You are 100% ready to build a website, but there’s one big question standing in your way—which CMS should you choose?
If you have narrowed it down to Drupal and Craft CMS, you are already looking at two solid options.
Although both fall into the CMS category, they are built for different kinds of users and projects.
Drupal is a heavyweight, designed for complex, large-scale websites that need deep customization. Craft CMS, on the other hand, is all about flexibility and ease of use, making it a favorite for designers and content creators.
So, which one is the better fit for you?
That’s exactly what we will dig into a little more—comparing their features, pricing, and performance so you can make the right choice.
But let’s first look at what they do on a fundamental level.
⏰ 60-Second Summary
- Drupal is a powerful, open-source CMS designed for enterprise-level websites, government portals, and large organizations that need high security, scalability, and deep customization—but it has a steep learning curve and requires development expertise.
- Craft CMS is a modern, flexible CMS that prioritizes ease of use, design freedom, and intuitive content management, making it a favorite among agencies, designers, and content creators—but it has fewer built-in features and a smaller plugin ecosystem than Drupal.
- Pricing: Drupal is free but requires higher development and Drupal website maintenance costs. Craft CMS has a one-time fee for premium plans but is generally more cost-effective for small to medium businesses.
- Performance & Scalability: Drupal is built for large-scale projects and can handle millions of users, but requires optimization. Craft CMS is lighter and faster out of the box, but it’s better suited for small to mid-sized websites.
- Final Verdict: Choose Drupal if you need enterprise power, advanced security, and high scalability. Choose Craft CMS if you want an easy-to-use, design-friendly CMS that offers flexibility without the complexity.
Overview of Drupal and Craft CMS
Before diving into the details, let’s get a clear understanding of what Drupal and Craft CMS are and what makes them unique.
What is Drupal?
Drupal is an open-source content management system known for its power, scalability, and flexibility. It’s a go-to choice for large, complex websites, including government portals, enterprise platforms, and universities.
- Highly customizable, with thousands of modules to extend functionality.
- Ideal for websites that require multi-language support, advanced user roles, and strong security.
- Requires technical expertise, making it more suited for developers and larger teams rather than solo users.
Simply put, Drupal is a great option if you need absolute control over your site’s structure and functionality—but it does come with a learning curve.
What is Craft CMS?
Craft CMS takes a different approach—instead of being a one-size-fits-all solution, it’s designed to be lean, flexible, and user-friendly. Unlike Drupal, Craft isn’t packed with built-in features, but that’s intentional—it lets you build a website the way you want, without unnecessary bloat.
- Offers a modern, clean interface that makes content management easy.
- Great for custom website design services without being locked into rigid templates.
- Works best for designers, content creators, and agencies who want a smooth editing experience without heavy technical overhead.
Think of Craft CMS as a blank canvas—it gives you the tools, but you decide how to build your site. It’s particularly appealing to those who prioritize design freedom and a smooth content workflow.
At cmsMinds, we specialize in building high-performing, scalable websites tailored to your needs.
Features Comparison: Drupal vs Craft CMS
Now that we have a basic understanding of Drupal and Craft CMS, let’s break down how they compare in terms of features. The right CMS isn’t just about reputation—it’s about how well it fits your workflow, content needs, and technical expertise.
1. Content Management & Usability
- Powerful content modeling with custom content types, taxonomies, and fields.
- Ideal for structured content and sites with complex relationships between data.
- Flexible permissions make it great for sites with multiple user roles.
- Admin panel can feel overwhelming for non-technical users.
- Simple, intuitive control panel that makes content management easy.
- Uses a Matrix field system, allowing for flexible page layouts without coding.
- Live Preview lets you see changes as you edit content.
- Custom fields are built-in, while Drupal requires modules for similar functionality.
Drupal
Drupal gives you unmatched control over how content is structured, but it comes at a cost—it’s not the most intuitive system for beginners. The learning curve is steep, and non-developers often struggle with its complexity.
Craft CMS
Craft CMS shines when it comes to usability. Its dashboard is modern, minimal, and easy to navigate, making it an excellent choice for content editors and designers who want a smooth experience without technical barriers.
Winner: If you are a professional Drupal developer or working on a large-scale project, Drupal gives you deep customization. If you want an intuitive system that’s easy for non-technical users, Craft CMS is the better choice.
2. Customization & Flexibility
- Thousands of modules (like plugins) allow for deep customization.
- Can be used as a headless CMS with APIs for decoupled applications.
- Built to handle large, enterprise-level applications with complex workflows.
- Requires custom cms development for tailored solutions.
- Custom fields and section types make it highly flexible.
- Doesn’t come with unnecessary features—you add only what you need.
- Has a growing plugin marketplace, though smaller than Drupal’s.
- Twig templating system makes front-end customization smoother.
Drupal
Drupal is known for its extensive module ecosystem, making it one of the most customizable CMS platforms available. However, with great power comes great complexity—customizing Drupal usually requires coding knowledge.
Craft CMS
Craft CMS is lightweight and modular, letting you build exactly what you need without the extra baggage. However, while its plugin ecosystem is growing, it’s still much smaller compared to Drupal’s vast library of modules.
Winner: If you need extreme customization and scalability, Drupal is the clear choice. If you want a lean, flexible system that lets you build custom sites without unnecessary complexity, Craft CMS wins.
3. Security & Updates
- One of the most secure CMS platforms—used by governments and large enterprises.
- Regular security updates from a dedicated drupal development team.
- Strong access control with advanced user roles and permissions.
- Security patches must be manually implemented, which requires technical oversight.
- Less targeted by hackers since it’s a less common CMS.
- Proprietary nature reduces risks of poorly maintained plugins.
- Security updates are included in paid support plans.
- Not as battle-tested as Drupal for large-scale security needs.
Drupal
Drupal has a strong security reputation, making it a top choice for organizations that handle sensitive data. However, staying updated requires active maintenance, which can be challenging for smaller teams.
Craft CMS
Craft CMS is secure by design, but because it’s not open-source in the same way Drupal is, it relies on Pixel & Tonic’s (the company behind Craft) support for security patches. It’s a solid choice for most projects, but Drupal remains the gold standard for security-conscious enterprises.
Winner: Drupal is the better option for high-security environments. For smaller sites with standard security needs, Craft CMS is more than enough.
Pricing Breakdown: Drupal vs Craft CMS
Choosing a CMS isn’t just about features—it’s also about cost. While both Drupal and Craft CMS offer powerful capabilities, they have very different pricing models. Let’s break it down so you know what to expect.
| Factor | Drupal | Craft CMS |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront Cost | Free (but high dev costs) | Paid (but affordable for most) |
| Long-term Cost | Higher due to dev & maintenance | Lower unless using premium plugins |
| Best For | Enterprises, large-scale projects | Small/medium businesses, agencies |
Drupal Pricing
Core CMS Cost: Free (open-source)
Drupal is completely free to download and use, but that doesn’t mean there are no costs involved. Since it’s a complex system that requires development expertise, you will likely need to hire developers or a reputed website development agency to build and maintain your site.
Additional Costs:
- Development & Maintenance: Custom Drupal sites require experienced developers, which can cost anywhere from $5,000 to $100,000+, depending on complexity.
- Hosting: Requires dedicated hosting for optimal performance (pricing varies).
- Paid Support: While Drupal has a strong community, enterprise clients often use Acquia or Pantheon for managed Drupal hosting and support (starting at $500+ per month).
Best For: : Large businesses, government agencies, and organizations with a development team or budget for ongoing maintenance.
Craft CMS Pricing
Craft CMS follows a tiered pricing model, meaning you will need to pay for advanced features and updates.
Core CMS Cost:
- Solo Plan: Free (limited to personal projects).
- Pro Plan: $299 (one-time fee) + $59/year for updates.
- Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing based on business needs.
Additional Costs:
- Hosting: Works well on standard shared hosting or cloud platforms ($10–$50/month).
- Plugins: Some plugins are free, while premium ones cost $50–$500+.
- Development: While Craft CMS is easier to work with than Drupal, custom sites still require skilled developers, but usually at a lower cost than Drupal.
Best For: Small to medium businesses, agencies, and content-focused websites that want a sleek, customizable CMS without high maintenance costs.
Performance & Scalability
Apart from ideal features and affordability, a CMS also needs to perform well under pressure. Whether you are running a small business website or a high-traffic enterprise platform, speed and scalability matter. In this section, we will see how Drupal and Craft CMS compare against each other.
1. Performance: Speed & Efficiency
- Highly scalable, but performance depends on proper optimization.
- Requires caching mechanisms (like Varnish, Redis, or Drupal’s built-in caching).
- Works well with CDNs (Content Delivery Networks) for faster load times.
- Can be resource-heavy without proper hosting and caching setup.
- Lightweight core, making it faster out of the box.
- Uses Twig templating, which is optimized for speed.
- Caching is built-in, with fewer server demands than Drupal.
- Works well with standard shared hosting and cloud services.
Drupal
Drupal is built for complex, high-traffic sites, but it demands server optimization to keep performance smooth. If you don’t configure caching and hosting properly, your site can feel slow, especially under heavy traffic.
Craft CMS
Craft CMS is designed for speed. Since it doesn’t have unnecessary built-in features, it performs better on smaller hosting environments compared to Drupal. However, if you add many third-party plugins, it can slow down.
Winner: Craft CMS is faster out of the box, while Drupal needs optimization but can handle much larger-scale traffic.
2. Scalability: Can It Grow With Your Business?
- Built for large-scale applications—handles millions of pages and users.
- Supports multisite installations (run multiple sites from one system).
- Can be used as a headless CMS, integrating with mobile apps and external platforms.
- Requires advanced server management as traffic scales.
- Scales well for small to medium businesses.
- Works great for custom, content-driven websites.
- Can handle high traffic but is not designed for massive enterprise platforms.
- Limited built-in multisite support (requires Pro or Enterprise plan).
Drupal
Drupal is built to scale, which is why it powers large enterprise websites, news platforms, and government sites. It’s ideal if you are planning long-term growth and need a system that can handle thousands (or millions) of users without breaking.
Craft CMS
Craft CMS can scale to medium-sized businesses and high-traffic blogs, but if you are expecting enterprise-level traffic, you may need custom solutions to maintain speed and stability.
Winner: Drupal is the better choice for large-scale, high-traffic sites. Craft CMS is great for mid-sized projects but isn’t designed for massive enterprise scaling.
Which CMS Should You Choose?
By now, you have a clear picture of how Drupal and Craft CMS stack up against each other in terms of features, pricing, and performance.
But which one is the right fit for you?
Let’s see who should use each platform and their best use cases.
Choose Drupal if…
- You need enterprise-level scalability.
If you are building a large-scale website with thousands (or millions) of users, Drupal is built to handle it. - Security is a top priority.
Government websites, healthcare platforms, and financial institutions trust Drupal because of its strong security measures and regular updates.
- You require complex content structures.
If your site needs advanced user permissions, custom workflows, and deep integrations, Drupal gives you the flexibility to build it all. - You have access to developers or a development team.
Drupal’s power comes with a learning curve. If you don’t have a developer on board, managing and maintaining it can be challenging.
Best For:
- Large enterprises and government organizations
- High-traffic media websites
- Universities and educational institutions
- Businesses with complex content needs
Choose Craft CMS if…
- You want an intuitive, user-friendly CMS.
If you are a designer, content creator, or marketer, Craft’s clean and easy-to-use control panel makes managing content a breeze. - You need design flexibility without unnecessary bloat.
Craft CMS lets you custom-build your site without forcing you into rigid templates or unnecessary features. - You prefer a modern CMS without the complexity of Drupal.
Drupal is powerful, but it comes with technical overhead. Craft CMS is lightweight and easier to manage without sacrificing customization.
- Your project doesn’t need massive scalability.
Craft CMS is great for small to medium businesses, creative portfolios, and content-focused websites. It can handle high traffic, but it’s not designed for enterprise-level scaling like Drupal.
Best For:
- Small to medium businesses
- Creative agencies and designers
- Content-driven websites and blogs
- eCommerce sites with custom layouts
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Conclusion
Honestly, Drupal and Craft CMS aren’t competitors as they are built for completely different types of users. Drupal is the powerhouse, designed for complex, large-scale websites that demand enterprise-level security, deep customization, and long-term scalability. It’s not for the faint of heart, but in the right hands, it can build some of the most robust web experiences out there.
Craft CMS, on the flip side, is sleek, modern, and built for creative flexibility. It’s an excellent choice for agencies, designers, and businesses that want customization without complexity. It might not be the go-to solution for massive, high-traffic platforms, but for content-driven sites that prioritize ease of use, it shines.
So, which one should you choose? The answer isn’t just about features or pricing—it’s about how you want to work.
Do you need a CMS that can handle anything but requires heavy lifting? Go with Drupal. Want something streamlined and intuitive that still offers flexibility? Craft CMS is your best bet.
Whichever path you take, one thing’s certain: the right CMS is the one that empowers you to build, create, and scale without getting in your way.
Our experts at cmsMinds can help you make the best choice.
1. Why is Drupal better than other CMS?
Drupal stands out for its scalability, security, and flexibility. It’s ideal for large, complex websites that require custom workflows, multilingual support, and advanced user roles—making it a top choice for enterprises, governments, and universities.
2. What is Craft CMS used for?
Craft CMS is used for custom, content-driven websites that need design flexibility and an intuitive editing experience. It’s popular among agencies, designers, and businesses that want a sleek, modern CMS without the complexity of traditional platforms.
3. Is Craft CMS the same as WordPress?
No, Craft CMS and WordPress are different. WordPress is blog-focused with pre-built themes, while Craft CMS is a developer-friendly, flexible CMS that lets you create fully custom websites without restrictive templates.
4. Which CMS is easier to use, Drupal or Craft CMS?
Craft CMS is easier to use, especially for content creators and designers, thanks to its clean, intuitive interface. Drupal is more complex and developer-focused, requiring technical expertise to manage and customize effectively.
5. Can Craft CMS handle large, high-traffic websites like Drupal?
Craft CMS can handle moderate traffic well, but it’s not built for massive, enterprise-level scaling like Drupal. If you need a CMS for millions of users, complex workflows, and heavy data processing, Drupal is the better choice.
