The Top 17 WordPress Alternatives for 2021
Why people look for WordPress alternatives?
WordPress is the most used website builder in the world, powering over 41% of all websites.
People select WordPress for a variety of reasons, including the fact that it is free, configurable, SEO friendly, blogging facilities, social media tools, sophisticated features, eCommerce readiness, multilingual language support, and thousands of free web design templates. View a list of all the reasons why people use WordPress.
Since its inception in 2003, the WordPress open-source platform has come a long way in terms of ease of use, with various drag-and-drop website construction tools such as SeedProd, Divi, and Beaver Builder allowing you to design bespoke websites from the ground up without having to write any code.
WordPress is frequently used by business owners since it is the greatest choice for improving search engine rankings.
However, while WordPress is widely used, it is not suitable for everyone.
This is due to the fact that some business owners do not want to deal with the trouble of maintaining their own website backups, security, and upgrades.
You’ve come to the right place if you’re seeking the top WordPress alternatives.
We’ve tried just about every WordPress competitor on the market, and here are the best competitors.
1. Joomla
Joomla is an open-source content management system that has won numerous awards. It has a highly customizable interface, and easy-to-use menu-building system, and numerous strong Search Engine Optimization (SEO) capabilities. You can also extend the functionality of your Joomla site by installing extensions, which are comparable to WordPress plugins.
It’s simple to see why Joomla is one of the most popular WordPress alternatives. The platform allows you a lot of control over content pipelines and template layouts, which are similar to WordPress themes in terms of how your Joomla site looks. Another prominent Joomla feature is the built-in Access Control List (ACL), which simplifies site administration and contributor access.
2. Ghost
WordPress was originally designed as a blogging platform. Now, it’s evolved into a full-fledged CMS capable of running any type of site you can imagine, including online stores, photo galleries, online directories, and any other type of site you can think of, which, in software terms, means bloat, complexity, and extra features you don’t need if you just want to run a blog.
This is where Ghost enters the scene.
The delightfully basic UI of this WordPress alternative allows bloggers to produce their pieces without being distracted by menus, widgets, settings, or tools that aren’t linked to writing.
Ghost is written in JavaScript and runs on Node.js, a web development platform with a non-blocking I/O mechanism that optimizes performance and scalability. This might provide Ghost a significant speed boost over WordPress, which is built on PHP. In one scenario, Ghost was shown to be 678% faster than WordPress.
However, whether you’re using a Node.js enabled VPS, dedicated server, or shared hosting, you’re set to go.
3. Textpattern
Textpattern is a strong option despite being one of the lighter WordPress options on this list. Textpattern is a simple yet powerful tag-based template language that allows you to organize your material in a variety of ways. The user interface is simple to use, and the platform comes with extensive documentation.
Textpattern, like WordPress, may be readily expanded by using plugins, which are continuously updated by contributors. There are also a number of front-end and back-end themes to select from, all of which can be simply customized to fit your needs.
4. Jekyll
Jekyll is a site generator that creates static pages. It’s written in Ruby and uses NodeJS to run. It is not the same as WordPress. To begin, it is a static site generator, which means that it takes your text and converts it into static HTML pages for your website.
With Jekyll, you can use the free hosting provided by GitHub Pages. If you’re already comfortable with Markdown, SVN, Git, and the command line, you’ll be up and running in no time. To put it another way, this is designed for developers!
5. Craft CMS
Craft is a new CMS developed by Pixel & Tonic, a well-known ExpressionEngine add-on developer. It seeks to make content management easier.
Craft was created from the bottom up with the goal of focusing solely on the elements that a CMS genuinely requires. The purpose of the software is to avoid the bloat that comes with trying to include every available feature and satisfy every possible use-case.
Craft is a unique business model in which the core functionalities are free, allowing you to create a basic website without spending any money.
However, if your site requires additional capability, you can purchase packages. The Localize package is an example of this, which you may acquire if your site requires multi-language capabilities. The Cloud package, which supports popular cloud services like Amazon S3 and Google Cloud, is another package you may add to your Craft site.
Craft CMS is supported by a growing community, which is critical for any new CMS looking to compete with WordPress.
6. Statamic
Statamic makes it a point to demonstrate how it differs from WordPress immediately. Its main distinguishing feature is that it does not use databases and instead stores everything in local files. Statamic is also created with the cutting-edge PHP framework Laravel, which eliminates some of the security vulnerabilities that WordPress has.
Statamic is a wonderful CMS for collaborative projects, even though it runs on your server. Uploading and classifying content is simple using the control panel feature.
7. ExpressionEngine
If you’re a developer seeking for WordPress alternatives that simplify workflow for complex sites, ExpressionEngine is an excellent choice. This CMS also allows you to customize specific types of information via numerous channels and unique content fields, making it a standout choice if flexibility is important to you.
Furthermore, ExpressionEngine makes it simple to manage your content on mobile and tablet devices. It’s also quite expandable, with a design that encourages quick troubleshooting.
8. Shopify
Shopify is one of the most popular eCommerce platforms available, making it one of the best WooCommerce alternatives and, by extension, WordPress alternatives.
Shopify is similar to Wix or Squarespace, but it focuses solely on online stores and eCommerce. The platform is an all-in-one, completely hosted solution.
The entire experience is geared to help you sell your items or services as effectively as possible, thanks to Shopify’s laser focus on eCommerce. Furthermore, Shopify has an industry-leading POS (point of sale) module, allowing you to leverage Shopify tools in your storefront.
9. Drupal
Drupal is another well-known open source Content Management System. Drupal, like WordPress and Joomla, has a large user base and a vibrant developer community. It is responsible for almost 2.1 % of sites, including The White House, The Economist, the State of Georgia, and many others.
Modules and themes are available in Drupal, same as plugins and themes are in WordPress. Because it uses the same software like WordPress and Joomla, it can be installed on almost any web server that supports WordPress.
Their backend is a little confusing, but it has a lot of customizing choices.
10. Weebly
Another fully hosted website builder is Weebly. Using pre-designed templates and their drag-and-drop page builder, you may create your own website.
Weebly has limited e-commerce capabilities, but it does allow you to use custom domain names. See our WordPress vs. Weebly comparison for more information.
11. Jimdo
Another all-in-one website platform on this list is Jimdo. You can either let Jimdo build the site for you based on your responses to a few basic questions, or you can enter full creator mode and use Jimdo’s drag-and-drop builder and other tools, depending on how hands-on you want to get with your website design.
Finally, everything is very simple to use, especially if you don’t require any complicated website features or extensive customizations.
Jimdo is a hosted solution, which means it handles all of the technical complexities and provides a home for your website.
12. Squarespace
Squarespace is a popular website builder among creative users. The designs are both stylish and responsive, meaning they adjust to the size of each visitor’s screen automatically. Nonetheless, we believe Wix is slightly superior in this area due to the greater amount of design options.
Squarespace allows you to import your WordPress blog, which is something we really like. However, unless you don’t worry about SEO, we don’t recommend using Squarespace for blogging because page titles and meta descriptions can’t be customized for individual blog articles, which is crucial for search engine ranking.
13. Webflow
Webflow is a no-code web-building tool that is quickly growing rapidly as a WordPress alternative. Designers may create professional, production-ready custom websites on a purely visual canvas without having to code.
Webflow basically allows you to have complete control over HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript without having to write any code.
It can be used to create simple marketing websites, and it’s steadily expanding towards eCommerce, but it’s no substitute for WordPress.
14. Medium
When compared to its competitors, Medium is a fascinating idea. In a nutshell, it’s not a standalone website builder like Wix, but rather a publishing platform that allows you to develop and then publish material on Medium.com with other authors.
In that sense, it’s a community site, or even a social network, where anyone may post an article for the rest of the community to read.
Medium is therefore a potential option for bloggers seeking recognition and pre-existing readership for their work.
You can also follow other people’s articles, leave comments on them, and participate in the Medium community overall.
15. Tumblr
Tumblr is a simple and easy blogging platform that focuses on short, brief articles. Tumblr’s goal is to provide you with an area where you can focus on writing content first and foremost, without having to worry about anything technological.
Tumblr is still a useful blogging tool, especially if you’re seeking something that allows you to publish your opinions without pushing you to learn how the platform works behind the scenes.
Tumblr is capable of handling a wide range of short-form content, including blog posts, articles, quotes, photographs, videos, and more. You can also follow other bloggers on the platform and engage with them.
16. Blogger
Blogger is unquestionably one of the most formidable WordPress rivals. Blogspot.com is a commonly used blogging platform that was created by Pyra Labs and then purchased by Google in 2003.
Whatever your website requirements are, you can utilize the Blogger blogging platform to construct anything from an online magazine to a shopping site to a blog or a portfolio site.
17. Magento
Magento should be noted as another WooCommerce option, however, it is far more advanced than Shopify.
Magento is available in two flavors: a free open-source version that you may install on your own server, and a hosted version called Magento Commerce.
The latter is an all-in-one solution that the Magento team sets up and configures for you based on your specific needs. In comparison to the free version, it also comes with additional integrations and sophisticated capabilities straight out of the box.
Magento includes all of the eCommerce features you’ll ever require. From extensive inventory management to shipping charges calculation, coupon management, payment gateway options, advanced shopping cart options, product selections, and much more, there’s something for everyone.
Conclusion
Here are 17 of our favorite WordPress alternatives, although there are plenty more. WordPress is the market leader, but others are working hard to catch up in this fast-paced, competitive environment.
Some are generic website builders, while others are more focused on blogs or eCommerce, so it’s crucial to shop around for the best fit for your resources, money, experience, and unique requirements.
We’ve provided a guide, but a quick search will yield more details on each. Examine all of your options and make an informed decision.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What are the top WordPress alternatives for beginners?
- Blogger
- Ghost
- Squarespace
Q2. What is the best WordPress alternative that is SEO friendly?
Almost all of the options listed here are SEO-friendly, but if you want a platform that comes with SEO tools out of the box, go with Joomla or Squarespace. Both of these blogging platforms have excellent SEO tools, allowing you to focus more on content production and less on SEO.
Q3. Which one is best WordPress Vs Medium?
WordPress is a powerful Content Management System (CMS) that you can use to construct strong websites, develop content, and increase traffic. Choose WordPress if you’re a small business, agency, or marketer trying to generate money online.
Medium, on the other hand, is a content publishing platform. At the same time, Medium is a fantastic platform for promoting and increasing the visibility of the best stories from throughout its network. Choose Medium if you’re a writer or publisher trying to promote your name through your work.
