CMS or a Content Management System has become an important part of websites today. This is fueled by the fact that only static websites won’t bring any visitors, they need to be constantly updated, which is what the CMS helps you do. Because of using a CMS, a person without any coding or development skills can also change or edit their website, thus saving a lot of money.

The only question remains with each website owner is which CMS to use? Which would be a better one for their website? CMS mainly fall into 2 categories: Open source and Closed source.

Open Source CMS:

An Open source Content Management System is something on which comparatively more people are working. It is free to use for everyone, and anyone can edit it. Thus, it can work on many configurations and systems. Examples are WordPress, Joomla, Drupal etc.

Closed Source CMS:

A Closed source Content Management System is like the opposite of an Open source CMS. It is kept secure and might be even encrypted. There is only one owner of this CMS and only he/she can edit it. Outside access is totally prohibited in it. Some examples of a closed source CMS are SharePoint, Blogger, Shopify etc.

Now that you got what exactly it is, let’s go through the Pros and cons of an open source CMS:

Pros:

• Open source CMS are free or have negligible costs.
• It is easy to get Documentation as there are big communities for any help for design and development. Easy to get “how to” for it.
• There are more flexibility and customization here. With a huge number of customizable options and plugins, you can make your system do whatever you want.
• The market place is constantly evolving. Thanks to thousands of developers working in sync and independently, making the software and coding stronger and secure.
• Majority of the websites in the world use an open source CMS, especially WordPress, which powers more than half of the world’s websites.

Cons:

• As compared to a closed source CMS, there are no security guarantees. You will have to input more time and capital securing your website.
• Even though there are a lot of features, still they are less than what a closed source CMS offers. Highly interactive and creative websites might face problems.
• There is no direct support available for an open source CMS, also it comes with too many extras which you find useless.

Similarly, the following are the pros and cons of a closed source CMS:

Pros:

• There is guaranteed support with a closed source CMS. It also comes with proper documentation and even with human support. In short, well-funded.
• It has an easy to use and clean UI with only those features that you require.
• There is more security in it as compared to the open source CMS, thus requiring less extra spend on security. Even if an issue occurs, it is rectified instantly.
• A closed source CMS is highly rich in features in almost all aspects like editing, analytics, personalization, marketing etc.
• There is an exclusive solution for each application and it has a total hands-off use.

Cons:

• As compared to the open source CMS, the costs are high.
• You can’t customize it since it is proprietary. You will have to adapt to it.
• Even the hosting and support for such websites require more capital than a website running on an open source CMS.

In the quest to make the best and uniquely successful website, both the open and closed source CMS can help, what will trump will depend on your requirements. Although, the world over open source CMS is popular, seen by the fact that over half of the world’s websites are using WordPress. In generally, e-commerce websites prefer a closed source CMS. Take into consideration your budget, needs, aims, flexibility, Support, expert advice etc. and make the correct choice for yourself.

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