Angry Creative vs Competitors
WordPress vs Sitevision
Choosing the right Content Management System (CMS) is one of the most critical strategic decisions you will make for your digital presence.
It affects everything from how your editors work to security, costs, and future growth. Many Swedish companies, especially in the public sector, currently use Sitevision but are wondering if it’s truly the right path forward.
At Angry Creative, we are WordPress specialists and have witnessed the platform’s enormous evolution since 2007. For projects where standard WordPress isn’t enough, we developed Qala, a refined, high-performance platform built on the WordPress core.
In this article, we pit Sitevision, WordPress, and Qala against each other. No fluff, just a straightforward comparison to help you make the right decision.
What is Sitevision?
Sitevision is a Swedish, proprietary (closed-source) CMS that is extremely popular among municipalities, government agencies, and large organizations. The platform is known for being a “safe” choice, focusing on user-friendliness for editors and built-in support for accessibility directives. It is sold as a comprehensive solution with a license and often includes hosting.
What is WordPress?
WordPress is the world’s most used CMS, built on open-source technology. It powers over 40% of all websites on the internet, from small blogs to massive global e-commerce solutions and media sites. Its strength lies in its infinite flexibility, a massive community, and an ecosystem of millions of themes and plugins that can adapt the platform for virtually anything.
WordPress offers a user-friendly interface that makes it easy to get started and grow, even without a technical background. With thousands of plugins, pre-built themes, and seamless integrations, new functionality can be added without custom development. The platform is easy to work with, cost-effective over time, and fully customizable, with control over design, workflows, and integrations. This makes WordPress a strong choice for both small businesses and organizations with ambitions to grow.
What is Qala?
Recognize this? WordPress is incredibly flexible, but ensuring performance, security, and the right functionality for advanced needs can get complex. That’s precisely why we created Qala. It is our solution that takes the best parts of WordPress, flexibility and user-friendliness and packages them with a stable, upgrade-safe foundation, pre-configured premium plugins, and ready-made components for high performance and security. It’s WordPress, but optimized for businesses that mean business.
Sitevision vs WordPress vs Qala i korthet
Sitevision
WordPress
Qala
User-friendliness
Sitevision:
The platform is developed with the non-technical editor in mind. The interface is streamlined and module-based, making it relatively simple to perform basic tasks like publishing news or updating text. Its strength lies in simplicity, but this also becomes a limitation—when more advanced layouts or features are needed, the editor quickly becomes dependent on a developer.
WordPress:
Developed with the user in focus. The block-based editor (Gutenberg) makes it easy and visual to get started. Content can be structured, updated, and managed without technical support, making it ideal for teams that want to work independently.
Qala:
Builds on the WordPress interface but enhances it with pre-configured templates and flexible components. This makes it easier to launch advanced page layouts quickly without compromising on structure or quality.
Cost
Sitevision:
Involves a high initial license cost and recurring annual fees for the license and support. The Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) often becomes high, as customizations and further development are locked into specific Sitevision partners, leading to reduced competition and higher consulting fees.
WordPress:
The core platform is free (open-source), eliminating license costs. The investment lies in customization, development, hosting, and maintenance. To guide this choice, there is a quality-assured partner program from Automattic, the leading company in the WordPress ecosystem, but unlike in closed systems, the choice of provider is completely free.
Qala:
This packaged WordPress solution lowers the total cost with a pre-configured setup and a structure that sustains future upgrades. It’s this methodology and expertise that has made us one of the few certified Automattic partners in the Nordics.
E-commerce
Sitevision:
The platform lacks robust, built-in support for advanced e-commerce. It is primarily a CMS for information. To conduct e-commerce, expensive and complex integrations with third-party systems are often required, creating a fragmented technical environment that is difficult to maintain.
WordPress:
Also lacks native e-commerce support, but can be easily extended with WooCommerce. WooCommerce provides features for product management, payments, shipping, and promotions, making it easy to get started and to grow.
Qala:
Qala E-commerce is built for more advanced needs. Our platform includes advanced search and filtering to handle large product catalogs with complex selection criteria, which is crucial in areas like technical B2B sales. This makes Qala especially relevant for organizations with multiple markets or complex requirements from the start.
Plugins
Sitevision:
The ecosystem is limited to the modules available on the Sitevision Marketplace and integrations developed by the vendor or its partners. Creating new integrations is a costly, specialist job, which limits the capacity for innovation.
WordPress:
WordPress has thousands of plugins for SEO, analytics, e-commerce, forms, and integrations. This makes it easy to customize and extend functionality, often without the help of a developer. Many plugins are free or have low license costs, making it easy to keep both budgets and timelines in check.
Qala:
Builds on the WordPress model but curates the selection to a set of stable, long-term maintained plugins, adapted for businesses with high demands on reliability and support.
SEO
Sitevision:
Offers basic SEO functionality but lacks the deep control required to compete in today’s search results. Working with technical SEO, such as structured data and page speed, can be challenging and often requires the help of a consultant.
WordPress:
Features clean URLs, fast loading times, and mobile responsiveness as standard. However, to create a complete SEO structure, plugins are needed. With tools like Yoast or Rank Math, content teams get direct support in their daily work. Even more advanced needs like structured data and multilingual SEO can be solved with plugins.
Qala:
Builds on WordPress’s strengths and adds pre-configured settings for structured data, technical optimization, and multilingual content from the start. On our immediate roadmap, we also have functionality for AI-driven SEO to further streamline the work.
Security
Sitevision:
Marketed as a secure platform due to its closed-source nature (“security through obscurity”). Responsibility for security lies entirely with the vendor, which provides a false sense of security as there is little transparency and a high dependency on their update processes..
WordPress:
The challenge with the vast range of security tools is that not all are built to work together, which requires expertise and time to configure a stable setup. With clear routines and proper management, security can be kept at a high level. Shortcomings usually arise when the provider lacks the right skills.
Qala:
Qala is the answer to that challenge. Instead of a collection of separate tools, the platform is delivered as a guaranteed functional whole, where all components are tested to work optimally together. This provides fundamental security and predictability in both implementation and ongoing operation.
B2B
Sitevision:
Not built for complex B2B scenarios. Features like customer portals, integration with PIM/ERP systems, or dealer management are not standard. Such projects become large, expensive, and custom-built, with a high risk of vendor lock-in.
WordPress:
Especially effective for B2B initiatives focused on content and marketing. It integrates easily with CRM and marketing automation tools, making it a natural choice for sales-driven teams needing flexibility and speed.
Qala:
Qala takes WordPress’s B2B strengths and shapes them into a cohesive ecosystem that works from the start. Features for logged-in content, lead capture, and CRM connections are not separate add-ons but pre-integrated components, creating a stable foundation for sales and marketing across multiple regions.
International stores
Sitevision:
Managing multiple languages, currencies, and market-specific content is technically complicated and costly in Sitevision. The platform is built for a Swedish context and lacks the built-in flexibility required for effective international expansion.
WordPress:
Uses multisite to manage multiple markets. It works, but lacks important features in its standard configuration. The result is often a poorer experience for editors and higher demands for customization.
Qala:
Developed for international growth with support for localized content, currencies, tax rules, and store-specific logic across multiple markets, all managed through a common interface.
Sammanfattning
Key features Sitevision
- Editor-friendly interface
- All-in-one solution with hosting and support
- Built-in support for accessibility directives (WCAG)
- Module-based architecture with ready-made components
- Strong position in the Swedish public sector
Advantages: Sitevision is suitable for organizations that prioritize a turnkey and secure solution with a low technical threshold for editors. The platform offers a controlled and safe environment where content can be published quickly via ready-made modules. A key strength is that it is sold as a comprehensive service, providing a single point of contact for support and operations. This makes it a common choice for municipalities and government agencies that need to meet legal accessibility requirements without having their own development resources.
Disadvantages: Because the platform is closed-source, flexibility is limited, and users are locked into the vendor’s ecosystem. Customizations and integrations outside the standard offering are often expensive and complex. The annual license cost drives up the total cost of ownership (TCO), and the dependence on Sitevision-specific consultants for all further development creates a strong vendor lock-in effect.
Key features Wordpress
- Intuitive and editor-friendly interface
- Easy to implement with a high degree of customization
- Large selection of ready-made themes, plugins, and integrations
- Built to grow across markets and use cases
Advantages: WordPress is the world’s most used CMS. It is quick to implement, flexible, and works just as well for simple content sites as for more advanced solutions. Paired with WooCommerce, it offers a cost-effective path to e-commerce with a short time-to-market and low operating costs.
Disadvantages: For more complex needs such as large product catalogs, advanced logic, or high traffic volumes, the solution often needs to be reinforced. This requires supplementary tools, a clear structure, and sometimes technical optimization to ensure performance and scalability.
Key Features Qala
- Packaged and refined WordPress platform
- Guaranteed functional and integrated ecosystem
- Built for complex needs (B2B, international e-commerce)
- Lowers total cost of ownership (TCO)
- Shorter time-to-market and increased operational reliability
Advantages: Qala offers a pre-packaged solution for advanced needs, but without the risks and costs that a large, custom “from-scratch” project often entails. The platform’s greatest strength is that it provides shorter lead times, increased reliability, and a lower total cost of ownership because the technical foundation is already tested and quality-assured. It is ideal for organizations that want the power and freedom of WordPress, but with predictability and stability similar to a proprietary system.
Disadvantages: Because Qala is built for complexity and high demands, it is not the most cost-effective choice for simpler websites, like a blog or a small company site. The platform has a defined architecture to guarantee performance and security, which may mean slightly less total freedom compared to building a completely unique solution from a blank slate. For the simplest projects, a standard WordPress installation is often a more suitable starting point.
User-friendliness
Sitevision
Sitevision is built with a clear target audience in mind: the non-technical editor. The platform’s entire philosophy is based on simplifying content work through a module-based system where ready-made components are placed on a page. For simple, recurring tasks, this workflow functions well and allows a large organization to quickly get new users productive.
However, this controlled simplicity is also the platform’s biggest limitation. As soon as an editor wants to create a unique layout, customize a component’s appearance, or introduce new functionality, a developer with specialist skills is required. There is little freedom, and editorial work takes place within the strict framework established during implementation.
The result is a user experience that is predictable and safe, but at the same time rigid and innovation-stifling. For organizations where the web is primarily an information channel, this may be sufficient, but for dynamic teams that want to work agilely and independently, the dependence on developers quickly becomes a bottleneck.
WordPress
WordPress is designed to make content management simple. The block-based interface is visual and intuitive, allowing editors to quickly create, structure, and update content without technical assistance. The learning curve is low, and teams can start working immediately.
The publishing workflows are smooth, and features like drag-and-drop, previews, and reusable blocks simplify daily tasks. It is quick to keep content updated and consistent, even on larger sites.
WordPress is also built to grow. As needs increase, it is easy to introduce structure and customization without losing user-friendliness. The combination of simplicity and control makes WordPress a good choice for organizations that want to work independently but have the option to bring in developers when needed.
Qala
Qala builds upon WordPress’s user-friendly interface with ready-made templates, reusable content types, and clear workflows. It provides a more controlled and uniform experience that simplifies editorial work, especially in organizations with multiple languages, departments, or markets.
This reduces the need for developers or external support in daily work, shortens the initial learning period, and makes it easier to work in a structured way from the start.
Cost
Sitevision
Sitevision’s cost model is entirely proprietary, based on a combination of initial and recurring license fees. The initial investment is often substantial, followed by annual fees for the right to use the software, support agreements, and often hosting in their cloud environment. This provides a predictable budget item but also creates a strong vendor lock-in.
The real cost, however, becomes apparent when the platform needs to be customized or further developed. Because the source code is closed and the ecosystem is small, there is only a limited number of certified partners to turn to. This lack of competition inevitably leads to higher consulting fees and longer lead times for development projects. The Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for a Sitevision solution, therefore, often becomes significantly higher over time compared to open-source alternatives, where free competition and a large ecosystem drive down prices.
WordPress
The core platform is free (open-source), which eliminates license costs. The investment lies instead in customization, development, hosting, and maintenance. The cost can vary significantly depending on the choice of agency and ambition.
To guide this choice, there is a quality-assured partner program from Automattic, the leading company in the WordPress ecosystem, but unlike in closed systems, the choice of provider is completely free.
Without the right expertise, “free” can quickly become expensive through poor technical choices. With pre-built themes and thousands of plugins, functionality can often be added without developing everything from scratch, which reduces both costs and time-to-market.
Qala
Qala is a packaged WordPress solution built to systematically lower the total cost of ownership. With a pre-configured setup, tested plugins, and a structure that sustains future upgrades, the time-to-market is shorter, while operations and future development become more predictable.
It’s this methodology and expertise that has made us one of the few certified Automattic partners in the Nordics. This gives teams with high demands better control over both timelines and future costs.
E-commerce
Sitevision
Sitevision is fundamentally a Content Management System (CMS), not an e-commerce platform. Its architecture is optimized for managing and publishing information, not for handling transactions, inventory, or complex product logic. Conducting e-commerce on Sitevision, therefore, always requires an integration with an external, specialized e-commerce system.
This results in a technical solution consisting of two separate systems that must be synchronized, creating complexity and potential points of failure. Administration becomes fragmented—product data is managed in one system and marketing content in another. The customer experience can also suffer if the integration is not seamless. While this may work for simpler product catalogs or selling a few products, it is an inefficient and costly architecture for any business with serious e-commerce ambitions.
WordPress
WordPress also lacks built-in e-commerce support, but it is easily supplemented with WooCommerce. This is an established plugin for WordPress that supports both simple e-commerce and more advanced solutions with product catalogs, B2B flows, and campaign logic. WooCommerce integrates smoothly with payment solutions, shipping systems, and inventory management, making it a natural choice for organizations that want to sell online without building everything from scratch.
Qala
Qala is developed for organizations with more complex requirements than standard WooCommerce can handle. Support for multiple languages, regional pricing, tax rules, and integrations with business systems is already in place.
Furthermore, the platform has advanced search and filtering functionality to handle large product catalogs with complex selection criteria, which is crucial in areas like technical B2B sales. This makes Qala particularly well-suited for organizations with demanding business logic and multiple markets from the start.
Plugins
Sitevision
The ecosystem around Sitevision is a closed and controlled environment centered on the “Sitevision Marketplace.” It offers a limited selection of modules and integrations that have been reviewed and approved by Sitevision itself. The advantage is that these components have guaranteed functionality and support, which creates a sense of security for the customer.
The disadvantage is a severe lack of choice and innovation. Compared to open-source platforms like WordPress with its tens of thousands of plugins, the selection is minimal. If a specific function or integration with a niche system is missing, there are no ready-made alternatives. The solution is instead to finance an expensive, custom development project from a certified partner. This model makes it difficult to adapt quickly to new technological opportunities and creates a strong dependency on the vendor’s own product development.
WordPress
WordPress supports thousands of plugins for everything from SEO and performance to e-commerce, automation, and integration with external systems. This makes it easy to extend functionality without developing everything from scratch, and to adapt the solution as needs change.
For teams with high demands on performance or security, a conscious choice of tools is required. The quality of plugins varies, but thanks to the large ecosystem, there are often well-documented solutions with a good track record to start from.
Even for more unique needs, development can often be done faster and more cost-effectively than in many other platforms, thanks to the open-source code and established development frameworks. This makes the CMS particularly effective for organizations that want to build over time without investing resources in costly redevelopment.
Qala
Qala is delivered with a carefully curated set of ready-made and tested plugins, adapted to common needs in more complex solutions. All plugins are tested together and are continuously maintained, which reduces the risk of future problems and creates a more secure foundation to build upon.
This simplifies planning, reduces the need for troubleshooting, and contributes to a sustainable solution even in larger projects.
SEO
Sitevision
Sitevision provides the basic tools required for search engine optimization. Editors can edit page titles, meta descriptions, and manage URL structures, which is sufficient to ensure a website gets indexed by search engines. The platform also handles basic technical functions like sitemaps automatically.
For organizations with high ambitions in SEO, however, the limitations quickly become apparent. The platform lacks the deep control and advanced tools found in dedicated SEO plugins for other platforms. Working with more advanced technical SEO, such as implementing Schema markup, optimizing Core Web Vitals, or managing complex redirects, is often a cumbersome process that requires developer intervention. You simply don’t have the same ability to fine-tune and optimize the site to win competitive keywords.
WordPress
WordPress has strong SEO support from the start, with clean URLs, mobile responsiveness, and fast loading times as standard. This provides a good foundation for content that is meant to perform in search results, without requiring deep technical knowledge. With plugins like Yoast or Rank Math, content teams get guidance directly in the editing interface. Keywords, metadata, and structured data are easily managed, providing complete support for optimization.
For organizations that want to work with SEO long-term without developing everything from scratch, WordPress, together with the right plugins, offers both flexibility and a stable framework for continuous improvement.
Qala
Qala retains WordPress’s strengths in SEO and complements them with pre-configured technical settings, including structured metadata, sitemap management, and multilingual optimization. It supports established tools like Yoast and Rank Math, but without requiring manual configuration.
On our immediate roadmap, we also have functionality for AI-driven search engine optimization to further streamline the work. This provides a stable starting point for teams managing content in multiple languages or regions.
Security
Sitevision
The security model in Sitevision is based on the principle of a “walled garden”—a closed and controlled environment where the vendor has full responsibility for the platform’s security. Because the source code is not public, it is not subjected to the same constant scrutiny from a global community as open-source projects. This is marketed as a strength but in practice means the customer is entirely dependent on the vendor’s internal processes for discovering and fixing vulnerabilities.
Updates and security patches are handled centrally by Sitevision. This provides convenient and predictable security management for the customer, but it also reduces transparency and control. You cannot act or review the code yourself. In a world where new threats emerge daily, this dependency can be a risk, in contrast to open-source platforms where a global network of developers often identifies and fixes vulnerabilities with extremely high speed.
WordPress
When set up correctly, WordPress can be very secure. The platform supports two-factor authentication, firewalls, monitoring, and a huge range of security tools. The challenge with this vast range is that not all tools are built to work together, which requires expertise and time to configure and test a stable, cohesive setup.
Its widespread use makes WordPress a frequent target for attacks, but with clear procedures, good plugin management, and continuous updates, security can be maintained at a high level. Shortcomings usually arise when the provider lacks the right expertise.
Qala
Qala is the answer to that security challenge. Instead of a collection of separate tools, the platform is delivered as a guaranteed functional whole, where all components are tested to work optimally together. This provides fundamental security and predictability in both implementation and ongoing operation.
B2B
Sitevision
Sitevision is designed as a system for managing information and communication, not for supporting complex business-to-business (B2B) processes. Features that are central to B2B commerce such as customer-specific pricing, advanced access control for dealers, integration with PIM/ERP systems, or self-service portals are not part of the platform’s core functionality.
Implementing such solutions in Sitevision means building them as extensive, custom projects. In practice, you are building an application on top of or alongside the CMS, which is both costly and technically complicated. The result is seldom as robust or flexible as a solution built on a platform intended for that purpose. For companies where digital B2B channels are business-critical, Sitevision is therefore rarely a strategically viable choice.
WordPress
WordPress is particularly effective for B2B companies with a focus on visibility, lead generation, and rapid adaptation. The platform supports large-scale content-driven marketing and integrates easily with CRM systems like HubSpot, Salesforce, and Pipedrive.
The ability to manage multiple campaigns, landing pages, and regional sites within the same structure gives marketing teams flexibility without losing control. WordPress combines strong SEO with short implementation times, making it a stable foundation for companies that want to grow without having to rebuild at every step.
Qala
Qala takes WordPress’s B2B strengths and shapes them into a cohesive ecosystem that works from the start. Features for logged-in content, lead capture, and CRM connections are not separate add-ons but pre-integrated components. This creates a stable and predictable foundation for sales and marketing across multiple regions, and simplifies the collaboration between marketing and IT.
International stores
Sitevision
The platform is developed with a clear foundation in the Swedish market and is not optimized for international e-commerce. Handling the complex requirements of global sales such as multiple languages, currencies, local payment methods, and varying tax rules is a significant challenge in Sitevision. Each new market often requires extensive customizations and manual processes.
The architecture lacks the built-in, flexible support for localization that modern e-commerce platforms offer. Administering content and products for multiple countries from a single interface is inefficient. This not only leads to higher administration costs but also makes it difficult to act quickly in a global market. Companies with international ambitions will quickly hit a technical ceiling that hinders growth.
WordPress
WordPress supports international growth through multisite functionality, language plugins, and WooCommerce. This makes it possible to manage multiple languages, currencies, and domains within a common structure, facilitating a presence in multiple markets without losing control or performance.
WooCommerce is a good foundation, but for more advanced needs, such as regional pricing or custom shopping experiences, extra configuration is often required.
Qala
Qala is developed to handle global e-commerce from the ground up, with built-in support for local languages, market-specific pricing, tax rules, and country-specific store views. Where WooCommerce requires extra configuration, Qala offers a ready-made structure that is ready to use and manage in the same interface. This makes it easier to expand to new markets with control over both performance and editorial work.
For companies with large product catalogs in multiple countries, there is a ready-made integration with Pimcore. It ensures uniform product data and efficient delivery across all markets, without creating new silos in the system environment.
Sitevision vs WordPress vs Qala: The final summary
Sitevision, WordPress, and Qala represent two fundamentally different philosophies for web publishing. The biggest difference lies in the choice between a closed, license-based system and an open, global ecosystem—a choice that directly impacts flexibility, total cost of ownership (TCO), and future innovation potential.
Sitevision is a Swedish, proprietary system that offers a predictable and controlled environment, which has made it common in the public sector. But the perceived security comes at the price of high license costs and total vendor lock-in to the supplier’s ecosystem. Flexibility is minimal, which makes customizations and modernization expensive projects that drive up the total cost of ownership over time.
WordPress is built on open-source code and is the world’s undisputed leader, which has created an unparalleled global ecosystem. This dominance means that the availability of talent is nearly infinite, and there is a huge range of ready-made solutions that drive down development costs and shorten lead times. The platform is continuously developed and security-tested by a global community, making it a predictable and future-proof foundation to build upon.
Qala is our packaged WordPress solution that takes the power of the open ecosystem and adds the structure and guarantees that complex projects demand. We have solved the common challenges in advance, making it possible to grow with B2B, e-commerce, and an international presence without being hit by high maintenance costs or technical roadblocks.
Ultimately, the choice is about what future you want to invest in. For organizations seeking a modern solution that is easy to use, cost-effective to develop, and free from technical lock-in, WordPress or Qala is the strategically superior choice.
Thinking of switching from Sitevision?
Are you stuck with a Sitevision solution that feels limiting, slow, or expensive to develop? Do you feel that your digital ambitions are greater than what the platform allows? You are not alone. We have helped many companies migrate from closed platforms like Sitevision to the flexible and future-proof world of WordPress and Qala.
Talk to our founder, Jimmy Rosén, for an honest analysis of your needs and see how we can help you build a digital presence that not only works today but gives you a competitive advantage for years to come.