A lightweight, Drupal-inspired content management system that I recommend for organizations needing more flexibility than WordPress without the complexity of modern enterprise Drupal.
Visit websiteWhy I use it
For many small nonprofits and community organizations, Backdrop offers the structured content management and flexibility I appreciate in Drupal while remaining easier to maintain with limited budgets and technical staff. It's not a replacement for Drupal, but in the right situation it's exactly the right tool for the job.
How I use it
Backdrop CMS is an open-source content management system created as a community-driven fork of Drupal 7. It preserves much of the familiar Drupal architecture while focusing on simplicity, stability, and ease of maintenance for smaller organizations. For many nonprofits, local governments, and community organizations, it provides an excellent balance between flexibility and long-term sustainability.
I've used Backdrop CMS for clients whose needs exceed what WordPress comfortably supports but who don't require the full capabilities of Drupal 10 or Drupal 11. One example is the Redland-Viola-Fischers Mill Community Participation Organization (CPO), a quasi-governmental organization representing three rural communities in Clackamas County, Oregon. Backdrop has proven to be an excellent fit for their website, providing a structured content management system that remains approachable for volunteer administrators while requiring minimal ongoing maintenance.
Choosing the right platform is one of the most important decisions a project can make. While much of my consulting practice centers on Drupal, I don't believe every website should be built with the same technology. Backdrop fills an important niche for organizations that need something more capable than WordPress but don't need the additional complexity of a modern enterprise Drupal implementation.