Statamic Versus WordPress: Which is Better?

When you are contemplating upgrading your digital presence, part of the process might be to start using a new content management system. But which should you choose? 

Statamic and WordPress are two of the most familiar names in this highly competitive space. It’s likely that they will feature on any shortlist of CMS’s that you might draw up. 

But how do you decide between them? What are the advantages and drawbacks that each brings to the task of creating and supporting your public-facing digital materials?

Statamic: Its Features, Pros and Cons

The defining characteristic of Statamic is also the reason that inspired its creation, as recently as 2012. The founders of Statamic were keen to build a contemporary CMS that allowed users to access it and edit using a text or code editor. The result was the delivery of the first full-featured, flat-file CMS.

All content is stored in files rather than a database. That makes it easier to customise, to control new versions – and to carry out long-term maintenance. Its day-to-day management is also, crucially, more streamlined, because you will not need a stack of plug-ins. 

The name Statamic is a fusion of “static” and “dynamic”, which neatly captures the ability of a dynamic platform to make it easy to use static files.

Here at Steadfast Collective, we are big supporters of Statamic because it runs on Laravel – and our team of developers are Laravel-certified. We like the fact that on a flat-file database, nothing comes between your content and your application, which makes for a smoother, swifter and more secure experience.

WordPress: Its Features, Pros and Cons

WordPress is without doubt the world’s most popular CMS. It has been estimated that up to 40 per cent of websites run on it. It is experienced, mature and able to cope with most demands you throw at it. 

The fact it comes with built-in themes make it ideal for bloggers and people who want small, boutique websites that they can launch themselves almost straight out of the box. 

However, its popularity can also be a curse – hackers gravitate to WordPress sites. Similarly, while the fact that there’s a plug-in for everything at WordPress can be a bonus, it can also be an issue that you will normally need a plug-in to make any changes and upgrades. 

Statamic vs WordPress: Conclusion

There are good reasons why you might choose WordPress as a CMS. If you are a blogger, or want a simple site that you can update yourself, the plug-ins make it possible for you to build an efficient working model.

However, if you are planning a more complex, bespoke site for your business with great customer functionality and an exceptional user interface, we’ll steer you in the direction of Statamic. 

We are very familiar with Statamic – and indeed, listed as a partner on the Statamic website. Nevertheless, we genuinely feel this is a superb, up-to-date and user-friendly CMS.

If you want a conversation about your digital content, talk to Steadfast Collective about how we can help you to deliver a solution that works for you.