Advantages of Drupal: Why you should use Drupal

I develop all my websites, web applications, and digital systems with Drupal – for good reason: Among freely available website frameworks, Drupal is the most powerful. Whether you need a sleek company website, a complex e-commerce platform, or a system with sophisticated business logic – everything is possible with Drupal.

If you found my website and this page, you are probably looking for an experienced Drupal expert or specialist, a Drupal developer or freelancer. Maybe you are already working with Drupal or are considering using it  for your project? In either case, you’re in the right place: I have been working with Drupal since 2008 and bring deep technical expertise as well as practical experience from a variety of successful projects.

But also if you are new to Drupal, it’s worth taking a closer look: Drupal is the ideal solution if you want a stable, secure, and highly customizable system – especially for long-term, growth-oriented projects.

Benefits of Drupal – Why Drupal is the Ideal Solution for Your Website

Allow me to show you what is possible with Drupal and why it is particularly worthwhile when standard solutions reach their limits – also from the perspective of a Drupal expert. Whether you are already working with Drupal or just starting out: I support you in unlocking the full potential of this platform – trustworthy, meticulously, and future-proof.

• Extremely flexible and scalable:
  Drupal is one of the leading web frameworks worldwide. It is suitable for anything from simple websites and blogs to complex web applications, e-commerce systems, or social networks. Thanks to its modular structure, many features can be added using so-called "modules." Where these modules fall short or more specific logic is needed, I step in with custom programming to deliver tailored solutions.
• Comparison with other systems:
  Compared to other CMS platforms like WordPress, Joomla, or Typo3, Drupal offers the broadest range of features and excels when it comes to flexibility, scalability, and handling complex requirements. Among professionals, there’s a broad consensus that Drupal is the CMS with the most capabilities and reach (find out more).
• Large community & rich ecosystem:
  Drupal has a global, active open-source community that provides thousands of free modules and themes. These allow for rapid implementation of many desired features. When off-the-shelf modules aren't enough, I develop custom extensions or adapt existing ones to precisely match your needs.
• Open-source and cost-efficient:
  Drupal and most of its modules are available for free — unlike many other platforms where key features often come at a cost. This reduces licensing expenses and ensures long-term independence. When custom functionality is needed, I efficiently extend Drupal’s capabilities through targeted programming tailored to your business.
• User-friendly content management:
  Drupal empowers you to manage your site content without needing to write code. You can add text, images, and media via intuitive forms and build pages and menus easily. I configure the underlying structure and logic so that you can work confidently and independently. For more complex data or workflows, I develop custom forms and automated logic in the background.
• Modular with room for custom logic:
  Whether it’s blogs, forums, user management, login areas, e-commerce, or API integrations — Drupal can be customized to meet your requirements. However, in many real-world cases, standard solutions are not enough. I implement custom modules and business logic where needed, whether it's unique workflows, third-party system integrations, or complex data processing.
• API-first & headless-ready:
  Drupal can act as a backend-only data server (headless CMS), serving content through modern APIs such as REST, JSON:API, or GraphQL to frontends built with frameworks like React, Vue, or Angular. I handle the full implementation — from standard APIs to custom formats and logic.
• State-of-the-art technology:
  Starting with Drupal 8, the system was completely rebuilt based on modern standards such as the Symfony framework and object-oriented PHP — making it a powerful, secure, and future-proof platform. The ability to go deep into the code when needed makes Drupal especially valuable for organizations with specific technical needs.
• Enterprise-level security:
  Drupal has a dedicated security team that regularly audits the core system and its modules. This gives Drupal one of the strongest security track records among CMS platforms — a major reason it's used by governments, universities, and global enterprises.
• My experience as a Drupal expert:
  Over the past 15+ years as a Drupal Developer (30+ years experience as a software engineer), I have delivered a wide range of projects — from small blogs to large platforms with complex logic and business requirements. I leverage the full power of Drupal: using existing modules where they fit, and developing custom solutions when they don't. The result: a system that meets your exact needs, without compromise.

Drupal vs. WordPress (and a Look at Joomla & TYPO3)

Drupal is one of the most powerful open-source CMS platforms on the market—but of course, not the only one. It's worth comparing Drupal to other widely used systems like WordPress, Joomla, and TYPO3 to clearly see the differences and strengths.

WordPress vs. Drupal – A Direct Comparison

WordPress is the most widely used CMS worldwide. Originally developed as a blogging platform, it is now also used for simple company websites, portfolios, or smaller e-commerce projects.

The major advantage of WordPress: a quick and easy setup. Within minutes, a website can be installed, a theme selected—and you can immediately start creating content. With thousands of plugins, its functionality can be extended. However, especially for larger and more complex projects, you quickly hit limits. At that point, things tend to become technical—and confusing.

Another early advantage of WordPress was the visual Gutenberg editor. Many editors appreciate the block-based layout for designing content. But even this advantage is no longer exclusive: Drupal now also offers Gutenberg as a fully integrable module—in addition to its own Layout Builder, which is often even more flexible for complex layouts. As a result, Drupal users now have several modern editing options available.

Drupal, on the other hand, has been designed from the beginning for scalability and flexibility. Here too, there are extensions—called "modules"—but the architecture allows for implementing significantly more complex requirements in a clean and structured way.

Two examples:

• Data lists and filters: In Drupal, complex lists and filters can be created through a visual interface using the "views" module. In WordPress, such lists often have to be custom-coded.
• Data modeling: Drupal allows you to model content with arbitrary fields in a modular way—without programming. In WordPress, such content types are possible but much more limited or dependent on external plugins.

Why Drupal Is Often the Better Choice – Despite a Steeper Learning Curve

The biggest drawback of Drupal? It's more challenging to learn. Especially those who have previously worked with WordPress will find the onboarding more technical. But this is also one of its strengths:

Many developers who master Drupal never want to go back.

Once a project is up and running, the experience for editors and users is just as comfortable as with WordPress—the difference lies in the depth and quality of the technical foundation.

Community and Business Model – A Fundamental Difference

Both WordPress and Drupal are open-source and have large, active communities. But the philosophy and commitment behind the scenes differ significantly.

WordPress has a huge user base with thousands of plugin and theme providers. However, many of these extensions are commercially organized—often under a "freemium" model: basic versions are free, but full functionality requires payment. This means many providers focus on selling their plugins and themes. Support, updates, or enhancements are therefore often subject to commercial interests.

Drupal, on the other hand, thrives on a strong, non-profit community that follows the motto:

"Give something back" 

This means: everyone who uses Drupal is invited to contribute to its development—whether through code, forum support, or documentation. All modules, themes, and extensions are completely open and freely available. There are no hidden costs, no artificially limited versions—just genuine open-source spirit.

This has both practical and ethical consequences:

• Those who rely on paid plugins in WordPress depend on commercial providers—including potential delays in bug fixes, limited transparency, and often no way to contribute.  Yes, you can change the source code yourself, but it can be difficult to get that change adapted back into the official plugin.
• In Drupal, the entire source code is open. If a problem arises or a feature is missing, you or a developer can propose a patch that is reviewed and adopted by the community.

In Drupal, the focus is on collaborative progress—not sales. 

This not only builds trust but also enables long-term, sustainable, and more independent development.

In summary:

Developing with Drupal – From a Drupal Expert and Professional’s Perspective

From both a personal and professional perspective, I clearly prefer Drupal. As a developer and architect, it offers me:

• A modern, object-oriented codebase (since Drupal 8)
• A clear separation of logic and presentation
• Integration of modern development tools (Composer, Symfony, Twig)
• A robust API-first architecture for headless or multichannel applications

In comparison, WordPress—at least at the code level—feels outdated and limited. Especially for larger, custom requirements, Drupal allows for cleaner and more sustainable implementation.

And What About Joomla & TYPO3?

• Functionally, Joomla sits somewhere between WordPress and Drupal. It’s more flexible than WordPress but less powerful than Drupal when it comes to complex data structures or custom extensions. From my perspective: if you're developing professionally anyway, why not choose the system that offers the most?
• TYPO3 is especially common in German-speaking countries. It also targets professional users but is far less international and has a smaller developer base. Technically solid—but with less momentum and community energy than Drupal.

Conclusion: Why I Recommend Drupal

As a professional developer, one thing is clear to me: Drupal is the best choice for demanding websites, or as Drupal states it, or "ambitious digital experiences."

The learning curve is steeper—but the gain in structure, flexibility, and long-term stability clearly outweighs it.

And for companies or organizations with growing demands, the key question and food-for-thought is:

Will your website become more complex in the future?

Then choose a system that grows with you—clean, open, professional.
I’ll be happy to support you along the way.

Why you need my help with Drupal

Drupal is pretty awesome, because you can "wire together" a lot using thousands of modules. And that's a major advantage to you: you can build quite a bit of cool stuff just by configuring the system. 

At explained, Drupal has the most range of all the CMS system (you can do the most with it), but it is also the most complex. And at one point, sooner or later, you will hit the limits of what can be done through simply configuring Drupal, and you have to get into the code.  Or you have specific business logic which needs to be encoded correctly in the software.  Or... you want a Drupal Expert do it for you.

I use Drupal elusively since 2008 and am an expert with 30+ years as a software engineer who knows how to skillfully leverage the strengths of Drupal and avoid its weaknesses: I use Drupal for what it is good at using "The Drupal Way." For the rest, I write code, and do it right!

Please contact me to find out more about how I can help you with your Drupal project.