You’re ready to create your website, but every time you try, you encounter the same roadblock: which content management system (CMS) should you use?
Choosing your CMS platform is an important step toward having your site up and running – and if you make the wrong choice, you’ll have to rebuild it, leading to a lot of downtime for your business or blog, as well as a lot of extra time and effort on your end. And that’s not what you want, right?
WordPress is familiar to you; after all, it powers the vast majority of the world’s websites. However, plenty of fish are available, so consider other CMS options, like Joomla.
Joomla has been around almost as long as WordPress and is among the most popular content management systems available in the market. If you’re excited, let’s delve down. By the end of this comparison, you’ll have a better understanding of which platform is best for your website.
What is WordPress?
WordPress is an open-source content management system (CMS) that runs many websites on the internet today. It’s well-known for being flexible, simple to use, and having a strong community that supports ongoing development.
WordPress was created in 2003 as a blogging platform. It is currently a multi-purpose CMS that powers over 43% of all websites (far beyond just blogs) on the internet. Likewise, it accounts for 64% of all known CMS websites.
It offers a user-friendly interface, and extensive customization options through themes and plugins, and is widely favoured for its flexibility and scalability. Built on PHP and MySQL, WordPress allows users to easily build anything from simple blogs to complex e-commerce sites, making it a top choice for individuals, businesses, and organizations worldwide.
Features of WordPress
User-Friendly Dashboard: WordPress provides an intuitive dashboard interface for easy content creation, editing, and management.
Extensive Theme Library: Users have access to a wide range of professionally designed themes, allowing for easy customization of website appearance.
Plugin Architecture: WordPress offers a modular plugin system, enabling users to extend functionality with various features such as contact forms, galleries, and SEO tools.
Built-in Blogging Tools: WordPress originated as a blogging platform and includes powerful blogging features such as categories, tags, and commenting systems.
Media Management: WordPress includes robust media management capabilities, allowing users to upload, organize, and embed images, videos, and audio files into their content.
User Management: WordPress provides flexible user management options, allowing administrators to control access levels and permissions for multiple users.
Multilingual Support: WordPress supports multilingual websites, enabling content creation and localization in multiple languages.
SEO Optimization: WordPress incorporates SEO-friendly features such as clean permalink structures, customizable meta tags, and XML sitemap generation to enhance search engine visibility.
Pros & Cons of WordPress
Pros
Ease of Use: WordPress’s user-friendly interface makes it accessible to users of all skill levels, allowing for easy content management and customization.
Extensive Customization: With thousands of themes and plugins available, users can easily customize their websites to achieve their desired look and functionality.
Community Support: The large WordPress community provides ample resources, support forums, and tutorials, making it easy to find help and guidance.
SEO Benefits: WordPress offers built-in SEO features and plugins that help improve website visibility and rankings on search engines.
Scalability & Cost-effectiveness: WordPress can scale to accommodate the needs of various projects, from small personal blogs to large e-commerce websites. WordPress itself is free to use, and many of its themes and plugins are also available for free or at affordable prices.
Cons
Dependency on Plugins: While plugins offer additional functionality, relying too heavily on them can lead to compatibility issues, security vulnerabilities, or performance issues.
Updates and Maintenance: Regular updates are necessary to keep WordPress and its plugins/themes secure and up-to-date, which can require time and effort.
Which are the top companies using WordPress?
Several leading companies across various industries use WordPress for their websites. Some notable examples include The New York Times, CNN, Forbes, TechCrunch, Sony Music, and Disney. These companies leverage WordPress to create and manage content-rich websites that attract large audiences and drive engagement.
What is Joomla?
Joomla is a free, open-source content management system (CMS) for creating and distributing online content. It is built on a web application framework known as model-view-controller, which is separate from the content management system.
Although Joomla continues to hold the second-place position for the time being, its market share as a content management system has been declining since at least 2010, and in 2017 it experienced a decline in its total share of the website market for the first time ever.
Joomla is a flexible tool for web developers since it is written in PHP and can store data in MySQL, MS SQL, or PostgreSQL databases. Because of its many features and active community, Joomla has maintained its position as the market leader.
Features of Joomla
Stable Core Framework: Joomla’s architecture is built on a stable and secure framework, with a focus on performance, reliability, and backward compatibility.
Advanced User Management: Joomla offers robust user management features, allowing administrators to create and manage user accounts, control access levels, and assign permissions with ease.
Extensible Packages Ecosystem: Joomla boasts an extensive extension ecosystem with a wide range of modules, plugins, and components, empowering users to extend the functionality of their websites and add features tailored to their specific requirements.
Multilingual Support: Joomla supports multilingual websites, allowing users to create content in multiple languages and cater to diverse audiences effectively.
Integrated Caching: Joomla includes built-in caching mechanisms to optimize website performance and reduce server load. Caching can significantly improve page load times, resulting in a smoother and faster user experience for visitors.
Flexible Templating System: Joomla’s templating system offers flexibility and customization options, allowing users to create unique and visually appealing website designs without extensive coding knowledge.
Built-in Access Control Levels: Joomla provides built-in access control levels, allowing administrators to define user roles and permissions, ensuring that only authorized users can access specific content and features.
Pros & Cons of Joomla
Pros
Powerful Content Management: Joomla provides a powerful content management system suitable for building various types of websites, including blogs, corporate websites, and e-commerce stores.
Customization Options: Joomla offers extensive customization options through templates and extensions, allowing users to tailor their websites to their specific needs.
Scalability: Joomla is scalable and suitable for small to large websites, making it a versatile choice for businesses and organizations of all sizes.
Flexible Content Management: Joomla provides a versatile content management system, enabling users to create, edit, and organize various types of content, including articles, categories, and menus, efficiently.
SEO-Friendly Architecture: Joomla incorporates SEO-friendly features such as customizable metadata, clean URL structures, and XML sitemap generation, facilitating better visibility and rankings on search engines.
Cons
Learning Curve: Joomla may have a steeper learning curve compared to some other CMS platforms, particularly for beginners or users with limited technical knowledge.
Complexity: Joomla’s extensive customization options and feature-rich nature can sometimes lead to complexity, especially when managing larger and more complex websites.
Extension Compatibility: While Joomla has a wide range of extensions available, ensuring compatibility between different extensions can sometimes be challenging.
Maintenance Requirements: Joomla websites require regular updates and maintenance to ensure security and performance, which can require time and effort.
Performance: Joomla’s performance can be affected by factors such as the number of installed extensions and the complexity of the website, requiring optimization for optimal speed and efficiency.
Which are the top companies using Joomla?
Several notable organizations use Joomla for their websites. Some notable examples include Harvard University, Microsoft, Bank of America, Deloitte, MTV Greece, Linux.com, and the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA). These organizations choose Joomla for its advanced user management capabilities, flexible content management system, and robust extension ecosystem.
Joomla vs. WordPress Which is the Best CMS for You?
Ease of Use
WordPress
WordPress is among the most popular content management and is known for its ease of use and user-friendliness. It also includes one-click installation as well.
Additionally, WordPress themes and plugins – which typically come pre-installed with this CMS software – are easily accessible.
Another thing to look at is the control panel. People with little technical experience won’t need to spend much time learning what each parameter accomplishes because it is very beginner-friendly. There is no complicated navigation, and activities only require two clicks to complete.
Joomla
Like WordPress, many CMS hosting providers offer Joomla-specific web hosting or feature a one-click installer. Unfortunately, Joomla’s control panel is cluttered with website-building lingo and is not suitable for beginners. The number of admin pages and options complicates the platform’s navigation structure even further.
Joomla makes up for its sophisticated user interface with simple features such as page builder addons. Additionally, there are a ton of beginner-friendly tutorials and forums available.
The final verdict
WordPress is unquestionably the winner because even non-techies can maintain their websites and navigate the admin interface with ease.
Security
Joomla and WordPress both use secure core software.
However, according to Sucuri data, Joomla sites appear to have a higher number of hacked sites than their market share.
WordPress Security
WordPress has a big target on its back because of how popular it is as a content management system. However, the developers continually monitor serious security risks on the internet and routinely update the WordPress core to protect against them.
Security upgrades for WordPress are released every 40–50 days. WordPress does not have a separate option for forcing SSL or 2FA. To improve your website’s security right away, you can install any WordPress security plugin. However, with the proper plugins and optimization, you can secure your WordPress website.
Joomla Security
Joomla has an edge when it comes to security because it is less popular and thus not the most common target. Additionally, Joomla has a collection of security extensions that enable two-factor authentication (2FA) and mandate SSL. Joomla also receives regular updates. While significant changes may occur in a year, more minor updates continue to roll out every thirty to forty days.
The final verdict
Although Joomla is not very secure at the core, still it has comparatively stronger security measures than WordPress.
eCommerce: WordPress vs. Joomla
E-commerce website requires more than a common CMS or website builder. It requires a feature-rich, robust platform that can help in building a full-fledged eCommerce store for the customers.
Joomla has thousands of extensions available for use for your e-commerce store. However, there are numerous options available to build a feature-rich eCommerce app. It will require a significant amount of time to meticulously assemble every component of your store until you have the ideal eCommerce store, shopping cart, payment gateway, etc.
WordPress.com is superior for eCommerce, particularly when considering the WooCommerce plugins and functionality offered. Additionally, WooCommerce, a plugin-enabled solution specifically designed for WordPress users, assists you in creating a fully functional eCommerce platform for your company.
It includes features related to selling are included in the package, such as customizable starter themes, integrations with top shipping carriers, payment acceptance in more than 60 countries, and tools for eCommerce stores.
The final verdict
Again, the winner is Worpress because of its plugin, dedicated to building an eCommerce store and a range of themes and plugins for eCommerce store development.
SEO
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is critical for increasing website visibility and driving organic traffic. WordPress and Joomla both have website optimization features, but they take distinct approaches to SEO.
Joomla
Its inbuilt SEO settings allow users to manage meta descriptions and keywords for their content. To create cleaner, more search engine-friendly URLs, the platform offers a URL rewriting feature. Users can optimize content straight from the front end using extensions like Easy Frontend SEO (EFSEO).
WordPress
It does not have built-in SEO skills, however, it does support numerous SEO plugins. There are numerous tools available for on-page SEO through plugins like Yoast SEO, RankMath, and All-in-One SEO. These plugins assist with readability, sitemaps, content analysis, meta tags, and much more, going beyond simple optimization.
The final verdict
When comparing Joomla vs. WordPress SEO, Joomla has respectable built-in SEO skills, but WordPress prevails because of its sophisticated plugins, which give a more thorough and user-friendly approach to SEO that helps websites rank higher swiftly.
Plugin and Extensions
When comparing the functionality and adaptability of Joomla vs WordPress, the variety of plugins and extensions available is an important consideration.
Joomla
This CMS platform has more than 5,000 extensions available in the official Joomla directory, all of which add to the ever-expanding capabilities of the platform. Each category of extension is based on its purpose. Within a Joomla site, components, modules, and plugins each play a unique purpose. Installing an extension on Joomla is more time-consuming and requires manual uploading and configuring than WordPress.
WordPress
WordPress has more than 59,000 plugins that cover a wide range of uses and sectors. With WordPress’s Business or e-commerce plans, customers can even update their Plugins. There’s a plugin for almost any use thanks to the wide choices. Because of its vast quantity, high quality, and simple installation process, WordPress dominates the plugin and extension market.
The final verdict
WordPress is the clear winner for consumers looking for diversity and simplicity when it comes to expanding the functionality of their websites. While Joomla is robust, it necessitates more technical work, making it a less appealing option for those who desire convenience and a diverse set of capabilities.
Community & Support
Community and support are among the crucial considerations when it comes to choosing the right CMS for your diverse business needs.
Joomla
This CMS includes an extensive documentation reference, which is very useful for novices. Joomla also offers email lists, forums, and multilingual support to assist you. Additionally, there is a huge selection of paid and free training available. Many Joomla development businesses assist their clients in designing beautiful websites as well.
WordPress
WordPress has an excellent support area built into its main website. For the majority of your queries, you can find answers in user manuals, forums, and documentation. In the forum, you can find free knowledge on any niche you operate in. Aside from community support, there is a wealth of information and training available online. Additionally, you can work with global WordPress development companies or experts.
The final verdict
In the end, Joomla lags. Even with all of its efforts, you will not find the same level of support and training as you can in WordPress. Compared to Joomla, the WordPress community is far more active and popular because it is the most well-known CMS.
Responsiveness
The days of only being able to connect to the internet via a computer are over. Your audience can now access your website using any device. Whether it’s a smartphone, tablet, or computer, the CMS you choose must function well on both desktop and mobile devices. Which CMS works best with various devices? Let’s find out.
Joomla
Joomla somewhat underperforms WordPress in terms of front-end performance. Although it is still an effective CMS for smartphones and tablets, it requires more developer involvement than WordPress. The majority of Joomla templates are responsive, meaning they adjust to various screen sizes. SP Page Builder is one such plugin that allows you to create user-friendly, responsive websites.
WordPress
With a good, responsive WordPress theme, you can quickly optimize your website for all screen sizes. Additionally, you may change the look of your website by utilizing one of the many WordPress page builders, which enable you to alter the layout of the web pages, especially for mobile devices.
The final verdict
WordPress is better suited to handling mobile and tablet responsive pages because it requires less effort and loads faster.
Content Management
Joomla and WordPress are the CMS available in the market and when we are comparing these two giants – the comparison between content management becomes apparent.
WordPress
When it comes to managing content, WordPress takes the lead with its user-friendly interface and seamless experience. With WordPress, creating, editing, and organizing content is straightforward, thanks to its intuitive design and extensive customization options.
Whether you’re a beginner or an expert, WordPress makes it easy to publish articles, pages, and media while offering flexibility to tailor your site’s look and functionality to your liking.
Joomla
While Joomla also offers robust content management features, its interface may be more complex for beginners. Although Joomla provides advanced capabilities like customizable content types and user permissions, its learning curve is not suitable for those looking for a simpler experience to add, edit, and manage their content seamlessly on the website or eCommerce store.
The final verdict
In the battle of simplicity and effectiveness in terms of creating, editing, and managing content, WordPress emerges as the clear winner, making content management a breeze for users of all skill levels.
To Conclude
Here’s the wrap to our ultimate guide about WordPress vs Joomla. We have included everything in the blog, from the basics, features, and benefits to cons and end-to-end comparisons to help you make the right decision for your business.
We analyzed a lot of factors, and WordPress emerged as the clear winner due to its adaptability for beginners while also allowing website progression into more complicated projects. The WordPress theme and plugin repository makes system development easier.
Joomla, on the other hand, is more complicated and has a wider range of built-in functionality. This makes it excellent for professionals creating more complex websites. However, if you still need clarification and are looking for professional guidance who can understand your needs and suggestions accordingly, reach out to KrishaWeb.
WordPress is distinct from Joomla due to its regular upgrades that guarantee improved security and functionality enhancements. Because WordPress has a larger community, it has a wider range of themes and plugins as well as substantial support. Its strong market share attests to its widespread popularity and reliability.
2. Is switching from Joomla to WordPress simple?
It is feasible to move content from Joomla to WordPress using several modules or plugins. You can export the content as a CSV file and then import it into WordPress using the WP All Import plugin. The theme and module functionality will require WordPress alternatives as well as bespoke programming. Also, the URLs require manual review & fix.
3. Which Kind of Website Works Best with Joomla?
Joomla works well for medium-sized and large enterprises, as well as eCommerce websites, which frequently need more sophisticated functionality than most website builders.
4. Does Joomla have a lower price tag than WordPress?
WordPress is more cost-effective than Joomla. Because of its smaller community, finding Joomla developers can be more expensive. Compared to WordPress, Joomla has fewer modules and themes, which may increase prices. WordPress’ huge ecosystem frequently offers more economical options.
5. When to opt for WordPress?
WordPress is suitable for a wide range of websites, including blogs, business sites, e-commerce stores, news and magazine sites, portfolios, community forums, educational platforms, and nonprofit organizations. Its versatility, ease of use, and extensive customization options make it an ideal choice for businesses looking to create professional and functional websites efficiently.
Girish Panchal
Technical Architect
A Technical Architect, proficient in WordPress, Drupal, Laravel, and DevOps tasks, crafts robust IT solutions with a blend of expertise and versatility in web development and infrastructure management.
