Bean, Boxes and Fieldable Panels Panes all provide similar functionality. I have trouble understanding what exactly the differences between them are.
What are their advantages/disadvantages compared to each other? Are they geared towards different use cases?
I want to use some kind of blocks in Panels to add custom content - content editors also need to be able to add content, in that sense the blocks I need are not pure configuration. But I also use Features...
Edit: I'll add what seem to be the main differences
Boxes
- Largest userbase (~ 11500)
- Treats blocks as configuration (i.e. the content ends up in your features)
- Modules offering integration
Beans
- Has recently become popular, ~1000 installs
- Treats blocks as content, but allows exportability of their configuration via machine name (e.g. via Bean Panels)
- Modules offering integration
Fieldable Panels Panes
- Smallest userbase (~ 400)
- From the author of Panels/Views/etc.
- Panes cannot be used as regular blocks in theme regions like beans or boxes (I assume)
- I wonder what the advantages over Bean mentioned here are ("offers additional features that makes it easier to empower content admins to lay out certain pages")