WordPress suits most small businesses, creators and marketers, because it's the open source publishing platform behind millions of websites, with an extensive plugin library and a huge community. Drupal suits organisations with complex, multi-brand or regulated sites, such as government, healthcare and large enterprises, and it now offers Drupal CMS, a version aimed at marketers, with recipes and site templates. Both are free and open source, so the deciding question is how complex your site will get.
Both run millions of websites and both are free to download, which is why the choice confuses people. I read WordPress.org's home and about pages and Drupal.org's home page to see who each project says it's built for.
WordPress and Drupal at a glance
| WordPress | Drupal | |
|---|---|---|
| Licence | GPLv2 or later | Open source framework |
| Built on | PHP and MariaDB | Not covered on the pages I read |
| Aimed at | Creators and small businesses to enterprises | Government, healthcare, enterprise, retail |
| Marketer-friendly edition | Blocks; version 7.1 eases styling | Drupal CMS for marketers and creators |
| Fast setup | Test it in your browser first | Recipes and site templates |
| Add-ons | Extensive plugin library | Modules and themes |
| Expert help | Large volunteer community | Drupal Certified Partners |
What Drupal CMS changes in this comparison
The old answer was simple: WordPress for ease, Drupal for power. Drupal's own site now complicates that. Alongside Drupal Core, the open source framework behind millions of websites, it offers Drupal CMS, which it says puts the power of Drupal into the hands of marketers, designers and content creators. Recipes automate module installation and configuration, and site templates give you complete, configured starting points. If you wrote Drupal off as developer-only a few years ago, it's worth a second look.
Where WordPress pulls ahead
WordPress's advantage is the sheer range of choice. It's the publishing platform of choice for millions of sites, from creators and small businesses to enterprises, it's licensed under the GPLv2 or later with four core freedoms, and its plugin library covers almost anything a small business needs, from analytics to newsletters and social media integration. WordPress 7.1 makes styling and editing easier, and you can test WordPress in your browser before you install anything.
Where Drupal pulls ahead
Drupal's pages talk to organisations with heavier requirements. It has dedicated sections for government digital transformation, healthcare systems that are secure and patient-centric, retail across every channel, and enterprises that need multi-brand governance and global scale. There's a certified partner programme for agencies, a migration partner directory and Drupal Steward for security protection, which tells you the kind of buyer Drupal expects to serve.
The community side is strong too. Drupal publishes security advisories, runs a forum and a Slack community, and holds DrupalCon, which brings together experts who create ambitious digital experiences. For developers there's complete documentation of the Drupal Core APIs, a user guide and issue queues where anyone can report problems and contribute improvements, which is reassuring if you're planning a site you'll run for years.
If Drupal sounds like more than you need, read my WordPress and Joomla comparison too.
Signs you need one or the other
- One site, a small team and a marketing focus: WordPress.
- Many brands or regions under one governance model: Drupal.
- Strict security or public sector rules: look hard at Drupal.
- You want a huge choice of ready-made plugins: WordPress.
- An agency will build and maintain it: either, but ask for certified experience.
If WordPress is your direction, here's how many websites use WordPress and my list of WordPress plugins worth installing.
My advice on WordPress or Drupal
For a small business, coach, consultant or content site, I'd pick WordPress. You'll find more themes, plugins and people who can help, and you can grow a long way before you hit its limits. If you're building for a government body, a healthcare provider or a group with several brands that need shared rules, put Drupal on the shortlist and talk to a certified partner before you commit. Don't let the download being free fool you: the build and upkeep are where the real work is.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
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Frequently asked questions
Is Drupal free?
Yes. Drupal describes Drupal Core as the open source framework behind millions of websites.
Is WordPress free?
Yes. WordPress is open source software licensed under the GPLv2 or later.
What is Drupal CMS?
Drupal CMS is a version of Drupal aimed at marketers, designers and content creators, with recipes and site templates to speed up setup.
Is Drupal more secure than WordPress?
Neither project's pages I read make that comparison. Drupal does offer Drupal Steward and publishes security advisories, and any site stays safer when its core and add-ons are kept updated.
Who uses Drupal?
Drupal's site points to government, healthcare, retail and enterprise organisations, including groups that need multi-brand governance and global scale.
Which is easier for beginners?
WordPress is the usual starting point thanks to its large community and learning resources, while Drupal CMS is Drupal's effort to make setup easier for non-developers.
