Which CMS is the most easily translatable?

In our daily work we often have to choose tools suitable for multilingual sites. The question seemed simple: What is the most easily translatable CMS, both in terms of interface and user-generated content?

We decided to rely on ChatGPT to conduct comprehensive research on the topic. But we did not just ask for a list: here is, step by step, how we built together with ChatGPT a professional report to use and share.

The problem

We started with this request:

I need comprehensive research about CMS localization. The report should answer the question: what CMS is most easily translatable?

By “most easily translatable” we meant two distinct aspects:

1. How many languages are available for the interface (GUI) of the CMS out of the box.
2. How easy it is to translate content (pages, articles, comments, etc.) without the need for extensions, or using plugins if necessary.

The prompting strategy

To obtain a useful result, we refined the initial prompt so that it will:

• include both open-source and proprietary CMS/SaaS
• consider even CMSs with low market share if they are particularly good in terms of localization
• prioritize native features, but also evaluate plugins where needed

• ask for a structured report, with ordered sections and a final summary in table form with ranking based on:

  • Number of languages available for the GUI
  • Ease in creating a multilingual site
  • Subjective score of “localization friendliness” from 1 to 5

Key prompt:

Please consider also niche and low-market share CMSs, if they have remarkable localization features.  
I need a full report. At the end include a summary table with a ranked list.  
Choose 2-3 attributes to rank the CMSs (such as number of language packs available out of the box, for the GUI, tech-proficiency needed to set up a multilingual site with that CMS, etc.)

Data verification

Although ChatGPT is a powerful tool, we manually verified key data to make sure the information was current and accurate. In particular, we checked:

• The available languages for the admin interface of each CMS by visiting the official pages or GitHub repositories.
• The presence of native features for localization by consulting official documentation (e.g., for Joomla, Drupal, Plone, TYPO3, etc.)
• The availability of recommended plugins, such as WPML or TranslatePress for WordPress, Weglot for Squarespace, or Fluent for SilverStripe.
• Known limitations or workarounds common for CMSs with limited localization support (e.g. Squarespace, Ghost).

We compared the information reported by ChatGPT with:

• W3Techs – Market Share CMS
• Official documentation of CMSs
• Updated community forums and guides

Exporting the report

Once we obtained the text, we asked ChatGPT to directly generate a .docx file in Word format, which is useful for sharing the report even with non-technical clients or colleagues. The prompt for this phase was:

Please generate the docx

ChatGPT created a well-formatted summary table, and provided us with a link to download the file directly.

📊 Key findings of the report

More than 15 CMSs were analyzed in the report, whose interface language availability and ease in managing multilingual content were evaluated.

The most relevant results were:

• Best CMS for localization: Joomla, Drupal, Plone and TYPO3 offer native multilingual capabilities, without the need for external plugins.

• WordPress: has an interface translated into more than 70 languages, but it requires plugins (e.g., . WPML or Polylang) to manage multilingual content.

• Wix and Shopify: excellent integrated multilingual support designed for non-technical users.

• Squarespace and Ghost: not recommended for multilingual sites, lack native tools and solutions are cumbersome or only via external services.

• Enterprise CMSs such as Adobe Experience Manager and Sitecore: offer advanced localization features that are ideal for complex projects, but require technical setup.

Do you want to read the report?

To download the full report in PDF format, click on the button below:

Download the report "Easily translatable CMSs" as a PDF

Lessons learned

This experience confirmed to us that:

• ChatGPT is an excellent tool for structured searches, especially when guided by precise prompts.
• The quality of the result depends greatly on how you ask the question.
• Even if the data are consistent and detailed, it is always necessary to verify external sources for safety.
• You can integrate ChatGPT's work into your own editorial processes, saving time in data collection and preliminary drafting.