Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Anchor CMS VS ExpressionEngine

Compare Anchor CMS VS ExpressionEngine and see what are their differences

Anchor CMS logo Anchor CMS

Free and lightweight blogging system

ExpressionEngine logo ExpressionEngine

ExpressionEngine is a flexible, feature-rich content management system that empowers thousands of...
  • Anchor CMS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-18
  • ExpressionEngine Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-08-05

Anchor CMS features and specs

  • Lightweight
    Anchor CMS is known for its minimalistic approach, which means it has a smaller footprint and requires fewer server resources.
  • Markdown Support
    Content in Anchor CMS can be written using Markdown, providing a simpler and faster way to format text compared to traditional WYSIWYG editors.
  • Open Source
    Being open-source, Anchor CMS allows developers to contribute to its development and customize the CMS according to their requirements.
  • Simple Interface
    The user interface is clean and straightforward, making it easy to navigate and use, even for beginners.
  • Customization
    Anchor CMS offers good customization capabilities, allowing users to create and manage different types of content with ease.
  • Developer-Friendly
    Due to its simple structure and clear codebase, Anchor CMS is easy for developers to extend and integrate with other systems.

Possible disadvantages of Anchor CMS

  • Limited Features
    Compared to other, more robust CMS platforms, Anchor CMS lacks many advanced features and plugins.
  • Small Community
    Anchor CMS has a relatively smaller community, which can make finding support and resources more challenging.
  • Less Frequent Updates
    The development and release cycle for updates and new features tend to be slower compared to more popular CMS platforms.
  • No Built-In SEO Tools
    Anchor CMS does not come with built-in SEO tools, which means additional effort is required to optimize content for search engines.
  • Limited Themes and Plugins
    The ecosystem of available themes and plugins is limited, offering fewer choices for customization and extending functionality.

ExpressionEngine features and specs

  • Flexibility
    ExpressionEngine is highly flexible and can be used to create a wide range of websites, from simple blogs to complex web applications. It doesn't impose rigid structures, allowing developers to design content and data structures according to the project's needs.
  • Template Engine
    Its powerful template engine allows for both simple and complex designs. Designers and developers can create custom layouts and templates without having to delve deeply into backend code.
  • Security
    Known for its robust security features, ExpressionEngine prioritizes the safety of its users. It includes in-built security measures such as data encryption, secure form handling, and regular security updates.
  • Addon Ecosystem
    ExpressionEngine has a diverse addon ecosystem, enabling users to extend core functionalities easily. Many high-quality third-party plugins are available for various needs like SEO, eCommerce, and more.
  • User Management
    The platform offers advanced user management capabilities. It allows for intricate access controls and user permissions, making it ideal for membership sites and other applications requiring multiple user roles.
  • Documentation
    ExpressionEngine provides thorough and well-maintained documentation, helping developers and content managers navigate and make the most out of the platform.

Possible disadvantages of ExpressionEngine

  • Cost
    ExpressionEngine is a paid CMS. While it does offer significant advantages, the cost might be prohibitive for small businesses or individuals who are just getting started.
  • Learning Curve
    While its flexibility is a major advantage, it also means that there can be a steep learning curve for beginners. Those who are new to CMSs or coming from simpler systems may find the initial setup and customization challenging.
  • Performance
    ExpressionEngine can be resource-intensive, particularly for large, high-traffic websites. Without proper optimization and hosting, this could lead to slower load times and potential performance issues.
  • Complexity for Simple Sites
    For simpler websites, the extensive feature set of ExpressionEngine might be overkill. Users looking for a straightforward blogging platform or a basic company website may find it unnecessarily complex.
  • Limited Themes and Plugins
    Compared to other CMS platforms like WordPress, ExpressionEngine has a smaller library of pre-built themes and plugins. This may require more custom development work to achieve desired functionalities and aesthetics.
  • Community Support
    While there is a dedicated group of users, the community around ExpressionEngine is smaller compared to more widely-used CMS platforms. This could make finding community support, tutorials, and third-party resources more difficult.

Anchor CMS videos

No Anchor CMS videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

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ExpressionEngine videos

ExpressionEngine 2 Tutorials #1 - Installation

More videos:

  • Tutorial - ExpressionEngine 2 Tutorials #18 - Embedded Templates
  • Review - ExpressionEngine 3 Interface Changes

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Anchor CMS and ExpressionEngine)
CMS
54 54%
46% 46
Blogging Platform
62 62%
38% 38
Blogging
60 60%
40% 40
Development
60 60%
40% 40

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Anchor CMS and ExpressionEngine

Anchor CMS Reviews

We have no reviews of Anchor CMS yet.
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ExpressionEngine Reviews

11 Popular Free And Open Source WordPress CMS alternatives in 2021
It features: run multiple sites, live preview, one-click updates, with ExpressionEngine, your site content is stored in channels—flexible data containers with fields for any type of information, and more.
Source: medevel.com

Social recommendations and mentions

ExpressionEngine might be a bit more popular than Anchor CMS. We know about 2 links to it since March 2021 and only 2 links to Anchor CMS. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Anchor CMS mentions (2)

  • No input file specified
    I'm running Anchor CMS and I just upgraded to version 0.8. When I try and run the installer I get a 'No input file specified' error. I believe it's more than likely a .htaccess problem but I'm not sure what the correct settings should be. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • Suitable platform for an art gallery
    Nothing wrong with using WP as the platform for this. Alternatively you could try ClassicPress, Ghost or even Anchor. Source: about 4 years ago

ExpressionEngine mentions (2)

  • Expression Engine & HubSpot
    Does Expression Engine support integration with HubSpot? Source: over 1 year ago
  • What technologies for these requirements?
    PHP Headless Or you go with a Headless PHP CMS. Some options for that are Bolt CMS, Suru, Twill and ExpressionEngine. A Headless CMS doesn't have any frontend. It can provide you with a REST API or you create it in their template engine and integrate your JS stuff there. There are so many, I can't count them all. You can also search for Cockpit and Strapi. Source: about 3 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Anchor CMS and ExpressionEngine, you can also consider the following products

ClassicPress - The WordPress fork. No Gutenberg. Great future!

Drupal - Drupal - the leading open-source CMS for ambitious digital experiences that reach your audience across multiple channels. Because we all have different needs, Drupal allows you to create a unique space in a world of cookie-cutter solutions.

Sitecake - Drag and drop CMS for HTML websites. It's flat file CMS so it's pretty fast.

WordPress - WordPress is web software you can use to create a beautiful website or blog. We like to say that WordPress is both free and priceless at the same time.

Textpattern - Textpattern is an elegant content management system that is free, open source software.

TYPO3 - TYPO3.com - Infos, SLAs, Extended Support Versions and more