Umbraco vs WordPress: Which is the Better CMS?

Updated 4/1/2024

Finding the right content management system for your website can be challenging. Will it work for our workflows? Will it be easy to manage and update? Will there be updates to the technology on a regular basis? What CMS should I use? It’s easy to get lost in analysis paralysis when it feels like your decision could have major business implications.

The good news is that many established content management systems will likely work for your needs. It’s really a matter of clearly identifying your needs and finding a website development agency to help you build your site in a way that effectively addresses those needs.

That being said, there are a number of factors to consider when thinking about a content management system. Particularly if you are thinking about Umbraco vs. Wordpress.

Now that we've outlined the importance of choosing the right CMS for your needs, let's examine how Umbraco and WordPress stack up against each other, starting with their core similarities and differences.

Is Umbraco Similar to Wordpress?

While they are both content management systems, they are structurally different and serve slightly different purposes. Wordpress started off as a blogging platform that slowly morphed into a content management system. Its sole purpose was originally to support bloggers, making it easy to post and tag content. It is also built on PHP.

Umbraco, on the other hand, was built specifically for content management and integrations. It was built for website editors to easily manage content and media. Its tagline is “The Friendly CMS” because it was structured with the editor in mind. It is also built on .NET as opposed to PHP.

Key Differences Between Umbraco and Wordpress

The key differences between Umbraco and Wordpress really come down to structure and layout. Wordpress is built on PHP, is blog-focused and, perhaps most importantly, relies on 3rd party plugins for most functionality.

The concept of plugins with Wordpress is oftentimes used as a selling point for Wordpress, however these plugins are created by 3rd party developers. Some of these developers are professional shops with credibility, willing to keep their plugins updated for security vulnerabilities and to update with each new version update. However, some of these developers are not as credible and established and do not take the same precautions. This leads to security vulnerabilities which can lead to a hacked site. This is not necessarily as much of an issue for personal bloggers or mom and pop shops, but for a credible organization, getting hacked can cause a loss in credibility or, worse, sales and revenue.

Umbraco on the other hand is built with security in mind. It does not rely on add-ons or plugins to function and therefore is not vulnerable to the same types of attacks. It is generally more secure than Wordpress, making it one of the benefits of Umbraco.

Each also utilizes different ways of editing content. Wordpress relies heavily on a WYSIWYG editor to create content whereas Umbraco utilizes a drag and drop content block editor. There are a handful of plugins you can use to create drag and drop functionality in Wordpress, however they typically do not account for layouts on different devices and replace ease of use for the editor with a poor user experience.

While we've touched on security briefly, it's crucial to understand how Umbraco and WordPress approach this vital aspect differently, offering distinct levels of protection for your website.

Enhanced Security Measures: Umbraco vs. WordPress

Security is an absolute necessity when it comes to protecting your digital presence. Umbraco’s architecture prioritizes security from the ground up, reducing reliance on external plugins which can be a common source of vulnerabilities in CMS platforms. 

Unlike WordPress, which can require numerous third-party plugins to extend functionality—each introducing potential security risks—Umbraco offers robust features out-of-the-box. This design philosophy minimizes exposure to security threats, ensuring a secure foundation for websites of all sizes. Moreover, Umbraco’s active developer community and regular updates mean that security patches are promptly applied, safeguarding your site against the latest vulnerabilities.

Beyond security, choosing a CMS that can grow and adapt with your business is essential. Let's explore how Umbraco's technology stack positions it as a future-proof choice for your website's needs.

Future-Proofing Your Website with Umbraco’s Technology Stack

Choosing Umbraco is an investment in your website’s future. Built on the powerful and modern .NET framework, Umbraco offers unparalleled flexibility and scalability. This robust technology stack not only supports the complex needs of today’s businesses but also ensures that your website is prepared to adapt to future digital trends. 

With Umbraco, you’re not just getting a CMS; you’re getting a forward-thinking platform that will continue to evolve, ensuring your online presence remains dynamic and competitive.

Having established Umbraco's commitment to security and future-readiness, we'll now highlight other key benefits that make it a powerful, user-friendly platform for website editors and developers alike.

Benefits of Umbraco

There are many Umbraco features that make it easy for site editors to create, maintain, and organize content. Below are a few of the most popular Umbraco benefits.

Optimized Performance for Modern Websites

Today, website performance is judged more critically than ever. Users are inpatient and websites keep speeding up, and if you aren’t careful, your site will be left in the dust. Umbraco excels in delivering high-speed website experiences, thanks to its streamlined codebase and efficient content delivery. 

Unlike WordPress sites, which may become bogged down by heavy plugin use, Umbraco’s lean framework ensures that your site remains fast and responsive under a variety of conditions. This performance advantage is critical for SEO, user experience, and ultimately, conversion rates, making Umbraco an ideal choice for businesses aiming to maintain a competitive edge online.

No License Fees

There are no license fees for the Umbraco CMS. Your only costs are ongoing hosting and maintenance as needed.

Block Editor

The Block Editor in Umbraco's page builder feature allows users to utilize content blocks to construct pages as needed. It essentially utilizes a library of content blocks with various options to give users more control over each individual content block versus specific areas on a page.

Page Templates

Umbraco gives users the ability to create page templates for use in easily creating new pages and content moving forward. Page templates are great for building landing pages and specific types of content that will need to be used again in the future.

For example, if you build a number of landing pages for paid search campaigns, building a page template for a paid search landing page can be a great way to save time and effort as you create more pages in the future.

Dynamic Image Editor

For many, editing images on a content management system can be a frustrating experience. Finding out that your focal point is off or an image is cropped incorrectly typically means exporting from the site, loading in Photoshop, resizing the image, reuploading to the site, and crossing your fingers that it worked. It is not an efficient process and is certainly not something a marketer or designer wants to spend time doing.

Umbraco offers users an easy image editor in the interface to help modify images so they fit appropriately for all use cases across the site. This is especially helpful for images that are used in multiple areas on the site that need to be quickly adjusted.

Umbraco Forms

Umbraco Forms is a great tool to utilize to build out forms of all sizes and complexities. It gives you the ability to create custom workflows that fit with your organization so you can track entries appropriately and integrate with your business processes.

SEO Integration

SEO for Umbraco is extensive and integrated. It has many tools to integrate SEO optimizations as you create pages, giving you and your team as much control as needed to optimize your pages for search engines. This includes the ability to edit onsite page elements and to mark-up pages as needed.

Multilingual

Umbraco was built with all languages in mind. It greatly exceeds the capabilities of Wordpress in this respect as it is integrated directly into the CMS for easy translations and language management.

It also provides the ability to govern translations and published content. Once a translation is complete, it can either be published immediately or be sent for approval before publishing. Umbraco also gives you the ability to set the publishing permissions for certain pages to ensure the right languages are published before the page goes live.

A Vibrant Community and Unmatched Support

One of Umbraco’s greatest strengths lies in its community. A global network of developers, designers, and content creators stands ready to support, guide, and inspire Umbraco users. This vibrant community, coupled with comprehensive documentation and responsive support channels, ensures that help is always at hand. 

Whether it’s through collaborative problem-solving in forums or official guidance on best practices, the Umbraco community plays a pivotal role in empowering users to maximize their site’s potential. This level of support not only enhances the user experience but also fosters innovation and continuous improvement within the Umbraco ecosystem.