I currently use Wordpress, not as a blogging application but for CMS. I’ve used ExpressionEngine in the past and I liked it very much, however I switched back to Wordpress because it was free and had lots of plugins available.

One advantage EE had over WP is the custom field tags, which Wordpress doesn’t have out of the box (it does but not very flexible unless you add a plugin that extends it) and it’s a little more confusing/difficult to use than EE. However, once I found a good plugin, I was able to do most things EE was able to do.

One major advantage I see over EE is the markup is much cleaner than EE and it is flexible in a way that you don’t have to have header/index/footer/sidebar required (although that is good practice WP forces you to use for ease of update.

I don’t think you need to know PHP to use WP either. Some basic crash course will help but other than the basic <?php ?> tags and function statements, WP documents the tags pretty well like any other CMS.

I’m just looking for major advantage to switch over to EE over WP.

Well, custom field tags out of the box, more flexible, less confusing to use, you don’t need to know PHP….

Um seriously, this topic gets beat to death here.

Almost always comes down to EE does more, has better support, and as a pay-for-product gets superior development, easier upgrades, and comes with a puppy!

Ok, I was snide and mean in the above, but if you do a google search or a search in these very forums you will see this question bandied about to no end.

And to some extent it’s like walking into the Apple Store and asking why macs are better than PCs.

But to really address your question:

expression-engine-vs-textpattern

Is Expression Engine Worth Paying For?

And my best reason for staying with EE (other than dance with the one that brung ya) is EE 2.0 is forthcoming and I think it will beat anything out there.

Pros for me with EE, having come from Wordpress too:

1. Security
2. Multi Site Management
3. Templating System
4. EE Support
5. User friendly for me and my clients
6. Just the right amount of plugins

Cheers,

Andy

After reading your comment, I have to wonder ... Did you really use ExpressionEngine? Did you read through the docs? wiki? knowledge base?

foojae - 26 June 2008 04:45 PM

... One major advantage I see over EE is the markup is much cleaner than EE and it is flexible in a way that you don’t have to have header/index/footer/sidebar required ...

Please go visit the showcase.
No, really!
Look at the very pretty sites created with ExpressionEngine.
That is one area where EE shines, you are not bound in any way to any layout. They can be fluid, or fixed. With or without header/index/footer/sidebar.

While EE may be overpowered for your average web builder, it certainly has all the tools to powered many categories, blogs, sections, photo management galleries, users comments, etc.
Spend more time viewing each of the sites shown in the showcase, and you will quickly realized the unlimited potential of ExpressionEngine in the hands of a capable developer!

OrganizedFellow - 26 June 2008 11:07 PM

After reading your comment, I have to wonder ... Did you really use ExpressionEngine? Did you read through the docs? wiki? knowledge base?

 

foojae - 26 June 2008 04:45 PM

... One major advantage I see over EE is the markup is much cleaner than EE and it is flexible in a way that you don’t have to have header/index/footer/sidebar required ...

Please go visit the showcase.
No, really!
Look at the very pretty sites created with ExpressionEngine.
That is one area where EE shines, you are not bound in any way to any layout. They can be fluid, or fixed. With or without header/index/footer/sidebar.

While EE may be overpowered for your average web builder, it certainly has all the tools to powered many categories, blogs, sections, photo management galleries, users comments, etc.
Spend more time viewing each of the sites shown in the showcase, and you will quickly realized the unlimited potential of ExpressionEngine in the hands of a capable developer!

I meant to say EE has cleaner markup than WP

Multi site management has to be the #1 reason IMHO. There are tons of other reasons for using EE over WP and WP over EE, but this seems to stick out.

I would say that WP and MT has recently caught up or surpassed EE but I expect with EE 2.0, EE should once again hold a clear advantage.

It comes down to what you value most in your CMS.

Dabbledoo - 29 June 2008 08:36 AM

... I would say that WP and MT has recently caught up or surpassed EE but I expect with EE 2.0, EE should once again hold a clear advantage.

It comes down to what you value most in your CMS.

I would say that neither WP nor MT have come close to the functionality, robustness, sheer customizability and power of EE.

TXP, WP & MT will always be a ‘bloggers’ choice (mostly due to their simple Get Up And Blog abilities), whereas EE will be used best as a Content Management System. Aside from a blog, it can contain media, unlimited custom fields, any URL structure, user/member management, etc.

It all comes down to WHAT you want.

Here is the main reason why EE is different:

ExpressionEngine = CMS
Wordpress = Blogging tool

Ofcourse EE comes with blogging tools included.

For me it still comes down to professional support.

If you are a PHP guru then both can be bent to your will but for ordinary designer/developer, EE gives you more power out of the box.

My girlfriend put it like this:

Wordpress has one suit hanging on a door with a bunch of dangles and clip-ons you can add to it to make it snazzy-er.

EE has an 800 square foot walk-in wardrobe with an almost limitless possibility to wear something different every day for the rest of the milenia.

Me elaborating:

Essentially, you can turn EE into a Scheduling app for a contractor.  An online shop, a time managment / employee clock in clock out app for a small business.  It can be a simple little blog or nearly anything you can think of.  You just have to figure out how to put the information into the database and pull it out so that it accomplishes what you need it to.

How friendly is is to the people using it is up to you in how you create the forms for input.  It takes a bit of time making anything newbie / idiot proof.  But it’s something you have to do.  The client hires you because they don’t know what the heck their doing.  It’s not hard to build a highly functional site for a cat from the stone age.  Just takes some time to figure out how to the first time you try.  After that, after all the firsts, it’s cake.

The more you work with it the more you know not to wear the iron workers helmet with the pink stilettos and the flannel hot shorts and the lime green halter.

Hope this helps anyone who happens upon it

PS..  If you look at a Wordpress template and an EE template you’ll love the similarities.  Instead of php tags you use curly brackets.  With practice it takes an hour tops to convert a WP template over to EE.

brilliant.
amazingly accurate alalogy!