3 fresh CMS options that could be better than WordPress

Default avatar.
May 27, 2014
3 fresh CMS options that could be better than WordPress.
thumbnailQuick, name a CMS! Let me guess, you said WordPress. Maybe Joomla? ExpressionEngine? TextPattern? It doesn’t really matter. We all know the big names, and chances are we’ve picked our favorites. Some try to use one versatile CMS to solve every problem. Some have a few they’ll consider, depending on the job. If there’s one thing I’ve learnt it’s to pick the tool that’s right you, and for the job at hand. That’s why I keep looking at new tools, new options. That is why, every so often, I’ll try out a new CMS, just for fun. Recently, I tried three which I thought were worthy of note. These CMS options are relatively new to the market, but they already show promise. In the right situation, they could be more appropriate than your old favorites. Let’s give them a whirl, see what they can do…

Bolt CMS

Bolt starts out by giving you the usual options of “pages and posts”, but it doesn’t stop there. Anyone familiar with creating custom post types for WordPress will find it easy to create new content types to their heart’s content. You can define what kind of content goes into each content type: text, images, lists, lists of images, and so much more. See the documentation for more details. Templating is done using the ever flexible Twig template engine. Basically, it’s a lot easier than reading and memorizing new PHP functions, so I’m all for it. Bolt also features an as-yet-small but growing library of extensions. Full documentation is provided for anyone who wants to make their own, so check it out, and go wild!

Drawbacks

Many of the settings are changed by editing text files (including navigation menus). Sure, you can edit these files from the admin interface, but this could prove intimidating for some users. In fact, this CMS has a bit of a learning curve in general. The admin interface lacks polish. It appears to be built with an older version of Bootstrap, so it looks... fine, but it’s not always easy to understand.

General impressions

Bolt CMS is powerful, and highly customizable. That power comes at the cost of ease-of-use, however, so train your clients to use it with care. Oh, and maybe don’t give them full admin access. People with experience creating WordPress themes shouldn’t have too much trouble switching, though. Use it on those occasions when you need power and flexibility, and have clients who are willing to get their hands dirty. bolt

Anchor CMS

Anchor CMS is geared towards exactly one thing: blogging. This single-minded focus is reflected in the feature-set, and indeed, the very design of the admin interface. Speaking of which, the Admin interface is very, very polished. Nothing like working in an environment that’s just plain pleasant to look at. Post formatting is done with markdown (no live preview, sadly), and posts come with the usual options for post categories, tags, custom fields, etc. Also included are interfaces for creating additional “site variables”, and editing your blog’s metadata. Theme creation is a bit more WordPress-like. You’ll need to be comfortable with mucking about, and learning the various PHP loops and so on that display the content.

Drawbacks

As of yet, there are no extensions. This is a planned feature though, and I can’t wait to see what people come up with.

General impressions

This is another one that is great for web professionals, and any clients you can convince to learn markdown. It’s simple, pretty, starts with a great idea, and executes it perfectly. Anchor CMS is focused on doing exactly one thing, and it does it well. anchor

Pico

Pico differs from the other two CMS options on this list in one major way: it’s a flat-file CMS. No, I don’t mean that it stores all of its information in a flat-file database. There is no admin UI. There are no pretty screens for writing content or changing settings. All of your content goes into flat text files, formatted with markdown, and organized by directory. You create and edit content, change settings, and switch themes using your favorite file manager and text editor. Obviously, this makes it a no-frills kind of system, best used for simple sites that might otherwise just be a collection of static pages. Essentially, Pico provides just enough power to make managing sites with largely static content easier. Additionally, it allows you to more easily expand said sites by separating content from layout markup. Templates and themes are made, like Bolt CMS, using the Twig template language. As previously stated, content formatting is done with markdown, but you can also add as much raw HTML as you like.

Drawbacks

Obviously, there’s a bit of a learning curve. Tell most clients that they’ll have to edit their site with a text editor, and they might freak out a little. Then, there’s always the chance they might edit something in the wrong directory, and so on.

General impressions

Pico is powerful, with a few features that go beyond those I listed. It is, however, probably not suited to most client projects. If you need to manage a small-medium size website with laregly static content, however, it just might be for you. pico

Ezequiel Bruni

Ezequiel Bruni is a web/UX designer, blogger, and aspiring photographer living in Mexico. When he’s not up to his finely-chiselled ears in wire-frames and front-end code, or ranting about the same, he indulges in beer, pizza, fantasy novels, and stand-up comedy.

Read Next

10+ Best Resources & Tools for Web Designers (2024 update)

Is searching for the best web design tools to suit your needs akin to having a recurring bad dream? Does each…

3 Essential Design Trends, April 2024

Ready to jump into some amazing new design ideas for Spring? Our roundup has everything from UX to color trends…

How to Plan Your First Successful Website

Planning a new website can be exciting and — if you’re anything like me — a little daunting. Whether you’re an…

15 Best New Fonts, March 2024

Welcome to March’s edition of our roundup of the best new fonts for designers. This month’s compilation includes…

LimeWire Developer APIs Herald a New Era of AI Integration

Generative AI is a fascinating technology. Far from the design killer some people feared, it is an empowering and…

20 Best New Websites, March 2024

Welcome to our pick of sites for March. This month’s collection tends towards the simple and clean, which goes to show…

Exciting New Tools for Designers, March 2024

The fast-paced world of design never stops turning, and staying ahead of the curve is essential for creatives. As…

Web Tech Trends to Watch in 2024 and Beyond

It hardly seems possible given the radical transformations we’ve seen over the last few decades, but the web design…

6 Best AI Productivity Apps in 2024

There’s no escaping it: if you want to be successful, you need to be productive. The more you work, the more you…

3 Essential Design Trends, February 2024

From atypical typefaces to neutral colors to unusual user patterns, there are plenty of new website design trends to…

Surviving the Leap from College to Real-World Design

So, you’ve finished college and are ready to showcase your design skills to the world. This is a pivotal moment that…

20 Mind-Bending Illusions That Will Make You Question Reality

Mind-bending videos. Divisive Images. Eye-straining visuals. This list of optical illusions has it all. Join us as we…