Beyond WordPress: A Comparative Study of Content Management Systems
Faculty Mentor
Colin Manikoth
Presentation Type
Poster
Start Date
May 2025
End Date
May 2025
Location
PUB NCR
Primary Discipline of Presentation
Design
Abstract
WordPress powers over 43 percent of all websites as of 2025 and remains one of the most widely used content management systems (CMS) due to its ease of use and extensive plugin ecosystem. While WordPress is a strong option for many web projects, this study hypothesizes that alternative platforms may offer different advantages depending on specific project goals, such as customization, performance, and creative flexibility.
A comparative evaluation was conducted between WordPress, Ghost, and Astro to explore their suitability for developing a student-focused design website. WordPress was initially chosen for its simplified installation process, but configuration issues and limitations in theme control prompted further exploration. Ghost provided a smoother setup but posed challenges in page-level customization and layout control. Astro, a modern static site framework, ultimately offered full creative freedom, performance optimization, and the technical flexibility to support dynamic content features, including randomized fonts, backgrounds, and keywords.
The project aimed to develop a visually driven website capable of showcasing design students and portfolios while also serving as the foundation for a new, reusable theme. The resulting implementation suggests that static site generators like Astro present a viable alternative to traditional CMS platforms, particularly when creative experimentation, adaptability, and long-term maintainability are key priorities.
Recommended Citation
Rubino, Dawson, "Beyond WordPress: A Comparative Study of Content Management Systems" (2025). 2025 Symposium. 22.
https://dc.ewu.edu/srcw_2025/ps_2025/p1_2025/22
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Beyond WordPress: A Comparative Study of Content Management Systems
PUB NCR
WordPress powers over 43 percent of all websites as of 2025 and remains one of the most widely used content management systems (CMS) due to its ease of use and extensive plugin ecosystem. While WordPress is a strong option for many web projects, this study hypothesizes that alternative platforms may offer different advantages depending on specific project goals, such as customization, performance, and creative flexibility.
A comparative evaluation was conducted between WordPress, Ghost, and Astro to explore their suitability for developing a student-focused design website. WordPress was initially chosen for its simplified installation process, but configuration issues and limitations in theme control prompted further exploration. Ghost provided a smoother setup but posed challenges in page-level customization and layout control. Astro, a modern static site framework, ultimately offered full creative freedom, performance optimization, and the technical flexibility to support dynamic content features, including randomized fonts, backgrounds, and keywords.
The project aimed to develop a visually driven website capable of showcasing design students and portfolios while also serving as the foundation for a new, reusable theme. The resulting implementation suggests that static site generators like Astro present a viable alternative to traditional CMS platforms, particularly when creative experimentation, adaptability, and long-term maintainability are key priorities.
