How We Compare Platforms

What we compare

Each platform guide and comparison looks at the same set of facts:

• Price and billing term: the plan price in USD and whether it is billed monthly, yearly or on another term, exactly as the pricing page states it.
• Fees on sales: any percentage the platform takes on transactions, separate from payment processing.
• Payment processing: the published card rate, where the platform states one.
• Hosting model: hosted service, self-hosted software or a headless content service.
• Leaving later: what the platform's own documentation says you can export and in what format.
• Support status: for self-hosted software, which versions still receive security fixes and when that ends.
• Upkeep: who applies updates and security fixes.

Where the facts come from

We use sources in this order of preference:

1. The platform itself: its pricing page, help center or documentation.
2. Official bodies: Google Search Central for search guidance, the U.S. Department of Justice and the W3C for accessibility, the Federal Trade Commission for advertising rules.
3. Labeled outside sources: where no official figure exists, such as the cost of hiring a designer, we use published price guides and label each one as commercial or secondary, so you know who is behind the number.

Every page lists its sources at the bottom, with the date we read each one. Quotes are copied exactly from the source; where we have changed punctuation, such as replacing a dash in a price range with "to", we say so.

What we do not do

Being clear about limits is part of the method:

• No hands-on benchmarks. We have not run speed tests, uptime monitoring or load tests on the platforms, so we make no claims about which is fastest.
• No star ratings or overall scores. A single score hides trade-offs that matter more than the score.
• No user surveys or invented testimonials. We do not claim to know how satisfied customers are.
• No claims about features we have not confirmed in the platform's own documentation.

Where a page gives a view, such as who a platform "tends to fit", it is labeled as our reading of the documented facts.

The wizard and filter

The platform wizard and comparison filter use a small set of editorial scores and categories. Some follow directly from documentation: portability scores reflect each platform's own export rules, and upkeep scores reflect who applies updates. Others, such as ease for non-technical editors and design control, are judgments, and we publish the full score table on the wizard page so you can see and challenge them.

How prices are checked and updated

Every price on the site was checked on November 4, 2026, on the source named in each platform's fact box, which is the platform's own pricing page in most cases (Drupal and Joomla are free software with no vendor pricing page, and Wix prices come from Wix's own plan guide). When a page is revised, its prices are checked again and the date in the byline changes. Platforms sometimes show different prices by region, currency or account, and some pricing pages contradict themselves; where we found that, we say so on the page rather than picking the more convenient figure.

Disclosure of interests

The Federal Trade Commission's Endorsement Guides say that when a connection exists between an endorser and a seller that could affect how people weigh an endorsement, "such connection must be disclosed clearly and conspicuously" (16 CFR 255.5). Cmsmeridia does not endorse products for payment, but its owner also runs a web design business, so we state that interest in the footer of every page and explain it on the how we make money page.

Questions about our method

Why don't you rate platforms out of five?

Ratings combine several different qualities into one number using weights the reader cannot see. We would rather show the facts and let you weigh them against your own needs.

How do I know a price is still current?

Each page shows the date its prices were checked, and the sources section links to the official pricing page. Prices can change at any time, so open the link before you buy.

Do platforms pay to be included?

No. No platform pays to be listed, ranked or reviewed, and links to platforms on this site do not earn commission.

Can I suggest a correction?

Yes. Use the contact page and include the page address and, if possible, a link to the source showing the current figure.

Sources for this page

1. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations: 16 CFR 255.5, Disclosure of material connections. Official source, read November 4, 2026.
2. Federal Trade Commission (June 2023): Federal Trade Commission Announces Updated Advertising Guides to Combat Deceptive Reviews and Endorsements. Official source, read November 4, 2026.
3. WordPress.com (Automattic): WordPress.com Pricing. Official source, read November 4, 2026.
4. Webflow Help Center: How do I export my Webflow site code?. Official source, read November 4, 2026.
5. Wix Help Center: Exporting or Embedding Your Wix Site Elsewhere. Official source, read November 4, 2026.
6. Drupal.org: Drupal core release schedule. Official source, read November 4, 2026.