Find the best CMS for your website in 2024! Compare HubSpot, WordPress, Wix, and Squarespace on performance, usability, and security.
Note: This article has been updated to reflect HubSpot's new 2024 release of Content Hub.
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A content management system (CMS) is a software tool that allows you to create, manage, and publish content on your website. The one you choose to build your website can have a significant impact on your website performance and SEO ranking.
But if you’re like us, you don’t want just any CMS for your website, you want the one that’s going to power your website to its optimal performance and ensure it’s backed by the structure and tools to help you rank on Google!
In this post, we’ll explore the top content management systems of 2024 to find the perfect match for your website. We’ll compare features, pricing, usability, security, and scalability to guide your decision.
Here's what's covered in this article - just click to jump to the section you're most interested in:
- HubSpot CMS
- WordPress CMS
- Wix CMS
- Squarespace CMS
- Best CMS for Budget-Conscious
- Best CMS for Usability
- Best CMS for Security
- Best CMS for Scaling
HubSpot CMS
Overview: HubSpot is a cloud-based CMS that integrates with HubSpot’s CRM and other Hub products. Described by HubSpot as, “Content management software that’s flexible for marketers, powerful for developers, and gives your customers a personalized, secure experience.”
Features: Developers and marketers can work with a number of powerful HubSpot CMS features to build their site and back it with HubSpot’s CRM – a key differentiator with HubSpot CMS. For marketers, there’s drag-and-drop page editing, modern themes, user roles, AI content assistant, SEO recommendations, personalization, memberships, e-commerce, premium hosting and security, and more.
Available on HubSpot's Content Hub, its packed with other key features!
Pricing: HubSpot offers a limited feature free version of its CMS. For those looking for additional features and functionality, HubSpot offers three versions of their software:
- Starter – Starts at $15/mo/seat
- Professional – Starts at $450/mo (includes 3 seats)
- Enterprise – Starts at $1,500/mo (includes 5 seats)
To get the most accurate and up-to-date pricing information, please visit HubSpot.
Ease of Use: HubSpot CMS is generally considered easy to use. HubSpot is known for its user-friendly interface and intuitive design across its various products, including the CMS. HubSpot’s CMS features an intuitive and clean interface, making it easy for users to navigate and manage content.
Scalability: HubSpot CMS can accommodate your business’s growing needs and demands as it expands. HubSpot CMS supports scalability in several ways, including flexible content management, customizations, thousands of available web applications, and most importantly – scalable pricing tiers.
Security: HubSpot CMS is designed with security in mind, and the platform takes measures to help ensure the protection of user data and the integrity of your website. Every site hosted on CMS Hub is automatically provisioned with a standard SSL certificate, creating greater trust between your brand and visitors to your site.
What do real users think of HubSpot CMS? Click here to see what users reveal as the true pros and cons.
WordPress
Overview: WordPress is a widely used and highly popular open-source Content Management System (CMS) that provides a versatile platform for building and managing websites. It boasts a vast ecosystem of plugins, themes, and a robust community. Described as a “flexible and customizable CMS suitable for beginners and developers alike” WordPress websites make up over 40% of the websites online.
Features: WordPress sites offer a diverse range of features that cater to both developers and marketers. The platform supports an extensive library of plugins and themes, enabling users to customize their websites according to their specific needs. Key features for marketers include a visual editor, SEO tools, content scheduling, membership management, e-commerce capabilities, and more. Developers benefit from a customizable codebase, extensive API support, and a vast developer community that contributes to the platform’s ecosystem.
Pricing: WordPress is an open-source platform, and the core software is free to use. However, users may incur costs for additional themes, plugins, hosting, and domain registration. The cost varies based on individual needs and preferences, offering a high degree of flexibility in terms of budget.
Ease of Use: WordPress is known for its user-friendly interface, making it accessible for beginners while providing enough depth for advanced users. It features a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor for content creation, and the dashboard is designed to be intuitive for easy navigation and management.
Scalability: WordPress is highly scalable and can accommodate websites of all sizes and complexities. Its scalability is evident in the ability to handle small personal blogs as well as large enterprise websites. The vast library of plugins and themes, coupled with a scalable hosting infrastructure, allows users to expand and enhance their websites as needed.
Security: WordPress prioritizes security and regularly releases updates to address potential vulnerabilities. While the core software is secure, users need to be proactive in managing security aspects such as using strong passwords, updating plugins and themes, and implementing security plugins. Additionally, there are various security plugins available to enhance the platform’s security features.
Learn more about WordPress here.
Wix
Overview: Wix is a popular cloud-based website builder that offers an easy-to-use platform and user experience for creating websites without the need for coding skills. It provides a range of templates, a drag-and-drop editor, and various add-ons for users to build and customize their websites.
Features: Wix provides a user-friendly interface with a drag-and-drop editor, allowing easy web design for users creating their websites. It offers a variety of templates, an App Market for additional features, e-commerce capabilities, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) tools, blogging functionality, and more. Wix is particularly known for its flexibility and creative freedom, making it suitable for small businesses, personal portfolios, and online stores.
Pricing: Wix offers a free plan with Wix-branded domain hosting. For users looking for more features and a custom domain, premium plans are available. Pricing depends on the plan chosen, with options like Connect Domain, Combo, Unlimited, and Business & eCommerce plans. The costs range from $16 to $159 per month (billed annually). See the most up-to-date pricing here.
Ease of Use: Wix is designed to be user-friendly, making it accessible for beginners. The drag-and-drop editor simplifies the website-building process, and the platform provides helpful tutorials and support.
Scalability: Wix is scalable and suitable for various types of websites. It caters to the needs of small businesses, bloggers, and e-commerce ventures. Users can easily upgrade their plans to access more features and resources as their website grows.
Security: Wix takes security seriously and provides secure hosting for websites. It includes SSL encryption for data transfer, secure payment gateways for e-commerce, and regular security updates to address potential vulnerabilities.
Squarespace
Overview: Squarespace is an all-in-one website builder that combines website design, hosting, and domain registration. It is known for its elegant and visually appealing templates, making it a popular choice for creatives and businesses looking for a polished online presence.
Features: Squarespace offers a range of professionally designed templates, a user-friendly website editor, e-commerce capabilities, blogging tools, and integrated analytics. It is particularly favored for its design-focused approach, catering to users who prioritize aesthetics in their websites.
Pricing: Squarespace has a straightforward pricing structure. It offers plans for Personal, Business, Basic Commerce, and Advanced Commerce. Pricing ranges from $16 to $49 per month for standard plans (billed annually), with additional costs for commerce features. See the most up-to-date pricing here.
Ease of Use: Squarespace provides a user-friendly interface with a drag-and-drop editor. The platform is known for its visual appeal and simplicity, making it suitable for users with varying levels of technical expertise.
Scalability: Squarespace is scalable and can accommodate different types of websites. Whether it’s a personal blog, a portfolio, or an e-commerce store, users can scale their websites by upgrading their plans to access more features and resources.
Security: Squarespace prioritizes security, providing SSL encryption for data transfer and secure hosting. Regular updates and patches are released to address security vulnerabilities and ensure the protection of user data.
Learn more about Squarespace here.
Best CMS for Budget-Conscious
WordPress
For those looking to save on their budget with their CMS platform, WordPress might be a good choice, as it is free to download and install, and you can find affordable web hosting and domain name providers.
Honorable Mention: HubSpot
However, if you want more features and functionality, HubSpot CMS might be a better option, as it offers free and low-cost plans for more advanced features and tools.
WordPress or HubSpot? Not sure which option is best for you? This head-to-head comparison will help.
Best CMS for Usability
Wix or Squarespace
We get it, nobody likes a steep learning curve. If usability is most important to you, Wix or Squarespace might be good choices, as they are both easy to use and set up, and they have intuitive drag-and-drop interfaces and large libraries of templates and apps.
Honorable Mention: HubSpot and WordPress
However, if you want more customization and flexibility, HubSpot CMS or WordPress might be better options, as they offer more features and plugins, and they have large communities and available resources.
Wix or HubSpot? Not sure which option is best for you? This head-to-head comparison will help.
Best CMS for Security
HubSpot
If you want the most secure option, HubSpot CMS is the best option, as they all offer SSL certificates, backups, and PCI compliance. In addition, if you add on their marketing automation, it also offers spam protection and a dedicated security team.
Best CMS for Scaling
HubSpot
If you’re a business, you’re most likely interested in growing your website, so scalability is on your mind. There’s no better choice than HubSpot CMS. As a part of the HubSpot Ecosystem, when you run on HubSpot CMS, you also run on the HubSpot CRM. This combo offers serverless functions, smart content, and membership content.
Conclusion:
Choosing the best content management system for your website is not an easy task, as there are many factors to consider and many options to choose from. However, by comparing the different CMS options based on your website goals and budget, you can find the one that suits your needs and preferences.
In general, HubSpot is a great option for companies that want a user-friendly and integrated CMS that helps them generate and convert leads. WordPress is a great option for companies that want a flexible and customizable CMS that offers a rich and diverse content experience.
Other CMS options may also work for you, depending on your specific requirements and expectations. We hope this post has helped you review the best content management systems for your website in 2024, and make an informed choice.
If you have any questions or need any help with your decision, book some free time with us.
