Alfresco manages content, and it therefore meets the definition for a Content Management System (CMS). However, Alfresco is different from other popular open source CMS options. A brief comparison with a pair of open source CMS alternatives will offer some clues about what makes Alfresco unique.

• WordPress – The WordPress CMS can be used to create a single site with lots of content, and WordPress is great for managing content on a single site. Alfresco, on the other hand, can create several logically different websites and help you manage content on all of the sites. WordPress allows you to quickly add content and publish it to your site. The WordPress option is generally suitable for bloggers, news sites, and other such use cases where user needs to get the content online in a hurry. Alfresco, on the other hand, takes things at bigger perspective. Along with content publishing, it supports user management, workflows, and other features. Another major difference is document management support. WordPress doesn't provide a document management service; the only support you get is for online content, whereas Alfresco provides an impressive out-of-the-box document management system.
• Joomla – The Joomla tool also lets you create single website but differs from WordPress in the way it lets you create a more complete site. Joomla has support for important features such as menu items and slide shows. Joomla would be a better choice if you wanted to build a full-fledged website for a service or product. With Joomla, you get a platform where you can do almost anything you want; however, it lacks the collaboration emphasis of Alfresco.

Alfresco is better suited for an internal website, where the emphasis is not on design or achieving a high traffic volume but is, instead, on managing activities and supporting interaction among team members.