What is a CMS?

What is a CMS?

A CMS, short for content management system, is a type of software used to create, publish and maintain content for websites and other digital channels. It provides a graphical user interface that allows even users without extensive design or coding knowledge to build websites and collaborate on online projects. Instead of having to painstakingly add the desired content to HTML files and upload it to a server, users work directly within the WYSIWYG editor in the CMS, and the content is saved by the system and published with just one click. Images, videos and other media can also be easily managed with a CMS.

What types of CMS are available?

There is a huge variety of content management systems on the market, from simple modular solutions to comprehensive enterprise applications for large businesses (ECMS).

The most important selection criterion is often the website purpose and scope: what kind of website do I want to manage with the CMS? A mostly static website, a big online shop or perhaps a blog? When searching for a suitable CMS, there’s also the question of whether an open-source or proprietary solution is preferred.

Open-source or proprietary

The main feature of an open-source CMS is that the application code is freely visible and can therefore be easily tweaked or developed further in-house. Generally speaking, there are no licensing fees either. These CMS are usually maintained and updated by large developer communities and have comprehensive reference material and help forums. WordPress, Joomla! and Drupal are well-known examples of open-source CMS.

In the case of the second group, proprietary solutions, the opposite is true: these applications are developed and commercially distributed by a specific company. Usually, these systems have to be licensed for a fee and the provider also takes care of the hosting. The source code is generally not public and customization entails costs. In return, the manufacturer is responsible for troubleshooting and maintaining the software. Adobe Experience Manager (for complex websites), Shopify (for online stores) and Wix (website builder) are well-known examples of proprietary CMS.

What is the difference between a CMS and a website builder?

Strictly speaking, website builders such as Sites from Hostpoint also fall under CMS. These tools have less functionality than conventional CMS, however, making them perfect for websites for individuals and smaller companies with less demanding requirements. The advantage of such toolbox systems is that they are very easy to use, they do not require any prior knowledge and the providers look after security updates and maintenance.

Read more about the difference between CMS and website builders in this blog article.

Which CMS is right for my website?

To find out which CMS is best for your website, we recommend that you create a list of requirements and then evaluate your options.

Here are some of the criteria you may wish to consider:

• Purpose
• User-friendliness
• Range of features
• Selection of design templates
• User rights and roles
• Available workflows
• Possible extensions and integrations
• Help and support
• Licensing and maintenance costs

Which CMS does Hostpoint support?

Hostpoint supports some of the most popular open-source solutions on the market, namely WordPress, Joomla!, Drupal and TYPO3. Over 60% of all websites worldwide are powered by WordPress alone.

At Hostpoint, the aforementioned CMS are available as one-click apps. This means that you can install these applications in the Hostpoint Control Panel on your web hosting with just one click and then use them to create and manage your website. Of course, you also have the option to install further CMS on your web hosting and use them for your online project.

In addition to the aforementioned CMS, two other one-click apps are available to you in the Hostpoint Control Panel: phpBB and MediaWiki. Both are also suitable for managing website content – phpBB for discussion boards and MediaWiki for wiki projects.