WordPress has always been hailed as the king of website platforms, especially bloggers. But is WordPress the best choice to meet your SEO needs?
Yes, it has earned a reputation as a reliable platform that provides the ability to customize and bookmark your website using a large number of plugins, tutorials, and forums.
But WordPress is not necessarily the easiest website builder on the market. This is not an all-in-one solution. This means that you must rely on plug-ins to achieve the customization and functionality you need.
WordPress is also built on PHP. PHP is an open-source programming language for web development. For specific tasks and purposes, it is not always the best solution you can possibly have.
Top 10 WordPress alternatives for building websites
If you have always wondered which platform’s web design is right for you and your SEO goals, check out a concise breakdown of the best WordPress alternatives.
1. Joomla
Like WordPress, Joomla is an open-source content management system (CMS). Joomla itself is free, but you must pay for your own web hosting. Part of the appeal of Joomla is its wide range of features, allowing you to run any type of website: blogs, e-commerce, portfolios, information sites, etc. The disadvantage of Joomla is that it is not suitable for beginners, so it is best if you have some experience.
Main feature:
- Content Management System (CMS)
- Nearly 6,000 extensions are available
- Traditional content editing (no visual drag-and-drop editor)
- Optimized for mobile devices (depending on the template)
- Blog module
- E-commerce store
- Social media tools
Advantages:
- Premade designs and templates.
- Access to source code.
- Free and open-source software.
Disadvantages:
- No Customer Support
- It needs a server that supports PHP to work
- There are fewer templates and extensions than WordPress
- No free subdomains or custom domains are available
2. Wix
If you are looking for a simple, fully customizable all-in-one platform that does not require third-party sites and plug-ins, then look no further, Wix includes everything you need: hosting, domains, website software. Within the Wix platform, a step-by-step guide helps beginners to create a beautiful website without any experience.
Main feature:
- Complete hosting solution
- No need to install the software yourself
- Visual drag and drop builder
- Available extensions
- Mobile optimized
- Blog module
- E-commerce store
- Social media tool
Advantages:
- All-in-one platform and website builder
- Available in a free version
- Pre-designed templates and layouts are available for all planned free subdomains
- Customer Support
Disadvantages:
- Can’t maintain complete control of the site like using WordPress
- Unable to access the source code
3. Squarespace
This all-in-one option allows you to easily create a website on Squarespace’s own fully managed platform. You don't need previous experience to use this intuitive site builder. Squarespace hosts all its features internally, which means you can’t install third-party extensions or use custom coding. For hobbyists and small businesses, this is a great solution to build a professional website on your own, but if all you do is run a basic website, this can be an expensive solution.
Main feature:
- Complete hosting solution
- No software is required to Install
- Visual drag and drop builder
- Available extensions
- Optimized for mobile devices
- Blog module
- E-commerce store
- Social media tools
Advantages:
- All-in-one platform and website builder
- Free version available
- Pre-built templates and layouts
- Free subdomains are applicable to all plans
- The annual subscription provides a free custom domain
- Customer support
Disadvantages:
- There is no option to completely control your website like using WordPress
- There is no custom encoding
- There are no third-party extensions
- Unable to access the source code
4. BigCommerce
If you are looking for the scalability of an SEO-friendly WordPress alternative, BigCommerce may be the right choice for you. It has strong SEO support and worry-free multi-channel integration, and there are no platform fees or commissions. It is not overly advantageous in terms of setup, and this e-commerce-oriented platform is not the best for small businesses or low-margin stores.
Main feature:
- Complete hosting solution
- No need to install the software yourself
- Drag and Drop Visual builder
- Available extensions
- Optimized for mobile devices
- Blog module
- E-commerce store
- Social media tools
Advantages:
- High-level customization options
- More than 100 themes to choose from (12 are free)
- Customer support
Disadvantages:
- There is no free version available
- Unable to access the source code
- Pricing is based on revenue, which is not great if your profit margin is low
5. Shopify
Shopify is one of the most popular e-commerce platforms on the market, designed to help you sell products, giving this option a major advantage in the post-COVID era of digital shopping, especially if your Shopify website is optimized for SEO. Blogs and other niches are not the best solutions beyond the needs of e-commerce.
Main feature:
- Complete hosting solution
- No need to install the software yourself
- Visual drag and drop builder
- Available extensions
- Optimized for mobile devices
- Blog module
- E-commerce store
- Social media tools
Advantages:
- All-in-one platform and website builder
- Prefabricated designs and templates
- Free subdomains are available
- Customer assistance
Disadvantages:
- No free version is available
- No access to source code
- Platform commission fees
6. Medium
The medium did not join the others on this list as a website builder or software but stood out as a publishing platform with its own community and user base. If you are a blogger and are looking for a cheap way to post content, this is a good choice. But remember, you don’t have any customization options, which means you can’t bookmark your website. If you need a unique website with layout control, Medium will not suit your requirements.
Main feature:
- Complete hosting solution
- No need to install the software yourself
- Optimized for mobile devices
- Blog module
- Limited social media tools
Advantages:
- A community site for blogs
- A free version is provided
- Partner program for earning income (available in some regions)
- Customer Support
Disadvantages:
- No expansion
- There is no e-commerce store
- There are no pre-made designs or themes
- There are no free subdomains
- There are no third-party extensions
- Unable to access the source code
7. Drupal
Like WordPress and Joomla, Drupal is a CMS platform. The software is free, but it will charge a web hosting fee. Drupal is one of the most technical and powerful CMS options on the market, but it requires more skills to take full advantage of Drupal's potential. This site-building option is best for advanced users.
Main function:
- Content Management System (CMS)
- There are more than 47,000 modules available
- Traditional content editing (no visual drag-and-drop editor)
- Optimized for mobile devices. (Depending on the theme you choose)
- Blog module
- E-commerce store
- Social media tools
Advantages:
- Free and open-source software
- Prefabricated designs and templates
- Access to source code
- Strong security and data encryption
Disadvantages:
- No free subdomains
- No customer support
- Requires a PHP-enabled server to run
8. Weebly
If you are looking for something simple and affordable, Weebly may be what you are looking for. The website builder adopts an all-in-one approach, and the goal is to allow everyone to access the website builder, not just programmers and web developers. Weebly is highly regarded for its ease of use and simplicity, but if you use the free plan, your website will be limited to five pages.
Main feature:
- Complete hosting solution
- No need to install the software yourself
- Visual drag and drop
- extensions are available
- Drag and visual drop builder
Advantages:
- All-in-one platform and website builder provide free versions
- Pre-made designs and templates
- Provide free subdomains
- Cheap premium plans, starting at $6.00 per month
- Premium plans provide free custom domains
- Customer support
Disadvantages:
- Unable to access the source code
- The free version limits you to a maximum of five pages
9. Ghost
This platform is a competitor to WordPress in terms of blogging, but Ghost's features are limited in other areas. If you are in the right niche, Ghost is a simple and straightforward platform that can meet your needs. But if you understand that your website can grow, please note that Ghost is not designed to expand blogs to commercial websites or complex projects.
Main features:
- Option to subscribe through Ghost’s hosting platform or download the free open-source. software to install on your own webserver
- Basic visual drag and drop builder
- Extensions are available through integration with other tools
- Optimized for mobile devices
- Blog module
Advantages:
- Website builder and platform
- Free version available
- Pre-designed designs and templates
- The paid version provides free subdomains
- Customer support
- Access to source code
Disadvantages:
- Incompatible with all third-party web servers
- Highly specialized, limited features, beyond blogging
- It is not a website to expand into the business
10. Magento
Magento is an e-commerce-based platform that has more bells and whistles than Shopify. Although it provides a large number of business functions that are particularly suitable for large enterprises, it is not the easiest platform to use. Magento focuses on e-commerce and not others. If you want a website that takes advantage of different features, then the investment in Magento may not be worth it.
Main features:
- You can choose to pay Magento Commerce fees for the complete hosting platform or download free open-source software
- Install on your own webserver
- Drag and drop visualization builder
- Available extensions
- Optimized for mobile devices
- E-commerce store
- Social media tools
Advantages:
- All-in-one e-commerce platform or open-source e-commerce software package
- Free version available
- Designed for a large-scale e-commerce
- Premade designs and templates
- Free subdomains are available (mainly for setup and testing purposes)
- Customer support (paid version only)
- Access to source code with the downloadable version
Disadvantages:
- No blog module, although you can add it as an extension
- It is not optimized for web projects or website purposes other than e-commerce
- For inexperienced users, the learning curve is steep
- Huge investment in small-scale e-commerce
