What's the difference between Drupal and Sitecore? This is a question we get from leads and new clients a lot. The two platforms are both incredibly powerful, but in different areas. Here's a quick guide to a few of the biggest differences between the two platforms.

Drupal is an open-source CMS, and is free to use. It’s maintained by a community of volunteers and sponsored contributors, and comes out-of-the-box with numerous modules and integrations. Drupal powers some of the world’s largest and most complex websites, and is an excellent choice for organizations that want a solution that offers seamless and complex integrations.

Sitecore, on the other hand, is a closed-source CMS with hefty licensing fees. However, even though Sitecore doesn’t come out-of-the-box with modules enabled, it offers some of the strongest marketing automation tools on the market, which makes it an ideal platform for organizations that are serious about content personalization, journey orchestration, and marketing.

The biggest benefit of Sitecore, and the reason why it has been ranked in the top of Gartner Magic Quadrant for five years running, is marketing automation. A Sitecore site is more than just an omni-channel solution: Sitecore’s content personalization and marketing automation tools make it the go-to choice for organizations that are prepared to fine-tune every facet of their customer experience.

In comparison, Drupal requires no small amount of integration work to provide marketing automation, real-time personalization, and journey orchestration. However, it’s still a powerful platform for marketers, especially because its content management tools and experience exceed Sitecore’s current offerings. Custom workflows for content teams can be implemented, too, to ensure that governance standards are met, and that all content is posted and approved according to organizations’ existing content practices.

Ultimately, the choice between Drupal and Sitecore comes down to what your organization’s specific needs, plans, and goals are. Marketing automation and content management are only the beginning of what Drupal and Sitecore can do. There are a number of other differences between the two systems, which we’ve laid out in a new eBook called “Comparing Drupal and Sitecore.” For help deciding between the two platforms, contact us. Our team is here to help you make the most of a new digital platform.