We’re living in a pretty great time for content management systems. I know that’s not exactly an exciting thing to say, but it’s true. Now more than ever before businesses have a wide variety of systems to choose from. Wading through them all takes time, yet it is a necessary step in an important process for the future of your business.

Let’s start with a more basic question: should your company choose and open-sourced CMS or a closed-source CMS?

Closed-Sourced Content Management Systems –

• Usually supported by a developer
• Often require a yearly licensing fee.
• Secure since the code is not public
• Used by many e-commerce sites.
• Writing for Mashable, Lisa Wehr says, “Unfortunately with closed source, the barrier to entry is a lot higher. A smaller community means less experience and collective knowledge. This usually equates with much higher costs across the board.

Open–Sourced Content Management Systems –

• Highly customizable
• Less expensive than closed source systems.
• If properly maintained, open-sourced systems will stay relevant with new features for years.
• Maintaining systems without the help of a developer can prove difficult
• Since the code is more common, open-sourced systems are often more vulnerable to security breaches.

Obviously, this is a short answer to a complex question. The type of content management system you choose to implement will likely affect your business for years down the line. The decision is important, but it shouldn’t be overwhelming. Even after reading this blog, we recommend you talk to your web developer about your options.