Dialogs Framework Vs. CMS Tools

Dialogs Framework is a powerful server-side framework for web applications of all types. Dialogs Framework has been successfully deployed for businesses of all sizes – from businesses still seeking their fortune to corporations listed by Fortune.

Dialogs Framework provides:

• content management that’s logical and flexible
  • site architecture defined by Pages that can easily be added, copied, rearranged and  turned on and off
  • flexible, native List-oriented content structure, configured to manage any type of content (like products, services, news articles, locations, etc.) 
  • first-party integrated extensions for additional common features like ecommerce
  • private, secure document uploads
• standardized automation process
  • flexible content- and process-oriented automation tooling
• security-centric from the ground up
  • pen-tested platform with small footprint
  • built and maintained by professional engineers
  • first-party plugin and extension system
• user roles, permissions
  • configurable groups provide access control list (ACL) management
  • control who can see and/or modify what content system-wide
  • access management configurable to define password security requirements and two-factor authentication (2FA) 
• auditing and reporting
  • logging (configurable to meet compliance requirements)
  • revision roll-back of any content (allows content maintainers to review and restore previous versions of Pages or List content)
  • ad-hoc reporting of any site content, logs, etc.
• developer tools that facilitate straightforward integrations with third-party services

If you're wondering how Dialogs Framework compares to other CMSs or development frameworks, the answer is simple. Dialogs Framework is the most efficient and most powerful system for developing web applications and server-side management for mobile apps. Here are one-to-one comparisons of some of today's popular systems.

But first, perhaps the most important difference: we are here to support you.

We Publish and Support Dialogs Framework

With so many platforms, the tools you use and the services you need to make them work are provided by a whole range of people.

The ecosystem of WordPress requires you to rely on third parties to make it do exactly what you need it to do.  Hiring the company behind WordPress itself to build your application is possible, but very expensive.  Instead, you hire a team puts together a bunch of different plugins for you and stitches them all together in a WordPress site.

With Dialogs Framework, you have direct access to the same people who actually built the framework.  We're experts at building applications on top of it, because our engineers know the framework inside and out.

That means you're getting an application tailored to your specific needs, by expert developers who extend the framework itself exactly how you need it.

Dialogs Framework vs. WordPress

While WordPress was originally written for blogging, over time the ecosystem of plugins has grown to make lots of things possible. 

If all you want to do is create a brochure website or write a blog, use WordPress. It's great for that.

However, if you are trying to bring your business to the web, WordPress is one frustration after another.

Your Workflow = Your Workarounds

While plugins allow you to achieve all kinds of objectives, many overlap in scope, and come with opinionated ways of solving problems. As a result, your application will be a compiled assortment of tools that may or may not think the way that you think.  You may be able to achieve your objectives, but your unique approach seldom fits the sum of your plugins' functionality.  This means you're always contorting your way of doing things to fit the features provided by others you can't control.  

With Dialogs Framework, your business objectives drive and define the technology—not the other way around.

Licensing and Subscription Costs

The basic WordPress system is free to host yourself, and many hosting environments offer specialized hosting very affordably.  Also, many plugins are available as free or freemium, meaning you can do a lot without spending much.  However, web applications of any appreciable scope often will rely on paid versions of plugins that deliver more sophisticated functionality, most commonly on a recurring basis.  As a result, your perception that “WordPress is free” is actually a trojan horse for the cost of licensing all of those plugins.

With Dialogs Framework, your ongoing price often includes only hosting and/or optional maintenance.

Insecurity By Popularity

The upside to WordPress being so ubiquitous is that it's trusted by millions of websites.  The downside to WordPress being wildly popular is that it's a prime target for security threats.  Hackers are highly motivated to break into a WP-powered website because if they can find an exploit to WordPress, they suddenly have cracked open something like 40% of the sites on the internet.  This means your website, which can easily be detected to be powered by WordPress, is constantly being probed by bots and hackers, actively looking for known exploits.

With Dialogs Framework, our tight footprint means hackers can't get a foothold.

Insecurity By Aggregation

Plugins like Wordfence can improve your security significantly, but you've installed dozens of plugins on your site.  Now, every incremental patch to every plugin is a new chance for one of those hundreds of developers involved to have made a mistake and introduced a vulnerability to your system.  This means that every day, your WordPress website is being bombarded by bots—not only for vulnerabilities in the core WP system, but also in potential exploits across thousands of plugins.

With Dialogs Framework, first-party plugins and extensions are tightly integrated into the platform and always built with the same security-first approach.

Inconsistent Support

The totality of your WordPress application can be built by a team of professionals experienced with assembling plugins to achieve results.  When problems arise—performance, security, UI/UX frustrations, etc.—who is responsible for resolving those issues depends on how familiar your developer is with each of the plugins they've selected, and how those plugins interact.  This means you may be just as likely to have to open a support ticket with the plugin provider as you might with your app developer.

With Dialogs Framework, there's no need to juggle a Rolodex of support logins.  Just call us.

Managing Constant Updates

Popular plugins release incremental updates frequently—some daily—for any number of reasons.  Even the simplest websites incorporate a handful plugins to achieve specific purposes, like SEO, security, and data backups, and a sizable web application built on WordPress might include dozens of plugins.  That means either a human (or in some hosting environments, an agent) is always responsible for keeping your code up to date.

With Dialogs Framework, we provide routine, first-party security updates with all hosting plans.

Unintentional, Unexpected Changes

With frequent plugin updates, you're stuck constantly pulling changes into your system that may create a conflict, change a behavior, or move features around that you're relying on.  Just keeping up with the changelogs of your most critical plugins can feel like a full-time job, and ensuring that your application continues to work amidst all of this change is a perpetual risk. 

With Dialogs Framework, you're in full control of commissioning changes.  We'll make sure it works.

Competing Vendor Tooling

The WordPress ecosystem is comprised of third-party providers, and the WP core itself is intentionally slim so that you must rely on plugins for what today is considered basic requirements like SEO.   The codebase of your application is in reality an assembled stack of disparate tools, many designed without concern for other components, maintained at the discretion of the individual plugin authors.  Will they work together without causing a conflict with each other?  Will their collective interactions achieve your app's desired functionality?

With Dialogs Framework, modifications to your application are made by our developers, with the context of your current system in mind, according to our standard best practice.

Developer Frustration

Dialogs Framework is more accessible for developers than WordPress for applications of all sizes. While there are thousands of WP experts out there, developers tell us that after working in Dialogs Framework, they dread having to work in WordPress again. Some have told us they refuse projects if a customer insists on WordPress.

With Dialogs Framework, your developer can build exactly what you need, without fighting  a perpetual battle of bending plugins to their will.

High Support Costs

On the high end, you can have the publishers of Dialogs Framework support your site or app for just the hourly cost of the work you ask for.  WordPress.com SLA contracts start at $15,000 per year, and that only gets you a one-day response. A four-hour response will cost you $250,000 annually. See for yourself how expensive WordPress can be at vip.wordpress.com/our-services/#self-hosted.  

With Dialogs, even if you demand fast turnarounds, our maintenance agreements are very affordable. The most you will pay for a service contract is $375 per month (one-hour response, 24/7/365) plus the time spent on your project.

Dialogs Framework vs. Wix (or Squarespace, etc.)

Wix is a user-friendly, all-in-one website builder tailored for individuals and small businesses seeking quick and easy website creation. It offers a drag-and-drop interface, a variety of templates, and built-in tools for SEO, e-commerce, and content management. Wix's CMS allows users to manage content through collections and connect them to dynamic page elements without coding .

Dialogs Framework, on the other hand, is designed for businesses requiring custom web applications and integrations. Unlike Wix, which is limited to its predefined templates and functionalities, Dialogs Framework offers:

• Custom Development: Build tailored solutions that align precisely with your business processes.
• Advanced Integrations: Seamlessly connect with existing systems like CRMs, ERPs, or proprietary databases.
• Functional Scalability: Designed to grow with your business, handling increased complexity and user demands.
• Professional Support: Access to a dedicated team of developers for ongoing maintenance and enhancements.
• Standalone, Portable Hosting: Dialogs Framework runs self-contained in a LAMP environment, and does not require you to host on our servers.
• No Contract Required: Outside of optional hosting costs, you are free to move your application to your own environment and run it without any support or cost from Dialogs.  We'll even help you migrate if you need it.

While Wix is ideal for straightforward website needs, Dialogs Framework is suited for organizations seeking bespoke solutions that go beyond the capabilities of standard website builders.

Dialogs Framework vs. Webflow (or Framer, etc.)

Webflow is a powerful platform that combines visual design tools with CMS capabilities, targeting designers and developers who want more control over website aesthetics and interactions. It allows for the creation of responsive websites with custom animations and offers a CMS for managing dynamic content. Webflow is particularly popular among creative professionals for its design flexibility .

Dialogs Framework distinguishes itself by focusing on the development of complex web applications and business solutions. Key differentiators include:

• Backend Functionality: Beyond front-end design, it supports robust backend processes, user authentication, and data management.
• Custom Workflows: Tailor-made workflows that reflect your unique business operations.
• Unlimited Users and Content: No need to pay for administrative or support users, no restrictions on how many content items you can store.
• Unlimited Integration Capabilities: Connect with various third-party services and APIs to streamline operations.
• Enterprise-Level Solutions: Suitable for businesses that require more than just a website—like internal tools, dashboards, and client portals.
• Standalone, Portable Hosting: Dialogs Framework runs self-contained in a LAMP environment, and does not require you to host on our servers.
• No Contract Required: Outside of optional hosting costs, you are free to move your application to your own environment and run it without any support or cost from Dialogs.  We'll even help you migrate if you need it.

While Webflow excels in design-centric website creation, Dialogs Framework is the go-to choice for businesses needing comprehensive, custom-built web applications that address specific operational needs.

Dialogs Framework vs. Drupal

Drupal is known as a powerful development tool, but it has some significant flaws. Everything you need that is unique to your business will either need to be built from the ground up, or else you will have to rely on pieces of code written by anonymous strangers, leaving your security in question. There is no way to mitigate security risks with Drupal because it's shareware. Even worse, you never know from one day to the next if an update to Drupal will cause your business site to go down.

Not so with Dialogs Framework. The reason we operate as a software publisher is because e-business solutions must be stable and secure. We also pack all the tools you need in Dialogs Framework including a powerful user management system, blog, forum, and ecommerce tools, effective SEO tools, and easy connectivity to social networks. When you build with Dialogs Framework, you're 30% done day one.

Dialogs Framework vs. The World

As you can see, Dialogs Framework offers a lot. Any shareware solution like Drupal, Joomla, Ruby on Rails, or DotNetNuke have security issues, which is a risky trade for open code. And it's not necessary. Although Dialogs Framework is licensed, published software, the source code is open for you to edit and revise if you want. That makes Dialogs Framework the best of both worlds. Plus there is a company that stands behind Dialogs Framework, unlike all the shareware options.

Dialogs Framework is more affordable than all of the overly simple tools like WordPress and ExpressionEngine because we offer a free edition of our software, plus development time and ongoing service is dramatically less.

Dialogs Framework also operates well in the enterprise space at a fraction of the cost.

Give Dialogs Framework a try. You won't look back.