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Wagtail CMS VS Symphony CMS

Compare Wagtail CMS VS Symphony CMS and see what are their differences

Wagtail CMS logo Wagtail CMS

Django-based Content Management System.

Symphony CMS logo Symphony CMS

Symphony is an XSLT-powered open source content management system
  • Wagtail CMS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-04
  • Symphony CMS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-11

Wagtail CMS features and specs

  • Flexibility
    Wagtail provides a high level of flexibility, allowing developers to create custom content types and workflows tailored to specific needs.
  • User-Friendly Admin Interface
    The admin interface is designed with content editors in mind, making it intuitive and easy to use for non-technical users.
  • Strong Community and Support
    Wagtail has a growing and active community, providing a wealth of plugins, extensions, and documentation, along with strong support from developers.
  • Built on Django
    Leveraging the power of Django, Wagtail benefits from the robustness, security, and scalability of the Django framework.
  • SEO-Friendly
    Wagtail includes features such as customizable URL structures, meta descriptions, and easy integration with SEO tools which help improve search engine rankings.
  • StreamField
    This feature allows developers to create flexible and reusable content blocks, providing greater control over the layout and content structure.
  • Open-Source
    Being an open-source project, Wagtail is free to use and modify, with a transparent development process and no licensing fees.
  • Scalability
    Wagtail can handle projects of varying sizes, from small websites to high-traffic enterprise applications.

Possible disadvantages of Wagtail CMS

  • Learning Curve for Developers
    Due to its flexibility and customization options, new developers may face a steeper learning curve compared to simpler CMS options.
  • Limited Built-In Features
    Out-of-the-box, Wagtail may lack some features that are available in other CMS platforms, requiring additional development for certain functionalities.
  • Smaller Ecosystem
    Compared to more established CMS platforms like WordPress, Wagtail's ecosystem of themes and plugins is smaller, potentially requiring more custom development.
  • Hosting and Maintenance
    As a self-hosted solution, Wagtail requires users to manage hosting, updates, and maintenance, which could be a challenge for non-technical users.
  • Few Marketplace Integrations
    Wagtail does not natively support eCommerce or marketplace features, so integrating such functionalities requires additional plugins or custom development.
  • Performance Considerations
    For very large and complex sites, performance tuning might be necessary to ensure optimal speed and responsiveness.

Symphony CMS features and specs

  • Flexible Architecture
    Symphony CMS is known for its highly flexible architecture that allows developers to customize and build tailored solutions using its XSLT templating system.
  • Lightweight and Efficient
    The system is lightweight and efficient, making it suitable for projects where performance and resource usage are critical.
  • Extensible
    Symphony CMS has a robust ecosystem of extensions, enabling users to enhance the functionality of their websites as needed.
  • Open Source
    Being open-source, Symphony CMS offers the benefit of community support and contributions, which can lead to continuous improvements and a wide range of free resources.
  • Custom Content Types
    It provides the ability to create custom content types without extensive programming, allowing users to match the system to their specific data structure needs.

Possible disadvantages of Symphony CMS

  • Steep Learning Curve
    The use of XSLT for templating can be challenging for new users, leading to a steep learning curve for those unfamiliar with the technology.
  • Limited Community
    The Symphony CMS community is smaller compared to other open-source CMS platforms, which can result in less available third-party documentation and fewer community resources.
  • Fewer Out-of-the-Box Features
    Compared to more mainstream CMS platforms, Symphony CMS offers fewer features out of the box, requiring more setup and configuration to achieve similar functionality.
  • Dependence on XSLT
    As XSLT is central to Symphony CMS, there can be limitations based on the capabilities and updates related to the XSLT language itself.
  • Requires Technical Expertise
    Symphony CMS is more suited to developers with a good technical background, potentially alienating users who lack programming experience.

Analysis of Wagtail CMS

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Wagtail CMS is considered a good choice for many organizations, particularly those seeking a flexible and developer-friendly content management system. It is trusted by major organizations and has a steadily growing community, which ensures that it is continually updated and improved.

Why this product is good

  • Wagtail CMS is widely appreciated for its simple and intuitive interface, robust features, and focus on flexibility and scalability for developers. It is built on Django, a popular web framework, which contributes to its strong foundations and allows developers to extend and modify it as needed. Wagtail also offers great support for integrating with other systems and content types, making it a versatile choice for many projects.

Recommended for

    Wagtail CMS is particularly recommended for medium to large organizations looking for a customizable and developer-friendly CMS. It is ideal for developers who are already comfortable with Django or those willing to learn. It is also suitable for projects that require a high degree of custom content structure and delivery, such as news websites, and institutional platforms.

Wagtail CMS videos

Wagtail CMS - part 1

Symphony CMS videos

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

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Wagtail CMS and Symphony CMS)
CMS
76 76%
24% 24
Blogging
77 77%
23% 23
Blogging Platform
100 100%
0% 0
Social & Communications
42 42%
58% 58

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Wagtail CMS seems to be a lot more popular than Symphony CMS. While we know about 44 links to Wagtail CMS, we've tracked only 1 mention of Symphony 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.

Wagtail CMS mentions (44)

  • Matt Mullenweg deactivates WordPress accounts of contributors planning a fork
    > Django with plugins could be made to look like and work similar to Wordpress I bet. https://wagtail.org/ is a solid CMS. - Source: Hacker News / 5 months ago
  • Wagtail on Docker
    Wagtail - is a leading open-source Content Management System built using Python. Read more here: [https://wagtail.org]. - Source: dev.to / 6 months ago
  • Wordpress.org bans WP Engine, blocks it from accessing its resources
    I’m not GP, nor using PHP, but can highly recommend WagtailCMS: https://wagtail.org/ It’s based on Python/Django and has an excellent developer and user experience. They pay a lot of attention to detail, including a block-based content editor, similar to Gutenberg, and first class accessibility support. - Source: Hacker News / 8 months ago
  • Introducing Django Headless CMS: A Powerful and Flexible CMS Solution
    Why choose Django-headless-cms over alternatives like Wagtail, Django-CMS, Strapi, or Contentful? - Source: dev.to / 12 months ago
  • A new beginning, with Google Summer of Code (GSoC)
    On the 1st day of May 2024, I got an announcement email that my proposal was selected and that I had made it to the GSoC community. I applied to a community I really liked (Wagtail), and my efforts over the months paid off. I quickly told my friends and family (who'd been supportive and encouraging throughout the application process). It was easily my biggest win of the year, but I knew I had a lot of work to be... - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
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Symphony CMS mentions (1)

  • Hyperview – Native mobile apps, as easy as creating a website
    Symphony CMS [1] was based on this idea over a decade ago. The developer experience was amazing, you could easily inspect the data backing any page. XSLT was hard but probably easier than React these days. [1] https://getsymphony.com. - Source: Hacker News / 5 months ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Wagtail CMS and Symphony CMS, you can also consider the following products

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.

Portfolio CMS - Portfolio CMS is an open-source, highly customized blog and CMS written in Redux and Rails API.

DEV.to - Where software engineers connect, build their resumes, and grow.

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.

Lavalite - PHP CMS built with Laravel and Bootstrap.

Mixcore CMS - Mixcore CMS is an Open Source Enterprise ASP.NET Core / Dotnet Core CMS for building amazing digital experiences. It's made by a dedicated community. Anyone can use it, and it will always be free.