certain tasks.

For example, there are plugins to create photo galleries, contact forms, a website forum, etc. There are also plugins that help perform search engine optimization, automate backups, and protect the site from cyberattacks.

The plugins are written by programmers around the world. Currently, WordPress has more than 50,000 plugins and Joomla has about 20,000.

CMS greatly simplifies and speeds up the work on the site. Although setting up a CMS should be left to an expert, or at least someone with solid knowledge in the field, even novice users will only need a little specialized knowledge for productive day-to-day use. CMSs are designed to manage and update websites without the help of web designers and programmers.

Even the installation barrier is easy to overcome. Many web hosting providers offer automatic installation of CMS software at low prices. Site operators can start publishing content immediately. This becomes even easier with managed CMS offerings, in which the hoster also takes care of maintenance and support for the system. In many cases, this saves the cost of hiring an expert.

Unfortunately, open-source CMSs have a security problem: In most cases, website owners do not use the manufacturer’s pure system, but supplement it with secure templates, plug-ins and widgets.

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