Is ExpressionEngine a Viable CMS Solution?
When you think of industry leading CMS platforms, Wordpress, Joomla, and Drupal instantly spring to mind. But another CMS solution is becoming increasingly popular with many large commercial organizations. This CMS platform is ExpressionEngine.
ExpressionEngine is lightweight, multi-purpose CMS platform that boasts a plethora of essential features and beneficial options, making it an excellent alternative to many of the more popular CMS platforms already available.
The latest version offers 3 different licenses depending on the level of service you require and the type of organization ExpressionEngine is to be used for. At present there are only paid licenses available and no free versions, or trial offers.
Available Licenses and Pricing
With the release of the much-awaited upgrade of ExpressionEngine comes a new basic-grade license: Freelance.
Freelance License
A Freelance license weighs in at a onetime payment of $99.95. For this you get the latest version of ExpressionEngine. But there are some restrictions...
Firstly, this is a private license and therefore is not suitable for anyone looking to use ExpressionEngine to perform work for clients or third-party associates. Secondly, there is a limit on the amount of people allowed to use the CMS application. A Freelance license is for businesses that employ 3 persons or less.
There are no options available for adding-on Forum or Multi-Site Management modules, and there is no Member Site or Wiki module included with a Freelance License.
The next available license does allow for more users to access the software, but this is strictly a license for non-commercial, non-profit, or educational organizations. This is termed the Non-Commercial license and is available for $149.95 (onetime payment).
Non-Commercial License
The main differences between a Non-Commercial and Freelance license are that there are no restrictions on the amount of users that can access the software, and it is not restricted to private use. But remember that this license does not allow the software to be used for purposes of financial profit.
With a Non-Commercial license, the Member Site and Wiki modules are included as standard, and there are options available to include Forum and Multi-Site Management modules for an extra fee. These fees are:
- $49.95 to add Forum module
- $79.95 to add Multi-Site Manager (docs)
- $24.95 to add MSM Add. Site License
The final and most expensive license available is the Commercial license.
Commercial License
A commercial license is for organizations looking to use ExpressionEngine on a larger scale, or for financial profit. There are no employee restrictions, no limitations on its use for client-based purposes, and no commercial restraints.
Like the Non-Commercial license, this version comes fully loaded with all the features and modules, with the exception of the Forum and Multi-Site modules. These can be additional purchased for:
- $99.95 for the Forum module
- $199.95 for the Multi-Site Manager (docs)
- $49.95 for MSM Add. Site License
It is slightly disappointing that ExpressionEngine 2 fails to provide a free basic or trial version of the platform, and that there are quite significant additional surcharges if you require the use of Forum, or/and Multi-Site applications. Plus, it seems a little frugal to remove Member Site and Wiki modules from the already restrictive Freelance license option.
However, the packages do contain an excellent range of useful modules and applications, and the overall price of each package is quite competitive compared to other commercially available alternatives. And when you compare the many benefits to the overall price (even including additional charges), ExpressionEngine does make a very viable CMS option.
Now that we have discussed the available licenses, and what they cost, it’s time to have a look inside ExpressionEngine and see what you really get for your money.
ExpressionEngine: Under the Hood
CodeIgniter – The Power behind ExpressionEngine
ExpressionEngine rests on a very solid programming foundation. Its core programming is based on CodeIgniter, an open source PHP framework application that is not only very popular, but also well-received by web programming professionals.
CodeIgniter itself is another EllisLab, Inc product and the company has used the lightweight, reliable application to drive their ExpressionEngine platform with great results.
Commercially Open Sourced
ExpressionEngine combines the reputable open-sourced power of CodeIgniter with the dedicated professionalism of specialized technical support. This collaboration has resulted in a refined product that successfully melds both the creativity and cutting-edge advances that open-source can yield, with the structured environment provided by commercially focused product.
Multi-Functional Applications
As with any good CMS platform, ExpressionEngine has the ability to allow a user to develop a variety of online solutions. There are a wide selection of useful tools to assist in constructing websites, forums (available as a paid add-on), and blogs. ExpressionEngine also boast a very comprehensive bank of tools for website management, publication, and analysis.
Let’s take a closer look at some of ExpressionEngine’s internal applications:
Expression Engine: Features and Benefits
Security and Protection
ExpressionEngine provides one of the most comprehensive sets of security tools of any CMS platform. There are features available to assist with:
- Password Encryption
- IP and User Logging
- IP and Email Banning
- Username Restrictions
- Word Censoring, and much more.
There are also tools provided to help deter spam. These include basic assistance like Captcha and Blacklisting, to more advanced assistance to allow Rank Denials and Comment Time Interval restrictions.
Website Templates and Add-ons
ExpressionEngine has a Template Engine that allows a user (among many other things) to develop:
- Custom SQL Queries
- Customizable Workspaces
- PHP in Templates
- Conditional Operators
- Full-Page Modeling
There are also 22 module add-ons available and over 100 plug-ins. These include:
- Simple Commerce
- Mailing List
- Search
- Referrer
- RSS
- Query
Web Publishing
ExpressionEngine v2.1 has one of the largest, most-comprehensive arrays of web publishing tools available of any CMS platform. These are highly flexible and allow for any foreseeable scenario. They are simply too numerous to list here.
Additional Features
As well as all the previous tools and applications already listed, ExpressionEngine has additional tools that allow management of areas such as:
- Commenting
- Search
- Communications
- Typography
- Data Caching
- Utilities
- Tracking
- Member Management
It would be impossible to list all the features of ExpressionEngine in a small review like this. EllisLab, Inc’s CMS star really does posses a vast collection of feature-rich applications that make it a real option for anyone looking for a lightweight, fully functional CMS solution.
ExpressionEngine – A Final Analysis
The ExpressionEngine CMS platform is becoming increasingly more prominent, especially since its Version 2 upgrade. Many large organizations have adopted the platform to create and manage their online interests and many professional web development businesses are realizing the potential of ExpressionEngine.
The platform offers a huge multitude of tools, options, and features, with incredible flexibility and user-friendly functionality. While there is no available free license and some additional extras do carry a significant surcharge, this does not diminish from the fact that ExpressionEngine is a seriously powerful CMS platform that now offers a serious alternative to many of the more established solutions already available.
If you are looking for a reasonably priced, fully loaded, powerful CMS solution, then you would be well advised to have a good look at ExpressionEngine.
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