Here at 180 we have developed around 4 websites with Drupal, 10 websites with ExpressionEngine, maybe 15 with Wordpress, 20 with CMSMadeSimple, and another dozen with random commerce systems. What we have found is that ExpressionEngine is by far is the most flexible as a short or long term solution.
Here is random example of developing a simple 5 page website with no addons:
CMSMS = 5-10hrs
Wordpress = 5-10 hrs
EE = 10 hrs
Joomla = 20hrs
Drupal = 50 hrs (drupal is very very powerful, but just setting it up is a headache)
But here is the beautiful part about ExpressionEngine: What if the client wants a 5 page website with blog, cataloged portfolio, heavy event management, and simple commerce system?
CMSMS = 50+ hrs
Wordpress = 70+hrs
EE = 30 hrs
Joomla = 60 hrs
Drupal = 100 hrs
And if you add everything above + registration-type member management:
CMSMS = 70+ hrs
Wordpress = 80+hrs
EE = 40 hrs
Joomla = 65 hrs
Drupal = 110 hrs
EE, Drupal, and Joomla come with this out of the box. WP does too, sort of , but it takes a lot of hacking to actually make it so registered users can do anything useful besides just adding posts (for example - if you wanted members to be able to speak to each other, upload/download files, etc).
I’m really not making this up: we built this community site in Drupal 2 years ago in around 150 hours, and a similarly powerful Expression Engine site just 5 months ago in around 35 hours. Both are fully updated by clients all the time, have advanced event management, member management, etc.
That’s why we have actually started charging clients MORE for non-expression engine projects.
Expression engine = What 180byDesign loves!
p.s. Thank you to the WCIU.edu team for forcing us into the Expression Engine world. You’ve made our lives that much better.
True, so true. Couple things worth mentioning for the less EEngaged
1) Technically, it’s ExpressionEngine (no space) by EllisLabs (again, no space).
2) EE is far more than just a blogging platform. IMHO it’s closer to framework than it is an application (in the WordPress, Drupal, etc. sense of application). With EE you build what you want. With the others, you take what you get and then tweak, hack, etc.
Thanks Mark! Very true. We feel that it’s sort of like an entire system built with Drupal’s VIEWS functionality. All the data is customized & printed from the start. No ‘taking what you get & hacking’. Great line!
I’ll edit ‘ee’ name. Thanks for note.
You mean to tell us that you just now discovered EE? You must be hanging out at wrong coffee shops
EE is pretty sweat and thanks posting this into true perspective of time & cost.
“Tweaking” other apps might be fun initially but as soon as you get under some form of time-line and commitment the fun part turns into panic, anger, hate, hair loss…ultimately into rage against the machine.
HA! Yeah - wrong coffee shops for sure! Well, we’re now almost exclusively encouraging EE for any non cart related website (and MagentoCommerce for carts). It’s a beautiful system. I personally have an EE-Starter locally in Mamp that I use to add any addons I consider important. Love it. If only some of the cart addons were a bit better I’d just drop Magento instantly.
You might want to keep an eye (or two) on http://cartthrob.com/
The more comfortable you get with EE the faster and more rewarding the development gets.
Btw, great blog I just recently discovered it.
Everything in here are true except for the EE
I couldnt agree more, you were probably at the wrong coffee shop haha. Or might as well want to upgrade your internet speed? 
Most of us are working from coffee shops and yes, the internet speed sometimes it’s not just as good as we would want it to be. Regards, Matt @ http://www.unionsquaresoftware.com/