Content Management System (CMS) is web software which purpose is controlling content of websites. CMS administrators can type text, insert images, manage users, manage comments, ... In short, CMS definition is, that is an application for managing content. Otherwise, CMF Content Management Framework or Web Framework (WF) is not strictly connected to managing content like CMS. It is a platform for making web applications. Both, CMS and CMF are made in some programming language like PHP, Python, JavaScript, ... CMS websites are dynamic, so you can easily manage content. Otherwise, some old and temporary websites are not made through CMS, they are static. On those websites, changing content is really hard. All modern websites are made in some CMS. It can be Open Source (free) and Proprietary (paid). There is one more type, and it is CMS made from scratch, but it is more likely proprietary CMS. Most CMSs have some built-in framework.

Most popular Open-source Content Management System software:

• WordPress is the most popular CMS in the world, almost 40% of all websites are made on WordPress! It is easy to use and there is no special education for setup and use. WordPress is coded in the PHP programming language. It is Open Source and works under GNU Public License, so it is free to use for everyone. Unfortunately, WordPress is the most vulnerable CMS, and every user needs to pay attention to security. Setup and use of WordPress is low-cost. 
• Joomla is an Open-source CMS free for use to anyone, and it is working under GNU Public License. Joomla is made with PHP programming language. It is a bit more complicated than WordPress for setup and use, but has a little better security. 
• Drupal is not so common on web like other two, because it is more complicated. But it is considered to be the most secure Open-source platform, also highly customizable. Drupal is both CMS and CMF. eDot.pro is made on Drupal, and for our customers we work only in Drupal. It is also free, and it is working under GNU Public License.

Content Management Framework / Web Framework

It is also called Web Application Framework (WAF). WF definition is different from CMS definition. As we said it is web making platform. For example, CMF can be used for team communication to work only in backend without frontend. Or, WF can be used for monitoring some processes, like searching keywords or finding backlinks. Frameworks are developed in some programming language. They usually have libraries for commonly used functions, what helps programmers to reduce unnecessary coding.

Content Management System is like you buy a passenger car, so it can be modified to get more speed or to be more comfortable, but it will always be a passenger car. But imagine that you can from your passenger car make a truck, or backhoe, or race car. That is like CMF.

Most popular web frameworks:

• Symfony is Open-source web framework which is proved as high performance. It is also a set of reusable PHP components and a PHP framework for web projects. Drupal from it's 8 version uses some Symfony components. It is made in PHP programming language.
• Laravel is a free, open-source PHP web framework, which architectural pattern and based on Symfony. It is also made in PHP language. 
• Django is a Python programming language - based free and open-source web framework that follows the model–template–views architectural pattern. 

Framework and CMS definition

In short, a Framework is some kind of foundation on which developers built a complex web application, or CMS.