When it comes to content management systems, it is quite hard to deny the popularity of the Drupal system. Have you ever considered what is Drupal, or more, how web coders use it?
Popular open-source content management platforms such as Drupal are created with modularity into consideration. Features such as easy content authoring, high performance, and outstanding security make the platform easy to master even for beginners. Meaning, when you select Drupal as your content management platform you are presented with numerous prospects and options.
Being an open-source web content management framework, this CMS platform has offered a staggering variety of different types of sites and applications for free. Clear-coded PHP by a great working team, Drupal is one of the best solutions for dynamic web projects.
What is Drupal?
Drupal is an open-source CMS that is written with PHP, and it is licensed under GNU General Public License. Being highly flexible and modular, Drupal underlies many web development company California digital solutions and projects. It provides content creation, high availability, and security features for its clients, but the real power is in customizability. There are over 19,000 different pieces of software, called modules, available to extend Drupal’s functionality, and themes are available to control the look of the site.
In addition to being a CMS, Drupal also functions as a web application framework. It supports standard features of web frameworks, and although it has a robust API for developers, no coding skills are needed to install or manage a site. Widely adopted by personal blogs and corporate, political, and government websites, Drupal is used by 14% of the most popular sites globally. With over 1.39 million members, the Drupal community is one of the largest open-source projects.
What Makes Drupal Different from other CMS platforms?
Drupal stands out from its competitors because of its advancement and user-friendliness. That doesn’t mean that Drupal is difficult to learn and use, as most beginners think.
It is also true that Drupal offers a reasonably steep learning curve, especially if you’re more comfortable with the straightforward interface of WordPress CMS. Drupal was designed from scratch to help developers create complex and more significant sites with advanced structures and maximize traffic levels. Drupal also comes with built-in caching features and increased security, which is available by default.
Who Are the Customers of Drupal?
As web coders proceed to answer the question, “What is Drupal?” it is crucial to consider the program’s wide range of customers. Some of Drupal’s customers are businesses, universities, non-profit organizations, and government.
As per the records, approximately 1,678,660 websites are Drupal customers. This entails 474,792 live websites employing Drupal and 1,203,868 other websites that at one point in time utilized Drupal. Currently, 172,643 websites in the United States alone are using Drupal.
Drupal is most commonly used by companies with 1-10 employees and the company’s revenue is between 1M-10M dollars. Some of the big names that have deployed Drupal include SEO Inc., Infosys Ltd, HTS Inc. Consultants, Fujitsu Ltd, and Panasonic Corp.
As for the market share, Drupal occupies approximately 2.5% in the Web Content Management category. The second most used system is among the top 10,000 sites on the internet and has 9. 4% of these sites are developed on Drupal. This trend persists in the current generation with the top 100,000 sites (6. 4%) and the top one million sites (2. 7%) using Drupal.
What Kind Of Websites Can You Create Using Drupal?
While creating web development company California sites with Drupal, you can do almost everything. Yes, It’s more like blank paper where you can virtually draw anything you want. As an out-of-the-box CMS, Drupal comes with basic features like blogging, forums, and contact forms.
Meaning, you can use Drupal to create almost any kind of website. Some of the examples are:
- Personal or business websites
- Blogging website
- News websites
- Portfolio
- Multimedia sites
- Forums
- E-commerce sites
Drupal comes in the “core” format, and you can download it from the official Drupal.org website. Make sure you download the latest Drupal version ( Drupal 9 or 8) only.
If you have any specific need, use one of the contributed profiles or distributions built by coders who have spent thousands of hours of development time. It is because these pre-configured bundles have a set of modules, themes, or pre-built functions that help you to get your site up and running, instead of physically downloading and configuring multiple modules to extend Drupal core.
Why Should You Choose Drupal?
A dedicated supporting community
The Drupal community is a vibrant, extensive group with over one million active users. Made up of developers, designers, and users, the community works together to keep Drupal secure, up-to-date, and innovative. This collaborative environment has helped Drupal grow into one of the most popular content management systems.
Each month, over 1,500 contributors enhance the software, improve translations, update documentation, and support the community. For example, Kevin Thull’s initiative to record DrupalCamp sessions showcases the community’s dedication. With vast knowledge and resources, finding solutions to issues is often as simple as browsing discussion forums.
Free and open resources
Drupal is an open-source web coders platform, meaning it’s free to use and supported by a community of developers. It boasts over 1.7 million websites, including 12.8% of the top 10,000 most popular sites. The Drupal community has over one million members, and its modules have been downloaded more than 250 million times, showing its widespread popularity.
With over 40,000 modules, Drupal offers extensive customization, from SEO tools to e-commerce solutions. Popular sites like Tesla Motors, Warner Music, and the Australian government use Drupal, highlighting its versatility and ability to adapt to various needs efficiently.
Reliability and Security
Drupal is known for its stability and strong security features, having maintained a secure presence on the internet for over 15 years. This is largely due to its dedicated Security Team, which actively monitors and addresses vulnerabilities. Drupal follows strict coding standards, and its community reviews the code to minimize security risks.
Modules like Drupal REST & JSON API Authentication enhance security by limiting API access using various authentication methods such as API Key, JWT, and OAuth. Drupal’s reputation for security is well-earned, making it one of the safest content management systems available today.
Flexibility and Scalability
Drupal is one of the most modular web development company California systems, allowing developers to easily add new functionalities and integrate other tools. For instance, UNICEF, a global NGO, uses Drupal to provide services to children in over 190 countries. Its flexibility allowed UNICEF to create a platform tailored to their needs.
Drupal is also highly scalable, growing with your business. It ensures your website remains fast and robust, even with increasing traffic. Harvard University uses Drupal to support hundreds of initiatives and thousands of visitors annually. Whether for small websites or large enterprises, Drupal’s versatility makes it ideal for any business size.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Drupal stands out as a powerful, flexible, and secure content management system that caters to a wide range of needs. Its open-source nature, extensive community support, and customizable features make it ideal for creating everything from personal blogs to complex enterprise websites. With thousands of web coding modules and themes available, Drupal offers unmatched versatility and scalability, ensuring your site grows alongside your business.
Trusted by organizations like UNICEF and Harvard University, Drupal provides the reliability, security, and performance needed to handle even the most demanding digital experiences. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned web coder, Drupal offers endless possibilities for your next project.