Bootstrap and WordPress Ultimate Comparison (2024)

04/01/2022

Introduction

Choosing the right platform for your website is crucial for its success. Your platform determines much of what your website will be capable of and how it will function. Every web-hosting platform out there has its own unique set of features, pros, and cons that come along with it. For this reason, choosing the right platform for you may be very hard.

If you know anything about site-creation platforms, then you should know that Bootstrap and WordPress are two of the most popular ones that people choose. They are both free open-source platforms, but they still have many differences. They both are great platforms with unique suites of features, strengths, and weaknesses.

This ultimate guide will have several sections that weigh the two platforms to see which is better. Each category in this article will explain the individual pros and cons of each platform. Although these platforms are very similar, you will find out which is better for you by the end of this guide. Before we can compare Bootstrap and WordPress, I should explain what they are and how they started.

What is Bootstrap?

Bootstrap is a free open-source framework that was created by Twitter. It is a framework for creating the front-end of your website using CSS, HTML, and JavaScript. Its main purpose is to create the user interface and front-end of a website. It is also used for creating web applications for mobile devices and your websites.

Bootstrap is an alternative to WordPress because it offers a more coding-oriented approach. Bootstrap uses a coding framework to build websites rather than a content management system. This means that you have more direct customizability with your website but lack the ease-of-use and flexibility. This makes it a popular choice for those familiar with web development.

It is very popular because the HTML, CSS, and JavaScript coding allows it to be very customizable and easy to learn. Although you must learn how to write code, the coding languages used are some of the easiest. This reason has made it into the most popular front-end framework. It is used by websites such as GitHub, Craiglist, and GoPro.

There are many features of Bootstrap that make it a perfect platform for creating and running your website. Firstly, the framework comes with built-in terms and functions that make it easier to code. Bootstrap also has flexibility that allows it to be cross-browser-friendly. Adjusting and maintaining your design across all pages is very easy. These features make Bootstrap a great candidate for anyone creating a website.

What is WordPress?

WordPress is also an open-source content management system that was created by Automattic in 2003. It is a tool that allows anyone to create their very own website without having to know a single line of code. WordPress has been around for years and has gone through countless versions.

It uses an open-source content management service that anyone can download. WordPress has made it so easy for someone to create and run their site that it powers nearly 40% of the websites on the internet.

It comes in two different versions that people can use; WordPress.org and WordPress.com. If you want to the differences between the two versions, then I highly recommend reading this article. For the sake of clarity, we will be only talking about WordPress.org.

Since WordPress has been around for years, it already has a library of thousands of plugins and themes for you to use. This pre-existing ecosystem of features makes WordPress perfect for every type of website.

With a vast sea of available plugins and themes bundled with one platform that gives you complete control you can see why WordPress is so popular. Versatility, accessibility, and customizability are what make WordPress great. Now that you know what Drupal and WordPress are, we can move on to seeing which one is right for you.

Ease-of-Use & Accessibility

The first category for our platform stand-off is going to be ease-of-use and accessibility. This section will test how accessible the platforms are and how easy it is to make a website using them. This section will also explain how easy it is to create content and build your site. It will also cover how well-built the UI of the platforms is.

When it comes to accessibility, Bootstrap is superior to WordPress in many ways. Boostrap offers an extensive suite of accessibility features in its framework. Bootstrap supports all countries/devices/browsers. However, it does not fully support RTL languages right out of the box. Boostrap is also completely free and open-source, making it one of the most accessible platforms.

Boostrap also supports many accessibility features such as ARIA labels and visually hidden content. It also supports the use of interactive components for keyboards, mice, and screen readers. Boostrap also has features for reducing motion and animation. Bootstrap’s code makes it easy to create a functional website that can be used by anybody.

Although accessibility is better on Bootstrap, the installation process is worse. Bootstrap requires you to have certain components and files before you can install them. Furthermore, it does not come with an easy setup wizard, unlike WordPress. Thankfully, Bootstrap requires much less maintenance than WordPress because of its simplicity.

Bootstrap itself does not come with a UI and requires you to download a UI kit. This means that there is no centralized dashboard for Bootstrap right out of the box. Although the third-party dashboards are easy to use and made well, they still require extra installation. This makes it slightly worse than WordPress.

Lastly, there is the page-builder of Bootstrap and how it holds up. Since Bootstrap is a coding framework, it doesn’t technically have a page builder. The coding framework that Bootstrap uses is very easy to learn and can create a fast, responsive, and interactive website. However, it lacks many complex features and customizability that WordPress offers, such as contact forms, email lists, etc.

On the other hand, we have WordPress and its accessibility. WordPress also a full suite of features and accessibility options. WordPress supports most languages, is translation-ready, and open-source. However, there is a catch to this because WordPress has less support for mobile devices and browsers right out of the box.

You must also do extensive installation and maintenance before your website will be fully functional and ready. The installation process for WordPress is much easier than Boostrap. However, WordPress generally requires a lot more maintenance, optimization, and cleaning than Bootstrap.

As far as the actual WordPress dashboard UI goes, it is well built but still needs some work. It has an easy-to-use sidebar that has everything you need in one place. However, there are some small issues, such as admin notices and trackbacks. Overall, it is still better than the Bootstrap UI because everything is accessible in one place.

Moving onto the page-builder, WordPress has some reliable options. WordPress has a default page-builder called the “Gutenberg Editor”. This page builder is fast, though it lacks several features and can be intrusive at times. This issue, however, can be easily solved by using a third-party page-builder.

Since WordPress is open-source and supports plugins, you can pick between a lot of great page-builders. For this guide, we will be using the Elementor page-builder as our example, though there are countless other page-builders.

The Elementor Page-Builder has extensive customizability and a large feature list. Another great thing is that a lot of page-builders like Elementor are usually free. They also are much easier to edit and use than the Bootstrap page builder.

Overall, I would have to give the point to WordPress. WordPress offers more features on their page-builder and it is easier to use. Bootstrap has more accessibility features, but it takes a lot of time to get used to and, its framework is harder to use. Lastly, Boostrap requires a UI kit to create a dashboard for your website.

Peformance, SEO, & Security

Performance, maintenance, SEO, and security are four crucial elements to running any website. People expect your website to load in seconds. Maintenance determines how much care your site will need. Site security is vital for your site because security breaches will endanger user data and slow down your site. These features are a necessity for all websites.

Similar to WordPress, Bootstrap is a self-hosted and handled platform. The performance and optimization depend on what you do with your website. Bootstrap already offers a good framework with fast performance. Due to its simplistic nature and code, Bootstrap is well optimized and very easy to maintain.

Bootstrap requires little to no website maintenance and cleaning. For the most part, when you have created your website, you don’t have to constantly clean and fix it. The simplistic approach of Bootstrap allows it to be bloat-free and hassle-free when compared to WordPress.

However, security is one area where Bootstrap is lackluster compared to WordPress. Bootstrap has several security vulnerabilities in its framework. It offers much fewer features and tools for managing website security as well. Lastly, you have to make use of plugins and third-party tools to improve website security.

Lastly, there are the SEO features of Bootstrap and the lack thereof. Bootstrap is horrible for SEO because its framework does not have any tools for SEO. It is very difficult to make a Bootstrap website SEO-friendly, which is a major disadvantage for most people. You can tweak SEO with some third-party plugins, but the SEO support is still limited.

WordPress performance requires a reliable and fast host, like Host Armada, to get the full potential out of your site. There are also countless plugins, CDNs, caching plugins, and other things you can install/tweak to increase performance. On the bright side, the overall performance of the WordPress platform is exceptional.

Having to maintain a site yourself is also a double-edged sword. You will have full control and customization on your site, but you are responsible for everything on your site and how you manage it. Thankfully, WordPress gives you fully automatic updates for the best optimization.

As far as maintenance is concerned, WordPress can be a hassle. You have to consistently clean, optimize, and manage your site to ensure that you’re getting the most out of it. If you want an easy solution for WordPress maintenance, then Labinator’s web experts can auto-pilot your site for you!

As far as SEO is concerned, WordPress is much better than Bootstrap. SEO requires less time and tweaking on WordPress, but it does not come with built-in SEO tools. With WordPress, you can quickly improve your website’s SEO with ease. The only problem is that it requires the right plugins and configuration to get started.

For security, WordPress also does a much better job than Bootstrap. Their site security features are not perfect but better than most platforms are currently available. As long as you keep your account secure and maintain your site well, you will not get a breach. If you have a security breach, then you and your host have to deal with it.

Overall, I would have to announce that WordPress wins this section. Both platforms give you exceptional performance, but Bootstrap lacks SEO and security features. In the end, WordPress has an advantage due to its strong security and SEO customizability. However, it does still require more maintenance than Bootstrap.

Monetization & Growth Potential

Some other vital things to consider if you operate a website are restrictions, monetization, and growth potential. These elements will be very critical in the long-term and business side of things. This part of the guide will cover the implications of SEO, monetization, rules, ownership of content, and any restrictions/limitations.

Bootstrap has no restrictions and limitations because it is just a framework. You have complete control and ownership over your website. There aren’t any rules or regulations you have to face or follow. Therefore, you won’t have to worry about anything as long as you do nothing illegal.

Unfortunately, the growth potential on a Bootstrap website is much worse. Bootstrap offers customizability, compatibility, and accessibility, but it is still difficult to scale your website. It is only a front-end solution and offers fewer plugins/tools. Thus, you will have fewer features and tools to help grow your website.

The same case is also true for the monetization potential of Bootstrap. Although Bootstrap allows for any and every type of monetization, it is hard to implement. There are fewer tools and plugins on Bootstrap for creating eCommerce stores, online courses, displaying ads, and other things. This is one major disadvantage of Bootstrap.

Moving onto WordPress, there are also no restrictions and limitations. Like Bootstrap, you can do anything you want to with your website. You have control and ownership of everything on your website. As long as you do not do anything illegal, your website will always be yours.

You can edit and tweak your site in any way you want. Almost everything in WordPress can be changed or removed. They also let you directly edit the code of your website and change SEO. You get access to much more on your site with WordPress. WordPress’s growth potential is more exceptional.

Lastly, WordPress offers more eCommerce potential than Bootstrap because of more monetization tools. WordPress provides plugins like WooCommerce that have much more eCommerce functionality than Bootstrap. These allow you to create a fully customizable store and add things like memberships with ease.

Overall, I would have to give this point to WordPress. Although both platforms offer an equal amount of growth potential, monetization, and no restrictions, WordPress makes it much easier to implement. Bootstrap and WordPress both offer little to no restrictions and limitations. However, WordPress is much easier to use and set up.

Customizability & Functionality

One of the last sets of things we will be covering is customizability, features, and design. These things are crucial for both adding functionality and designing a good website. This section will cover the functionality, site designing features, plugins, and aesthetic options that Bootstrap and WordPress offer.

Although Bootstrap and WordPress are both open-source and self-hosted, you will see many differences in this section. Both platforms give an extensive degree of control that allows you to tweak and add anything to your website. Their customizability options are innumerable, though there are some key differences.

For Bootstrap, you can customize your website’s appearance and design. However, your website’s back-end will be hard to change. Most Bootstrap websites and themes look the same. If you like simple and uniform designs, then this will not be an issue. However, customizability and design are two very lacking aspects of Bootstrap.

Bootstrap only offers a front-end solution, so your website’s functionality and flexibility will also be limited. Some plugins can combat this issue, but there are very few of them. Plugins for Bootstrap are much harder to find than with WordPress. You can still code your Bootstrap site to make it what you want, though it will just take an incredible amount of effort.

Lastly, there are the design options for Bootstrap, which are very lackluster. Bootstrap’s appearance is heavily customizable, but it will take a lot of coding and time to make it look good. This is why most Bootstrap websites and themes look the same. Plugins and themes can help this issue, but extensive coding is still the only way to make your website distinct.

As mentioned before, WordPress is also open-source and offers great flexibility. If you can code it, you can add it to a WordPress site. This factor ties into the ridiculous number of features that WordPress offers. Plugins and the pre-existing WordPress settings let you add anything without editing the code.

WordPress features tens of thousands of plugins that can do anything from removing a specific notification to overhauling everything about your site. Plugins and themes are the bread and butter of WordPress. Since WordPress is open-source, the plugins can achieve anything imaginable.

WordPress offers so much in design that it can get overwhelming. Although creating a site may look difficult with WordPress, it has thousands of plugins to help you. WordPress also has thousands of stunning themes that ready out of the box. WordPress themes can range from full overhauls to frameworks you can build on, like NanoSpace.

The design options are extensive and flexible. The page-builders and customizability features let you change everything about the website. Bootstrap has excellent aesthetic and design customizability, but WordPress has more. WordPress also allows you to do everything without having to tweak very any code.

In conclusion, I believe that Bootstrap has great front-end customization. However, WordPress offers more customization, flexibility, and functionality overall. WordPress makes it much easier to customize and control your website. Bootstrap also has no back-end customization and functionality, making WordPress the winner of this section.

Pricing

Pricing can be a deal maker or breaker for most people looking for a platform. You need a platform that is cost-effective and provides flexible pricing options. Since pricing can vary when creating a website, we will only focus on the primary things you need. Anything extra will be up to personal preference.

Pricing for both of these platforms will vary because they both have variable pricing. You do not pay for Bootstrap and WordPress themselves, but the things that go with them. You have to pay for the domain, hosting provider, plugins, themes, and other features. This reason is why pricing can range from $20 to $1000 every month.

You will have to pay for a hosting provider monthly plan and a one-time fee for a domain. Then you can download either WordPress or Bootstrap for free. I would once again recommend Host Armada if you want a place to start. Now it is up to you to decide on what you want to buy for your website.

These can range from plugins and themes to professional tools and subscription services. Plugins and themes are the main things you can buy, but things like CDNs and services are also useful. All of these products can range in price. If you want a place to buy the best WordPress products and services, I would highly recommend Labinator.

In conclusion, this section is a tie because of how similar the platforms are. It is completely up to the other factors and personal preference when it comes to the costs of these websites. Both platforms offer a library of different services, themes, plugins, and tools. In the end, it is completely based on your personal needs.

Pros & Cons of Bootstrap

Pros of Bootstrap:

More front-end customization.
There is more accessibility and compatibility.
It provides a uniform and consistent framework.
There are fewer technical bugs and issues.
It is more optimized compared to WordPress.
It supports all browsers and devices.

Cons of Bootstrap:

Less back-end customization.
The security is much weaker.
It is not SEO-friendly at all.
It takes longer to install and learn.
The page-builders do not offer as many features.
There are much fewer plugins and themes.
The UI is not as intuitive and simple.

Pros & Cons of WordPress

Pros of WordPress:

More back-end customization.
It is much easier to install and learn.
There is a library of thousands of plugins and themes.
There are very few restrictions and limitations.
It is much easier to use and more intuitive.
The page-builders and UI are both much better.
You can add a lot of functionality and extra features.

Cons of WordPress:

Less front-end customization.
It is slightly slower than Bootstrap.
It requires much more maintenance and cleaning.
Your website can experience more technical issues.
It has less customizability and flexibility.
WordPress is less accessible and compatible.

Final Verdict

In conclusion, there isn’t a right or wrong answer for choosing between Bootstrap and WordPress. Bootstrap and WordPress both have individual strengths and weaknesses that make them different. It comes down to what type of experience you want. They are better at separate things, though I recommend WordPress over Bootstrap for most people.

Bootstrap is a front-end solution for websites that uses a coding framework. It offers a large suite of accessibility and compatibility features. It also has fast optimization and is uniform across all platforms/devices. However, it does not have a full page-builder and admin dashboard. Once again, Bootstrap is only a front-end website framework.

WordPress is a complete front-end and back-end solution right out of the box. WordPress is better for most websites because of its degree of control, flexibility, and customizability. WordPress is usually better for creating blogs and stores. It offers more design choices, features, control, and more functionality. It may have less user accessibility and optimization than Bootstrap, but it is much easier to use.

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