5 Must-Read Web CMS Reviews

By Barb Mosher (@barbmosher) Sep 9, 2009 Comments

1 comment

How much work goes into reviewing and selecting a web content management system for your organization? A lot. We know.

Now we can't help you define your specific needs or map out your usage scenarios, but we can provide some insights into several potential options. Here are 5 must read Web CMS reviews covering Umbraco, Day Communique, Vivvo CMS, SharePoint Online and Digitalus. All are different, yet quite interesting in their special ways.

Umbraco Web CMS

Umbraco is an open source web content management system built with Microsoft .NET technologies. Currently at version 4.02.1, it offers the ability to build your website design in any tool you want, and then cut and paste the HTML into the Umbraco Admin site, adding the elements necessary for content management.

Niels Hartvig, the creator of Umbraco, refers to it as a designer and developer's CMS. Not built as a plug and play solution, it does have a bit of a learning curve, but an upcoming book may help with that and their recent pay for video tutorials site, Umbraco.tv, has been very helpful, we hear.

Read our detailed review here: Umbraco Web Content Management System (CMS) Review

Digitalus CMS

Currently at version 1.5, the Zend/PHP-based simple Web CMS includes a web-based installer for easier installation, the start of multilingual capabilities, simple page creation and integration with the CSS framework, 960 Grid.

The most complicated aspect of this open source CMS seems to be with layout and design management. Digitalus is relatively new — first coming out in August of 2008 — but it's worth a look if your content management needs are not too sophisticated.

Read our review here: Digitalus CMS: Open Source and (Mostly) Simple

Vivvo Web CMS

Here's another simple-to-mid-level web content management system based on the LAMP stack of technologies. It offers a solution that works for small to mid-sized interactive publishers who don't have a need for workflow or versioning capabilities. It is also offered as a hosted (SaaS) solution.

Vivvo 4.1 offers the ability to have subscriber sections and includes over 20 different language packs, including some RTL languages. A clean, easy to understand administrative interface adds value to this Web CMS.

Read the review here: Vivvo Web Content Management System (CMS) Review

Day's CQ5 Web CMS

From simple to enterprise, we move to Day's CQ5 Web CMS. CQ5.1 is a major rewrite of Day's WCM offering, building on their upgraded CRX content repository infrastructure. Day boasts this version as built for the user and not IT, claiming ease of use to the point of having fun. Day's Communique product was named InfoWorld's 2009 Best Web CMS.

Features include web analytics, basic digital asset management, lots of Web 2.0 tools and all the necessary content management capabilities like workflow and user management.

Read our review here: Day Software's New CQ5 Web CMS Has Arrived

SharePoint Online

Okay, so SharePoint Online isn't exactly a web content management system. But so many people are wondering just what it is, and what it isn't.

There are two versions of SharePoint online — SaaS and dedicated. We run you through the features of the SaaS version, which does include some basic web content management, good for an intranet website for sure.

Read our review here: SharePoint Online (SaaS) Review - What it is and Isn't

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