Isomer vs LocalGov Drupal
Isomer
isomer.gov.sg
LocalGov Drupal
localgovdrupal.orgSide by side
| Figure | Isomer | LocalGov Drupal |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 4 |
| Spec score · Government Website Builders | 8.3 (#5) | 8.9 (#1) |
| Accessibility | The product uses accessibility-focused templates and prompts editors to complete essential accessibility fields. | The CMS content and functionality are designed to meet or exceed WCAG 2.1 AA, with the administration interface also targeted at that level. |
| Documentation | The Help Center is organised into 37 migration articles, 44 Isomer Next guide articles and 10 new-feature articles. | Documentation covers installation, configuration, theming, content types, developer workflows, hosting, security, testing and contribution. |
| Integrations | Classic Isomer supports whitelisted embeds including VICA, YouTube, Vimeo, FormSG, Data.gov.sg graphs and CheckFirst. | Drupal REST and JSON:API plus its module ecosystem can connect forms, payments, CRM, case-management, identity, mapping and directory systems. |
| Licence | The repository uses the MIT License, subject to Singapore-law and arbitration terms and exclusions for government or third-party assets. | The distribution is released under the GNU General Public License version 2.0. |
| Maker founded | LinkedIn lists Open Government Products as founded in 2018. | Open Digital Cooperative was founded in January 2023 to operate, develop and financially sustain LocalGov Drupal. |
| Maker size | LinkedIn lists Open Government Products as having 51–200 employees and headquarters in Singapore. | LinkedIn lists LocalGov Drupal as a nonprofit with 2–10 employees and headquarters all around the UK. |
| Publishing | Pages remain drafts until explicitly published, and published changes normally appear on the live site in about 10 minutes. | Publishing features include flexible page components, patterns, styles, callouts, workflows, revisions, service contacts and shareable preview links. |
| Purpose | Isomer is a free website builder for government agencies to create and launch static websites without coding expertise. | LocalGov Drupal is an open source publishing platform built and maintained by councils and suppliers for local government. |
| What it does | Isomer is a static website builder for Singapore government agencies that provides managed hosting while agencies manage site content. | LocalGov Drupal is a Drupal distribution and installation profile for UK councils publishing public-facing websites. |
Plans
LocalGov Drupal
- LocalGov Drupal CMSFree
- LocalGov Drupal CMSFree
- LocalGov Drupal flying solo£9,999, paid once
- Council subscriptionPrice not published
In their own words
Isomer
Isomer is a free website builder for Singapore government agencies and public healthcare institutions to create static websites without coding. Its Isomer Studio editor lets public officers build, edit, and publish pages with drag-and-drop controls. Publishing supports review requests, approvals, and release of approved changes. Agencies can select page layouts, combine components, and customize colours, logos, and favicons.
Accessibility prompts cover essential fields, while templates and components are designed to support accessible sites. SEO features include predefined headings, generated tables of contents and folder index pages, image alt text, and customizable meta descriptions. Open Government Products builds and manages Isomer. Its team handles hosting, maintenance, support, and compliance with relevant IM8 and Digital Service Standards clauses, and centrally manages security testing and audits. Isomer does not provide website design services or custom layouts. Domain costs and third-party services such as web monitoring may be extra.
LocalGov Drupal
LocalGov Drupal is an open-source publishing platform built and maintained by councils and suppliers for local government. It is designed for local councils in the UK and Ireland, with tools for subsites, news, events, alerts, directories, service pages, guides, step-by-step pages, HTML publications and elections. Publishing features include flexible page components, patterns, styles, callouts, workflows, revisions, service contacts and shareable preview links. Optional workflow tools add roles, permissions, moderation, approval dashboards, scheduled publishing, review dates and revision records. Councils can use LocalGov Drupal Microsites to operate distinct websites from one platform; more than 50 microsites are live. The project supplies a scalable base theme and sample Scarfolk subtheme, along with quick-start installation, modular architecture, automated testing and coding-standards checks. Drupal REST and JSON:API tools and its module ecosystem can connect it with forms, payments, CRM, case management, identity providers, mapping and directories. Content and functionality are designed to meet or exceed WCAG 2.1 AA. The software is free, but installation and preparation require development resources, appropriate hosting and ongoing security updates.