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DNN Platform

DNN Platform

Overview

What is DNN Platform?

The DNN Platform (formerly DotNetNuke) is a free web content management systems (CMS) from DNN Corporation headquartered in San Mateo, California.

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What is DNN Platform?

The DNN Platform (formerly DotNetNuke) is a free web content management systems (CMS) from DNN Corporation headquartered in San Mateo, California.

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  • Premium Consulting/Integration Services

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Product Details

What is DNN Platform?

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DotNetNuke: The Social CMS for Business

DNN Platform Technical Details

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Reviews From Top Reviewers

Community Insights

TrustRadius Insights are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, 3rd-party data sources. Have feedback on this content? Let us know!

Users of the DNN platform have found it to be a versatile tool for creating and managing various types of websites. The platform has been used to develop brochureware websites in multiple languages, making it easy to create and maintain content-focused marketing websites. Additionally, DNN has proven effective for building interactive web applications, offering features like user management, role-based security, and seamless media embedding. Users have also found it highly beneficial for organizing help articles and providing an easy-to-use help system for customers.

DNN's flexibility and extensive features have made it a popular choice for managing large-scale public and internal websites. With its role-based security and flexible themes, users have successfully implemented secure and visually appealing websites. Despite its advanced capabilities, even users with limited knowledge have been able to flawlessly use the DNN platform to create and manage websites. The platform's extensive knowledge base has also been valuable in managing network drives, users, and roles.

In addition to website development, DNN has been used in various other contexts. It has served as a solution for CRM needs, allowing users to create simple web applications and manage projects and content for corporate houses. Some users have even leveraged DNN for course management systems. The prebuilt user and content management features have been particularly useful in enabling users to focus on their core projects rather than worrying about these foundational aspects.

The flexibility of the DNN platform has been harnessed by a wide range of users, hosting anything from single-page sites to full-blown e-commerce platforms. It has allowed users to easily manage website skins and content, resulting in faster updates and improved theming. Users have also benefited from writing their own C# ASP.Net modules with DNN, overcoming limitations of third-party modules through direct database manipulation.

In terms of performance, users have found that DNN is less buggy when deployed for enterprise solutions compared to other options they have tried. It has even proven to be a more efficient alternative to Umbraco when rebuilding websites, resulting in faster website builds and enhanced theming capabilities. Furthermore, DNN has facilitated the development of modern web solutions on the .NET stack, thanks to its multi-tenancy capabilities and powerful API.

The DNN platform has been widely adopted as a content management solution for website customers. Its flexibility and open nature have allowed for the inclusion of custom features tailored to specific needs. It has also been utilized in-house by many organizations, providing granular controls for managing website content and building custom solutions.

Finally, DNN has emerged as the preferred platform for a software development company, offering an advanced CMS and comprehensive application framework. Users have been able to rely on DNN for maintaining their websites over many years, thanks to the regular supply of security patches by DNN. Larger customers have specifically favored the DNN-supported Evoq product for its excellent support.

In conclusion, the DNN platform has proven to be a valuable tool for a wide range of use cases. From creating and managing brochureware websites in multiple languages to building interactive web applications with user management and role-based security, DNN offers flexibility and ease of use. It has been highly effective in organizing help articles, managing network drives and users, and even serving as a content management solution for corporate houses. With its extensive features and powerful API, DNN enables users to create modern web solutions on the .NET stack. Whether it's for small-scale websites or large enterprise solutions, DNN provides a reliable platform that users can depend on for their website needs.

Good platform for basic websites: Many users have found DNN to be a reliable and efficient platform for their needs, allowing them to host basic websites with ease. They appreciate the streamlined functionality it offers compared to their previous CMS. Some reviewers specifically mentioned that DNN has made tasks more efficient for them.

Highly secure and easy to manage: Users consistently praise DNN for its high level of security and user-friendly management features. The platform's robustness makes it a popular choice among developers, who appreciate the peace of mind that comes with knowing their websites are well-protected. Several users also noted that managing websites with DNN is straightforward and hassle-free.

Challenging Communication: Some users found communication with the DDN sales and support teams to be difficult, leading to frustrations in resolving issues or getting assistance.

Lack of Free Modules: Several reviewers mentioned that the platform lacks free modules, making other CMS platforms more popular among users who prefer a wider range of options without additional costs.

Ineffective Content Authoring Experience: Many users noted that the free version of DNN does not provide a good content authoring experience. Upgrading to the paid platform or using third-party options is necessary for structured, reusable content. However, some users expressed disappointment as they found these third-party options to be ineffective in meeting their needs.

Users have made several recommendations based on their experience with DNN. Firstly, they believe that DNN is on par with other website builders such as Wix, Squarespace, and Wordpress in terms of its power and capabilities. Secondly, users suggest exploring and understanding the knowledge base of DNN, which implies that it contains valuable information for users to enhance their understanding and usage of the platform. Thirdly, users highly regard DNN as a great tool for content management, implying that it provides effective solutions for organizing and managing website content. Lastly, users recommend checking out DNN, particularly if you are a Microsoft/Windows developer, suggesting that it may be well-suited for individuals with this background.

(1-4 of 4)

DNN is a robust, enterprise ready OPEN SOURCE CMS. You don't need to pay Evoq. Just hire a dnn team!

Rating: 9 out of 10
April 29, 2021
Vetted Review
Verified User
DNN Platform
12 years of experience
We use DNN [Platform] in several in-house projects and sites, as well as implementing it for other clients for their website content management systems and managing their sites. We also build custom solutions on top the framework for other installs of DNN [Platform], for which there currently exists no module or solution. It's a middle ground solution for those who need customization and flexibility, even enough for enterprise level, but still want some granular controls to be able to make it as easy for non-technical people such as content developers to add content without messing up the design, seo or compliance.
  • Granular controls for permission settings
  • Unlimited portal farm for creating many sites and sharing assets
  • Easy to use page management and controls
  • Intuitive interface
  • Have come a long way in the past five+ years
Cons
  • Missing a tool to test for compliance (built in)
  • All module developers should be held to a standard before being allowed to sell in the dnn store
  • Confusion between dnn and evoq creates a lot of headaches for us
DNN [Platform] is great for organizations of any size who wish to have a robust CMS to manage their site. DNN is not ideal for a small site that is better suited to a super easy to user interface such as Wix. DNN [Platform] is plenty strong enough for enterprises and large entities.
Web Content Creation (8)
86.25%
8.6
WYSIWYG editor
100%
10.0
Code quality / cleanliness
90%
9.0
Admin section
80%
8.0
Page templates
90%
9.0
Library of website themes
80%
8.0
Mobile optimization / responsive design
100%
10.0
Publishing workflow
80%
8.0
Form generator
70%
7.0
Web Content Management (5)
86%
8.6
Content taxonomy
90%
9.0
SEO support
80%
8.0
Bulk management
70%
7.0
Availability / breadth of extensions
90%
9.0
Community / comment management
100%
10.0
Platform & Infrastructure (2)
95%
9.5
API
100%
10.0
Internationalization / multi-language
90%
9.0
Security (1)
100%
10.0
Role-based user permissions
100%
10.0
CMS programming language or framework
N/A
N/A
  • DNN helps us win bids on projects through the improvements the community has done over the past few years; we were ready to scrap it all together but it has made great strides
  • DNN's community has come back and is actively working to improve and expand the capabilities of the cms
  • on a negative note, the confusion between evoq and dnn has caused us headaches
DNN [Platform] is as good as any CMS platform out there today. It's easier to use than WordPress for sophisticated sites and even (once set up properly) for non-technical people to maintain. For novice users without support, it's probably not the ideal solution against WordPress or wix etc. WP has more modules and extensions available. Drupal is a nightmare to use. Sitecore is expensive.

A worthy CMS Option - DNN Platform

Rating: 4 out of 10
June 13, 2017
JR
Vetted Review
Verified User
DNN Platform
2 years of experience
We use DNN Platform as one of several content management solutions for our website customers. We have implemented, designed for and supported the platform for clients who generally have unclear future extensibility requirements or need the platform's open nature for the development of custom features. We do not use it for our own corporate site.
  • DNN allows for multiple installation and hosting options, so large corporate and small clients can each have a service that fits them.
  • DNN has the ability to have a lot of features customized.
  • The licensing, if using the on demand or Evoq versions is pricey, but is better than many alternatives.
Cons
  • Out of the box, it has some modules, but not enough unless you do a paid version.
  • The support is a bit slow.
  • The menuing can be confusing and terms used a bit strange. which makes training difficult.
When hosting set up needs to be specific as a requirement of the client's IT group or legal policies, DNN is a good choice as it has many options. For small companies or sites where not much flexibility is needed, it is overkill and a hosted CMS or small implementation like WordPress is a better choice.
Web Content Creation (8)
41.25%
4.1
WYSIWYG editor
60%
6.0
Code quality / cleanliness
50%
5.0
Admin section
40%
4.0
Page templates
50%
5.0
Library of website themes
N/A
N/A
Mobile optimization / responsive design
N/A
N/A
Publishing workflow
50%
5.0
Form generator
80%
8.0
Web Content Management (5)
76%
7.6
Content taxonomy
90%
9.0
SEO support
60%
6.0
Bulk management
50%
5.0
Availability / breadth of extensions
100%
10.0
Community / comment management
80%
8.0
Platform & Infrastructure (2)
N/A
N/A
API
N/A
N/A
Internationalization / multi-language
N/A
N/A
Security (1)
100%
10.0
Role-based user permissions
100%
10.0
CMS programming language or framework
N/A
N/A
  • The free version is certainly good for ROI, but the paid versions are expensively licensed.
Each project has a specific set of requierments and these drive our CMS decisions. I tend to think of DNN Platform as a good option when the hosting requierments are complex or specificly defined and there needs to be a level of custom options created. The roles and credentialling is also somewhat better than most.

I like the extensibility of DNN

Rating: 8 out of 10
July 29, 2016
MB
Vetted Review
Verified User
DNN Platform
8 years of experience
I've used DNN to create internet websites for clients for many years. I like that the framework takes care of the basic needs of any CMS website so that I can focus my effort on implementing the design of the sites and the custom features that each site needs. If content management is a requirement of the website project then DNN an excellent choice.
  • The core modules provide all of the basic content management functionality. You can drag and drop a Blog, Chat, Events, Gallery or versitile Text HTML module onto any page. Once you set a few properties you are up and running. And many of them provide a means of skinning them to match the look and feel of your website design.
  • If the core modules don't meet your specific needs you can purchase additional modules from third party vendors. If you have some programming experience, you can even create your own custom modules. Christoc's DotNetNuke Module and Theme Development Template makes it easy to get started.
  • One of the best things about DNN is that the page navigation and user management is already built in. It is complete with friendly URL rewriting and SEO features. DNN authentication can be integrated with Facebook, Google and other authentication providers.
Cons
  • Some of the admin screens could be easier to use. The popup editor, for example, always opens at a preset size. It would be better if it could adapt to the view port dimensions. Also, I always have to scroll down to get to the save button in the popup window. It would be nice if the buttons were fixed at the bottom of the popup rather than the bottom of the popup content.
DNN is a good choice for an external website where the content will be maintained by the marketing or other non-IT department. For a site that doesn't need to support content management, such as an online application, an MVC website project is better.
Web Content Creation (8)
61.25%
6.1
WYSIWYG editor
80%
8.0
Code quality / cleanliness
40%
4.0
Admin section
70%
7.0
Page templates
80%
8.0
Library of website themes
N/A
N/A
Mobile optimization / responsive design
90%
9.0
Publishing workflow
90%
9.0
Form generator
40%
4.0
Web Content Management (5)
32%
3.2
Content taxonomy
N/A
N/A
SEO support
80%
8.0
Bulk management
N/A
N/A
Availability / breadth of extensions
80%
8.0
Community / comment management
N/A
N/A
Platform & Infrastructure (2)
40%
4.0
API
80%
8.0
Internationalization / multi-language
N/A
N/A
Security (1)
90%
9.0
Role-based user permissions
90%
9.0
CMS programming language or framework
N/A
N/A
  • The ROI is good.
My experience with Joomla! was over six years ago so a lot could have changed. However, I prefer DNN over Joomla because DNN offers more modules and a better administration user interface.

DNN - The developer's, IT manager's and marketeer's CMS.

Rating: 10 out of 10
October 13, 2017
Vetted Review
DNN Platform
8 years of experience
We are a software development company specialising in the design and development of bespoke web-based software solutions. We develop solutions ranging from large enterprise websites to custom web applications such as CRMs. DNN is the perfect platform for us and we use it for all our solutions. Not only does it contain an advanced and easy-to-use CMS, it is also one of the most comprehensive application frameworks available, with inbuilt support for current best practice development including bootstrap, WebAPI and SPA (Single Page Application) support. Through our work with DNN we are successful able to maintain sites for many years (via DNN-supplied security patches). For larger customers, the DNN-supported Evoq product is often preferred due to the excellent and friendly support available directly from DNN.

  • Very easy to use CMS - Ease of use is paramount with CMS products to minimise on support calls. Also the template structure of pages ensures that content editors cannot inadvertently corrupt the layout of the page.
  • Powerful application framework - The existence of APIs for all functionality within the CMS provides limitless scope in terms of developing bespoke applications which sit within the CMS.
  • Commercially supported option available - For larger clients, the comfort factor of having a direct line to the developers of the application is a big selling point.
Cons
  • Documentation of the APIs is sometimes quite sparse with varying levels of details provided depending on the function.
  • The liquid content feature stores content in the DNN cloud rather than on the application server. Convincing a client that the content isn't on their own servers (when trying to sell this feature) can be a challenge.
Well suited to large enterprise website or web application developments. Less well suited to smaller site which would be better catered for by something like Wordpress.

Web Content Creation (8)
76.25%
7.6
WYSIWYG editor
90%
9.0
Code quality / cleanliness
90%
9.0
Admin section
90%
9.0
Page templates
90%
9.0
Library of website themes
20%
2.0
Mobile optimization / responsive design
90%
9.0
Publishing workflow
90%
9.0
Form generator
50%
5.0
Web Content Management (5)
78%
7.8
Content taxonomy
70%
7.0
SEO support
80%
8.0
Bulk management
80%
8.0
Availability / breadth of extensions
80%
8.0
Community / comment management
80%
8.0
Platform & Infrastructure (2)
100%
10.0
API
100%
10.0
Internationalization / multi-language
100%
10.0
Security (1)
100%
10.0
Role-based user permissions
100%
10.0
CMS programming language or framework
N/A
N/A
  • A distinguishing factor between DNN and other CMS products is the focus on DNN as a marketing platform rather than website CMS. This has lead to clients being able to measure the success of online marketing campaigns far more effectively than would otherwise have been the case.
We chose DNN primarily because we were looking for an open source, scalable .NET based platform. This business decision was made 8 years ago and we have used it for every web development since. To date, no product provides such diversity of functionality and robustness against these requirements.
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