This is something we get a lot of inquiry on, so I’d just like to explore the strengths and weaknesses of both systems.

A word of warning, this is not really a good comparison as they are totally different systems with different focuses – it’s like comparing a thoroughbred horse with a Clydesdale.  But here goes.

WordPress is an extremely efficient blogging engine, that’s what it was designed for. It is very good for search engine ranking, is light and can be modified to make a standard website with a custom theme. An example of this is the office space Cebu website. However, that is about the limit of wordpress’s ability. Attempts at making a shopping cart or a catalog, look like the Hero’s Pizza website in Perth, pretty limited.

Business Catalyst is a fully integrated system that makes a great small business website or store. It has a blog, but that is not even in the same world as WordPress.  You can make a powerful shopping cart, or listing website with Business Catalyst. BC has some great Members area features including Web Apps, which allow you to build little pages that people who are members can setup and maintain independently, like real estate listings. BC has some good SEO strengths, but also some weaknesses. It is certainly not as powerful as WordPress in that regard.

You cannot host BC wherever you want, it is a hosted solution – software as a service. You either buy a license up front or  host on one of their partner’s system. On the other hand, you can install WordPress on any Linux server you want, it’s free.

My advice: Use both. Use WordPress for what it is designed for and Business Catalyst for a more comprehensive solution. Don’t try and make a powerful blog in Business Catalyst and don’t try and make a comprehensive website in WordPress.