Hello, for a bigger project, I'm looking for a back end that can compete with Drupal and is: open source self hosted "modern" (meaning, Drupal has been around and the technology trends have changed a bit) ready for headless Features that I'm missing with Strapi, Keystone, etc. are: custom content types plenty of field types permission on field level multi-language support Rest / GraphQL / Web Service ready configurations can be versioned and imported/deployed useful plugins (location/proximity, images, views, ...) As troublesome as it might be to work with Drupal, I can do a lot without developing any code. Is there anything similar among the 'modern' (open source, self hosted) CMS?
I've been looking at the systems that work with jamstack and some are quite good but for many it's just an opportunity to offer half the product. Most have allowed custom tables etc but I'm dubious about all the layers and lack of control. After decades of using established CMS and/or frameworks I'm going back to DIY?
Yes, I've got the same impression. Some systems look great approach wise. But they just lack fundamental features (that they might offer in a hosted plan). Totally fine for a small website. But from what I found for a more complex web app, it's either an established enterprise CMS + front end via Vue/React/... or DIY the whole back-end.
I agree with DIY approach, however users know about mostly WordPress and they request that. And in such situation, it is very hard to convince them to use my CMS rather then WordPress.
I just show my clients the rubbish WP generates on a webpage and how much longer it takes to load all that unnecessary hogwash. Then I ask them if they usully use a 26-tonne tractor-trailer to go and buy a pint of milk at the corner store. It usually works.
At different points in your career you'll have different amounts of respect given by clients. Some clients will question everything, others will put their trust in the professional. You'll learn which clients are easier to manage, give more work, and are therefore more profitable. Somtimes the client who questions if the sky is blue turns out to be better in the long run once you've earned their respect, some just turn into pre-sale nightmares and you never recoup the cost.
I use TV remote analogy. Remote represents WordPress. And I ask how many of these buttons they are using and if the even know what the rest of them are used for? Then I say that I will create a remote with buttons they will all use and know what they are for.