November 3, 2018
Article in English only
FREE CMS VS CUSTOM PLATFORMS: MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICE
Independent Website Management
Website owners frequently want to manage their content independently—modifying existing content, adding new pages, inserting images, and more without technical assistance. This need led to the rise of Content Management Systems (CMS).
WordPress has emerged as the undisputed market leader, though earlier platforms like Joomla (now becoming outdated) paved the way. More specialized CMS options include Typo3 and Drupal for general use, and Magento and PrestaShop for e-commerce. Simplified online builders like Wix allow complete website creation directly through web browsers.
Despite WordPress’s dominance, many companies—especially larger enterprises—invest in custom-built CMS solutions.
Why Some Sectors Prefer Custom Code
Key Limitations of Free CMS Platforms:
- Security Concerns
- Free CMS platforms often contain vulnerabilities exploitable by moderately skilled hackers
- Custom CMS solutions can implement advanced encryption and security systems
- Stability Issues
- WordPress and similar platforms typically require multiple plugins
- Plugin conflicts frequently occur during CMS updates, potentially breaking site functionality
- Design Limitations
- While WordPress offers extensive design options, achieving specific visual effects often proves challenging
- Finding the perfect combination of themes and plugins rarely delivers 100% of desired design outcomes
- Complexity Constraints
- Specialized functionality (like 3D furniture configurators) is difficult to implement in standard CMS
- Code compatibility becomes problematic with complex custom features
- Performance Challenges
- CMS platforms interact with databases, inherently slowing site performance
- Additional factors affecting speed include server capacity, image optimization, and JavaScript execution
Finding the Right Balance
Custom CMS development can address or mitigate most of these issues. However, unless your organization has specialized requirements, Open Source solutions remain advantageous as they continuously improve in addressing these limitations.
For mid-budget projects with competent developers who understand CMS technologies, properly maintained Open Source platforms with regular updates can effectively serve even corporate websites.
Best Practices for CMS Implementation
- Plugin Selection: Not all plugins offer equal reliability—developers must carefully evaluate compatibility with client requirements
- Security Measures: Implement shield detectors and prevention tools directly within applications
- Regular Maintenance: Establish consistent backup protocols for front-end, back-end, and database content
- Server Administration: Developers should master server management (UNIX/LINUX/APACHE/PHP/DNS) as attacks target both application and server levels
DIGITALABS specialises in developing custom WordPress plugins tailored to specific client needs, bridging the gap between standard CMS functionality and custom requirements.