Paid or free: we select CMS

Here also difficulties of other sort begin. The current choice of CMS is so big that in it it is easy to get confused. Let's try to understand.

All content management systems can be separated into two large categories — with an open program code and commercial. More often they are called, respectively, free and paid. Leaders among free CMS — WordPress, Joomla!, Drupal, Danneo, MediaWiki, Magento CMS. Among commercial CMS Bitrix, DLE are in the lead. Cushy, QP 7, Sharepoint.

In top three of free CMS the superiority belongs to WordPress. This system for its simplicity and friendliness to the user is quite often called by "CMS for teapots". In this nickname there is nothing offensive, it only reflects the fact that WordPress learning curve very of bed curtains — i.e. to learn to use this CMS very simply.

CMS Joomla! at first sight more difficult in mastering, however here the habit factor quickly begins to work: once you only acquire the basic rules of interaction with this system, to you the improbable richness of settings and opportunities of Joomla will open!.

As for Drupal, from top three this system — the most professional and to get to work with it, in-depth examination of documentation and at least basic skills of web programming are necessary.

If to address commercial CMS, briefly we will stop on two domestic developments. The first — CMS Bitrix: at all its advantages this system is overloaded with functionality that substantially complicates work. The second — CMS QP7, already not so much CMS in pure form, how many a software platform. It is a convenient and flexible system, some kind of "paid Joomla".

The special group of commercial CMS is made by the proprietary systems, i.e. such shell programs of the websites which are written "from scratch" under the specific customer, taking into account his individual requirements and wishes. Such CMS it is fair to refer to as exclusive and to afford their development and support only large and very large companies can.

Actually the difference between free and commercial CMS of a wide profile becomes less every year: the first in the next new version find the increasing functionality, the second develop towards simplification — in the sense that become more friendly to the end user.

The basic difference between two categories CMS consists in technical support: behind any commercial CMS there is a developer company which guarantees professional product quality and professional programmer support; for free CMS for support, councils and software solutions it is necessary to address not any company, and community of programmers enthusiasts. Occasionally it appears quicker and more profitable, but occasionally is capable to create problems: from community it is possible to wait for the answer to this or that question very long, and not the fact that the recommendation received eventually will be efficient.

For the rest, we will repeat, the difference between paid and free CMS is not too big and becomes less noticeable.

If it is possible not to pay why to spend money? This principle is followed not only by zealous individuals, but also the companies, and rather large, setting on the corporate website free CMS.

When the decision to use a non-commercial system is made, it is necessary to understand what tasks you set for yourself to decide on specific CMS.

If you need the website business card if you want to create the corporate or personal blog if you are not going to expand functionality of the website in the next or not too long-term future — WordPress will be your choice.

If it is necessary flexible, not really difficult in mastering, but CMS, powerful by opportunities, then set Joomla!. The functionality of this system is very high, and it can be configured practically under any task. At the same time it is possible both to write expansions for a system independently, and to use ready modules and plug-ins of third-party developers. These templates, modules, plug-ins and components great variety; the truth, not everyone they are free, however if desired it is always possible to find free option, suitable for your purposes and to finish it "under itself" independently. And paid expansions also allow similar completion.

At last if the maximum freedom of action in programming of the website and management of its elements is required if exists probability that in the future the website is required to be modified, and it is still unknown, how exactly — select Drupal.

By and large, other free CMS represent various variations of source codes of three leading the non-commercial systems. Therefore everything, told above concerning their "primogenitors", is fully applicable also to these systems.

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