Drupal vs Umbraco: Which Do You Need?

As you search for a platform to begin promoting your products or services online, you need a reliable and functional website builder with an easy set-up process.

There has been a lot of debate between Drupal and Umbraco in this conversation about which one will best suit your business needs and how to create the best user experience for your potential or existing customers.

In today’s article, we’re going to discuss the key features, differences, and advantages of both to help you make an easy decision about which platform to choose. Carry on reading our full review to see which CMS comes out on top!

What is Drupal?

Drupal is an open-source CMS with advanced features, used to create websites and web applications. It is made by its community and anyone is free to use it.

This content management software has a strong community that continues to improve its CMS functionality.

This platform uses a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editor, allowing you to easily change text, images, and layouts.

What is Umbraco?

Umbraco CMS (content management system) is a versatile and user-friendly platform used to build and manage websites and web applications. This powerful option offers a unique service that allows you to create, edit, and organise digital content without needing any technical skills.

Umbraco's ethos is to make its platform as suitable as possible for a wide range of websites, from simple blogs to complex e-commerce sites. However, before we go into too much detail about the benefits, this is also a .NET based open-source website builder, which means it’s developed collaboratively by a community of volunteers. 

This essentially means that custom coding is openly accessible and editable for anyone to make changes to. With a large Umbraco community, there is no questioning their popularity and success when it comes to making distinct and high-converting websites. 

Drupal vs Umbraco: Comparing the main features

As you develop and create your own website, you will soon realise that there are some significant features that need to be in place for you to have a successful experience. Here, we will discuss some of the key points to look out for if you were to choose either of these platforms:

Initial setup 

• Drupal: Setting up Drupal web CMS can be more difficult, making it suitable for those with technical expertise in web design and web development. They offer extensive customisation options but will often require more time to get them set up.
• Umbraco: Umbraco provides a simpler initial setup, making it accessible to a wider range of users, including those with limited technical knowledge.

Content editing 

• Drupal: Content editing in Drupal can be somewhat intimidating for beginners due to its advanced features. This platform is more for those who are comfortable with structured content creation.
• Umbraco: Umbraco offers a user-friendly, intuitive interface for content editing. Its WYSIWYG editor makes it easier for users of all levels to create and manage content, no matter what industry you’re in.

Web design

• Drupal: Drupal web design is a great choice, allowing for detailed and custom layouts. It's a powerful choice for complex websites but might require more design skills if you have a high-level web designer on your team.
• Umbraco: Umbraco is without a doubt more straightforward for web design, with templates and themes readily available for you to use. They suit not only simple websites but also complex design needs.

Data security

• Drupal: Drupal has a strong reputation for security as they have a dedicated security team that releases patches and updates to address problems as soon as they occur. Their community also actively monitors and addresses security concerns.
• Umbraco: Umbraco Cloud, Umbraco Heartcore, and every version of Umbraco also take data security seriously, regularly releasing systems, updates, and patches. They also offer user access control, allowing administrators to manage approvals for content and features.
  

Price

• Drupal: Drupal is an open-source CMS, which means it is free to download and use. However, the total cost of ownership can vary depending on factors such as hosting, themes, plugins, and development costs. Drupal projects are typically large and complex, which may incur higher expenses.
• Umbraco: Umbraco, like Drupal, is also open-source and free to use. However, similar to Drupal, the overall cost can vary based on hosting, themes, and add-ons. Umbraco's simplicity can sometimes lead to lower development costs for certain projects.

Technical flexibility

• Drupal: Drupal has a scalable framework, meaning it can work for projects and businesses that want custom development.
• Umbraco: When it comes to technical needs, Umbraco is highly flexible and more straightforward.

Drupal vs Umbraco: Which CMS should you choose?

Overall, Drupal is a complex CMS that may demand a higher learning curve. Whereas, Umbraco is more accessible, offering a user-friendly experience for content management and design, making it suitable for the majority of companies.

Therefore, if you are the majority that is already tied up in trying to improve your products or services and don’t have enough time to learn a new complicated skill, Umbraco is certainly the better alternative. 

Umbraco is easy to use while having everything you need to perform well on Google and convert customers or clients when promoting website links throughout your social media.

If you think Umbraco is a CMS solution you would want to implement to improve your visibility with your target audience, we have been fortunate enough to be Umbraco Gold Partners for over 10 years, allowing us to gain positive feedback nationwide when helping clients. Book a discovery session today with us; we can’t wait to hear from you!