Aptuitiv provides the power of a custom CMS with the ease of integrated Apps – unlike fragmented WordPress.
WordPress is a flexible, open platform for those who prefer self-hosting. It's used by many websites and is very popular. If you need to host your own website, want full access to the CMS's source code, and are ok with regular software maintenance (or hiring someone to do it for you), then WordPress is a viable option.
However, if you're looking for a streamlined approach to building and managing sophisticated websites with core functionality built in and backed by excellent, accessible support, think Aptuitiv.
Caching and CDN built in
Email / Chat
Entire platform and apps built to work together.
Cohesive design and a consistent UI.
A fresh WordPress installation with no plugins is actually kind of limiting. You can create pages and blog posts, manage navigation, do basic theme customization, and manage admin users. But beyond that, you need plugins. For example, the following functionality requires a plugin:
The WordPress plugin ecosystem is vast, and that's both a pro and a con. The pro is that you can often find a plugin for whatever you need. The con is that you rely on multiple third-party developers to maintain the plugins. You rely on them to fix bugs, address security issues, ensure compatibility with WordPress upgrades, and provide support. And the user interface is often inconsistent. It's fragmented.
In contrast, BranchCMS has a lot of the missing WordPress functionality built in. Because it's built in, the features are cohesive, work together, have a consistent UI, and are all backed by our support team.
BranchCMS includes this functionality without any plugins:
There's more, but we can't take up too much space. See the Why BranchCMS page for more information.
This is a big one.
Unless you pay for it, you're on your own with WordPress. You're in charge of:
If your website was built by a designer or agency, you may have to pay them an extra "maintenance fee" so that they will do the above maintenance for you.
Because WordPress is open-source, there isn't a single company you can reach out to for support. You have to rely on community forums, Google, or pay someone for support.
We believe that helpful support is critical for a website platform. That's why support is included with all BranchCMS plans at no extra charge. You never have to pay for "priority support".
That support includes unlimited help requests on using BranchCMS. As long as we're not updating your website for you, there is no extra cost (although we have sometimes done small edits to be helpful :) ).
You can reach our support team through the built-in chat widget in the administration, the same chat tool on our public websites, or via email.
WordPress has many people working on it and doing great work to address security issues. But, because WordPress is so popular, it's also very popular with attackers. If you don't regularly update WordPress and all plugins, then your website can be easily hacked and exploited. WordPress can be secure, but it requires diligence and ongoing maintenance. You also have to make sure you're using a reputable, secure web host and that the website platform is regularly updated.
We take security seriously with BranchCMS. Because we control the server infrastructure and the code, it's easier to provide a more secure environment. Learn more about our security practices.
WordPress can be used to build unique websites, whether you use themes or do a custom-built website.
However, there is more to customization than just the look. You should be able to customize the administration to match your content and have full template code access.
You can't customize the WordPress editing experience without plugins. And if you're using plugins or themes, then you often have limited code access. This can lead to code bloat and decreased website performance. It can also make it harder to adjust the look of your website without major changes.
Editing content in BranchCMS is done with Blocks or fields. A developer has full control over all Blocks, their fields and functionality. Non-developers can also adjust the custom fields if they want.
You have full access to all templates, code, blocks, and custom fields. This allows you to create custom designs and edit existing designs. The custom fields allow you to edit all blocks and app fields to fit your design and content. You can build the administration to meet your needs rather than trying to adjust your content to the structure of the CMS or plugin. This creates an easier and more intuitive experience for your content editors.
