Are you planning to build a website and considering which content management system (CMS) to use? This blog post will compare Joomla vs. WordPress to help you decide which is right for your website.
Both CMS platforms offer unique features and benefits that cater to different website-building needs.
We’ll dive into each platform’s features, pros, cons, and differences in ease of use, customization, security, and more.
So if you’re ready to explore Joomla and WordPress and find the best fit for your website, let’s get started.
What is Joomla?
Joomla is another popular content management system (CMS) that has existed since 2005.
It’s an open-source platform, just like WordPress, meaning it’s free to use, and you can customize it to your heart’s content.
Joomla is known for its flexibility and scalability, making it a popular choice for websites of all sizes.
Whether you’re running a simple blog or a complex e-commerce store, Joomla can be customized to fit your needs.
One of the unique features of Joomla is its built-in access control system.
The unique features allow you to set up different levels of user permissions, making it ideal for businesses and organizations with multiple users.
Joomla also has a large community of users who create and share extensions and templates, making it easy to find resources and support if you run into any issues.
So if you’re looking for a powerful, flexible CMS with a strong user community, Joomla may be the right choice.
But how does it compare to WordPress?
Let’s take a closer look.
What is WordPress?
Choosing the right content management system (CMS) can be stressful for a small business owner.
But as someone with experience building websites, WordPress is my preferred CMS.
When most people hear “WordPress,” their brains sometimes go into a frenzy.
They start thinking about coding, hosting domain names, and SSL certificates, potentially feeling nervous.
There’s no need.
With WordPress, you have access to an extensive library of themes and plugins, making it easy to customize your website and make it look and function just how you want it to.
And the best part is that you can be something other than a coding expert to build a website on WordPress.
With the help of resources like my “How to build a WordPress website” guide, you can learn how to create a beautiful and functional website for your business in no time.
Joomla vs. WordPress: Features and Flexibility
Joomla and WordPress are versatile content management systems offering various features and customization options.
However, they differ in their approach to website building and the extent of their flexibility.
Joomla is a powerful CMS ideal for building complex websites with advanced functionalities, such as e-commerce sites or social networking platforms.
It offers a range of built-in features, such as:
- User management
- Content creation
- Menu creation
Making it a popular choice for developers.
On the other hand, WordPress is a more user-friendly CMS that is ideal for building simple blogs or small business websites.
It offers a range of customization options, such as themes and plugins, which allow users to create a unique online presence.
While both Joomla and WordPress have their strengths and weaknesses, choosing between them ultimately depends on your website’s needs.
If you’re building a complex website that requires advanced functionalities, Joomla might be the better choice.
However, WordPress might be better if you’re building a simple website and want more flexibility and customization options.
In the next section, we’ll delve deeper into the features and functionalities of Joomla and WordPress, so you can decide which CMS to choose for your website.
Joomla Vs. WordPress Categories
Joomla and WordPress have some similarities in their categories but also some differences.
Both CMS have basic categories that most websites need, such as pages, posts, media, and comments.
However, Joomla uses the term “articles” instead of “posts” and also has a category called “contacts” that WordPress doesn’t have.
On the other hand, WordPress has a separate category for “menu,” which Joomla doesn’t have.
WordPress has a more user-friendly interface for managing categories, making creating and organizing them easier.
Ultimately, the differences in categories may not be the deciding factor in choosing between Joomla and WordPress.
But it’s important to be aware of them when making a decision.
Joomla Modules Vs. WordPress Gutenberg Editor
Joomla modules and WordPress Gutenberg editor are components of their respective content management systems (CMS).
They serve different purposes and offer distinct features.
Joomla Modules:
- Joomla modules are smaller extensions that add specific functionalities to a Joomla website.
- Modules display content or features in designated positions on the website, such as sidebars, headers, or footers.
- Modules include menus, login forms, search bars, custom HTML, and more.
- They can be assigned to specific pages or sections of a website, offering flexibility in displaying content.
- Modules are independent of the main content area and can be used alongside other components and plugins in Joomla.
WordPress Gutenberg Editor:
- The Gutenberg editor is a block-based content editor introduced in WordPress 5.0.
- It is the primary method for creating and editing content within WordPress pages and posts.
- Gutenberg editor consists of various content blocks, such as paragraphs, images, lists, tables, and more, which can be easily added, edited, and rearranged within a page or post.
- It offers a user-friendly interface and simplifies the process of building complex page layouts without requiring any coding knowledge.
- Gutenberg editor is focused on the main content area of a page or post and doesn’t directly manage elements like sidebars, headers, or footers.
In summary, Joomla modules add specific functionalities to different parts of a Joomla website.
But the WordPress Gutenberg editor is focused on creating and editing content within WordPress pages and posts using a block-based approach.
They are components of their respective CMS and are not directly comparable, as they serve different purposes in website building and content management.
Joomla vs. WordPress for Multilingual Sites: Built-in Features vs. Plugin Dependencies
Regarding creating multilingual websites, both Joomla and WordPress offer solutions; however, their approaches differ significantly.
Understanding these differences can help you decide when to choose the right content management system (CMS) for your multilingual site.
In WordPress, multilingual capabilities are not natively available.
To create a multilingual website, you must rely on third-party plugins or manually create separate pages for each language.
Popular plugins like WPML, Polylang, and TranslatePress can be installed to enable multilingual support.
These plugins provide translation management and allow you to create and manage content in multiple languages.
While these plugins can be powerful and user-friendly, they may require additional setup, configuration, and updates, adding complexity to your site management.
On the other hand, Joomla has built-in multilingual support, so you don’t need to install additional extensions to create a multilingual site.
Joomla allows you to create and manage content directly from the core installation in multiple languages.
The built-in language manager and the ability to create language-specific menus, modules, and categories make it easier to set up and manage a multilingual website.
This out-of-the-box functionality simplifies the process and reduces dependency on third-party solutions.
If you plan to create a multilingual website, it is essential to consider the CMS that best aligns with your needs.
While WordPress relies on plugins to achieve multilingual support, Joomla offers this feature natively.
Therefore providing a more streamlined solution for managing content in multiple languages.
The choice ultimately depends on your specific requirements and preferences and your familiarity and comfort level with each platform.
Top Ten Companies Using Joomla: Success Stories Despite Limited Developer Availability
Joomla is a powerful content management system (CMS) successfully adopted by some of the world’s largest companies.
These organizations have proven that creating a great website using Joomla is possible.
However, it’s important to note that while Joomla is a robust platform, most people use WordPress, which may affect the availability of developers and experts to help with your Joomla site.
Here’s a list of ten notable companies that have chosen Joomla for their website needs:
- Harvard University – The Ivy League institution uses Joomla for departmental websites and portals.
- General Electric (GE) – GE has utilized Joomla for internal and external projects.
- eBay – The multinational e-commerce giant has employed Joomla for community-focused projects.
- IKEA – The Swedish furniture retailer has created several country-specific websites using Joomla.
- Peugeot – The French automotive manufacturer uses Joomla to power some international websites.
- Holiday Inn – The global hotel chain has utilized Joomla to manage some properties’ websites.
- Lipton Ice Tea – The popular beverage brand has chosen Joomla for some of its regional websites.
- United Nations Regional Information Centre (UNRIC) – UNRIC has built its multilingual website using Joomla’s built-in features.
- The Hill – The influential US political news site runs on Joomla, showcasing the CMS’s ability to handle high traffic and content volume.
- Linux – Joomla powers the open-source operating system’s official website.
These success stories demonstrate that choosing Joomla for your website can lead to excellent results.
However, with most users opting for WordPress, finding Joomla developers and support might take more work.
That said, Joomla has a strong community of users and developers who can offer assistance, and various resources are available online to help you learn and master the platform.
When choosing a CMS, carefully consider your specific needs, resources, and availability of support before deciding.
Which is best for you?
When starting a small business website, choosing a CMS shouldn’t confuse you.
When I began, I started with Wix. That was before I knew the difference between Wix and WordPress.
Each CMS has a specific user in mind, and what’s best for me may not be best for you.
Now that you understand the differences between Joomla and WordPress, which will you choose and why?
Let me know in the comments below.
And, if you choose or already operate a WordPress site and need help, let me know using the form below.
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