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Drupal is a powerful CMS platform that has been widely used for years not only to build websites, but also e-commerce shops. It is a popular choice for those looking to create a professional online shop. Below you will find a full review of the Drupal platform for shop development in 2024.
In a nutshell:
- What is Drupal?
- Basic information
- Review of key data - advantages and disadvantages
- Who is Drupal for?
- What sets Drupal apart from the rest?
- Examples of shops built on Drupal
- Is it worth choosing Drupal: Our opinion
What is Drupal?
Drupal is an open-source content management system that has gained popularity due to its versatility and extensive customisation options. It allows the creation of not only simple websites, but also complex platforms. It is a platform that allows developers and shop owners to have full control over every aspect of it, from design and functionality to payment processing and product management.
Basic information
| Software type | Open-Source |
| Country of origin | Belgium |
| Year of issue | 2001 |
| Access to source code | Yes |
Review of key data - advantages and disadvantages
| Price | ✅ (the platform is free, some plug-ins have an additional charge) |
| Hosting included in the price | ❌ |
| Safety certificates | ✅ |
| Integration with accounting systems | ✅ |
| Omnichannel functions | ✅ |
| Sharing on social media | ✅ |
| Running a blog | ✅ |
| Implementation of change | ✅ (possibility to make changes yourself) |
| Integration with payment systems | ✅ |
| Implementation of promotions and discounts | ✅ |
| Possibility of selling virtual products | ✅ |
| Differentiation of product variants | ✅ |
| Search and filtering | ✅ |
| Returns management | ✅ |
| Technical support | ❌ |
| Automatic sitemap | ✅ |
| Manual 301 redirections | ✅ |
| Ability to work on page speed in the CMS panel | ✅ |
| Simple and rapid restructuring of the structure | ✅ |
| Mobile friendly | ✅ |
| Editing of URLs | ✅ |
| Editing the robots file | ✅ |
| Making advanced technical changes | ✅ |
The pros and cons of having a shop on Drupal in terms of:
SEO:
- Allows the creation of friendly URLs and the addition of metatags, headers and alt attributes for images.
- Drupal provides fast loading pages, and the ability to create responsive sites.
- The extensive range of modules facilitates SEO management, site map generation and redirection.
Maintenance costs:
- No licence fees.
- Potentially high development and maintenance costs.
Scalability:
- Ideal for large projects that will grow.
- It may be too advanced for small shops.
Who is Drupal for?
| Shop up to 1000 products | ✅ |
| Shop up to 10 000 products | ✅ |
| Shop up to 100,000 products | ❌ |
| Shop 100,000 products and more | ❌ |
Drupal will work well for large companies that are planning extensive online sales activities.
What sets Drupal apart from the rest?
- Scalability - Drupal is capable of handling huge e-commerce platforms with thousands of products.
- Personalisation - With the ability to modify virtually every aspect of the site, Drupal offers the flexibility to tailor the shop to the needs of a particular business.
- High level of security - Drupal is regularly updated and responds quickly to reported problems, making it less likely to be attacked by hackers. In addition, it allows different user rights to be assigned, which increases the level of security.
Examples of shops built on Drupal
Many well-known brands and organisations use the Drupal platform to run their shops. Here are some examples:
Is it worth choosing Drupal: Our opinion
Drupal is a solution that requires some technical skills. As such, it works best in the hands of more experienced users or companies with IT teams. Drupal is an excellent option for companies with needs that involve large amounts of data, custom functionality or advanced integration with other systems.
If your shop requires unusual solutions, yet you have access to a technical team, Drupal can be a great choice. It is an extremely flexible, secure and powerful tool, which makes it ideal choice for large companies and extensive projects. However, for those looking for a quick and simple e-commerce solution, Drupal may prove too complex and expensive to maintain. The final decision should depend on your needs and the funds at your disposal.
