Choosing a proper CMS can be difficult. People frequently choose the option that is listed as the finest, only to discover after using it that it is not suitable for them. What causes this to actually occur?
There are other content management systems (CMS), but we will concentrate on WordPress and Joomla today.
When comparing WordPress with Joomla, there are a few crucial distinctions. They achieve various goals in a variety of methods. So, which one should you choose to meet your requirements best?
This article aims to make it easier for everyone to pick a CMS. To do that, I compared these CMS platforms in a couple of categories, which will help me choose the superior platform.
But let’s first get to know the two platforms a bit better.
What is WordPress?
Many consider WordPress to be the best in the business. It was released on the 27th of May, 2003, so it has been around for quite a while now. It is open-source software that is licensed under GPL. It is free to download as open-source software, and it is a community-driven project. Many users praise WordPress for how easy it is for beginners to use and cite this reason as to why it is the most used CMS today.
WordPress’s database management system is MySQL, and it is the only database that WordPress supports. WordPress is written primarily using the programming language PHP.
WordPress Advantages
There are many advantages to using WordPress, so let’s list some of them to understand what this CMS offers to its clientele:
- Using Page Builder plugins, you can design complicated pages without knowing how to code.
- WordPress is by far the most user-friendly platform for newcomers.
- The largest community aids in the selection of appropriate themes and plugins.
- This blog software has a fantastic plugin architecture.
- There are a lot of excellent professional developers.
- The development cycle is short. Every year, there are improvements.
- WordPress hosting or self-hosting are both options.
- You can design attractive web pages for various purposes, including complex SEO.
- Backward compatibility is available.
- WordPress is still in active development, with new updates being provided regularly.
- Aside from the original help article, WordPress Plugins come with outstanding unofficial assistance.
- WordPress allows you to add new articles or pages to your website easily.
- The installation interface is simple, and the process is quick.
- WordPress installation via cPanel is available from most hosts with only a few clicks.
WordPress Disadvantages
Of course, even the best have some drawbacks, and for WordPress, they are the following:
- More than 50,000 WordPress websites are hacked every year due to third-party plugins that may or may not be updated.
- When the platform is updated, a few plugins may stop working.
- The basic code is relatively weak. Every year, however, things improve.
- There is a lack of built-in flexibility for more substantial, sophisticated sites.
- WP core updates are required regularly, which may break your existing plugins.
What is Joomla?
Joomla is also a very popular CMS released on the 17th of August, 2005. Even though it is a little younger than WordPress, this CMS has garnered a significant client base and plenty of experience along the way. Like WordPress, it uses the MySQL database, but it also supports other databases. It is also open-source software and can be downloaded for free. Joomla is primarily written using PHP, like WordPress.
Joomla is designed and customized to accommodate larger websites, and that’s why users usually never experience problems when they scale their websites.
Joomla Advantages
Now that we know a bit more about Joomla, let’s take a lot at the advantages that users can expect if they use this CMS:
- Joomla provides a simple admin panel for managing vast volumes of data.
- Joomla is a good choice for websites that require a lot of content management.
- It lets you see how the configuration will look before the installation begins.
- Most hosts allow Joomla installation via cPanel, which requires minimal technical skills.
- It strikes the ideal balance between ease of use and functionality complexity.
- It’s best used in a multi-user setting. Consider university campuses.
- Joomla offers an admin interface that is both powerful and user-friendly.
Joomla Disadvantages
Now, let’s see the disadvantages of Joomla:
- The built-in performance is sluggish and clumsy.
- Logging is insufficient.
- The majority of the helpful plugins are not free.
- It is not a developer-friendly CMS, unlike other CMS.
- In comparison to WordPress, there is a limited marketplace for extensions.
- Features and functionality can be customized to a certain extent.
- Because plugins don’t always work well together, you’ll need coding skills to fix them.
Starting Your Website
Before we move to examine the two platforms in-depth, it is good to know the actual process of starting your website with these content management systems. The process is roughly the same for both platforms:
- You’ll need a dependable web host.
- On your web host, you must install WordPress or Joomla.
- Install a design (template/theme) on your WordPress or Joomla site.
- In the backend of your website, create your menu items and content.
- And that’s about it for the beginning!
This is the rough process and what you’ll need to do to get started with both platforms. Now that we know this, we compare WordPress and Joomla’s differences, features, and design options to see which one is the better pick.
Who is More Secure?
Now that we’ve covered the advantages, disadvantages, and the first steps you need to take, let’s move on to the categories that could make all the difference when the choice between WordPress and Joomla is made, starting with security.
WordPress is the more popular CMS in today’s comparison. It has a bigger target on its back for cyberattacks and hackers than Joomla.
WordPress is built on highly secure code and reacts swiftly to security threats and attacks. It also features an auto-update option that allows the site to update automatically whenever new security patches are published. However, WordPress’s ability to install as many third-party plugins as possible can be a nightmare for security, as there’s no way to ensure that each plugin is safe. Furthermore, most of its sophisticated extensions rely on plugins, and you must edit the cores file to enable SSL connections. A solution to this is to install SSL Certificates from third parties, which more and more WordPress users are doing.
When it comes to Joomla, it has the upper hand in this category as it has many security features built-in, and WordPress doesn’t, starting with SSL. Other built-in features with Joomla are 2 Factor Authentication, Google ReCaptcha, and GDPR. Joomla also offers its own set of security extensions.
Although there are fewer Joomla plugins and themes available than for WordPress, this can be an advantage in terms of website security. Joomla is also updated regularly to address any potential security flaws. You shouldn’t have to worry about the security of your data if you’re running a business website using Joomla.
So, while WordPress is not a dangerous platform, the fact that so much on plugins makes it a more significant security risk than Joomla. Joomla doesn’t require as many external downloads as WordPress, so I believe it is the more secure CMS. So, the winner of this category is Joomla.
Who Has Better Prices?
Another essential aspect to consider when picking a CMS is the pricing. Both are open-source when it comes to our two contenders today, which means you can download them for free. After downloading, the features that you need to purchase are a domain name and web hosting. Other features like plugins and security can also e purchased. Also, there are developer and maintenance fees to be paid with both platforms.
When it comes to WordPress and Joomla, the most significant gap that makes all the difference is the developer and maintenance fees. WordPress has a lower development cost because of its large and dedicated community. Users may readily access help via blogs, forums, and developers via a robust third-party ecosystem, which means you won’t need to pay to get the help you need. Meanwhile, you must still pay a development fee for Joomla websites.
So, I will have to declare WordPress the winner for this category because it requires users to pay smaller fees than Joomla.
Customer Service and Support
It goes without saying that no company is complete without good customer support. This is also relevant for CMS platforms.
WordPress has a vast and robust community of users since it’s the most popular CMS today. WordPress support can be found via official support forums, documents, handbooks, codex, Slack channels, Stack Exchange, WPBeginner Engage Facebook group, and practically every other web design and development forum on the internet. In addition, there are websites like WPBeginner that include hundreds of tutorials, video tutorials, and articles for WordPress beginners. There are numerous ways to request and receive free WordPress assistance.
Aside from the free help services, WordPress offers commercial assistance options, such as Codeable, UpWork, and Fiverr. Due to WordPress’s widespread popularity, finding WordPress developers is inexpensive and straightforward for small enterprises and individuals.
Joomla, like WordPress, has a large and supportive community. The Joomla website has substantial documentation, an excellent resource for newcomers. Users can participate in forums, email lists, user groups, and other forms of interactive support. Third-party resources paid training, and development organizations, in addition to community assistance, can be beneficial.
However, finding affordable expert help is quite a difficult task for Joomla. Hiring a developer or expert who can help solve problems with Joomla could cost significantly more than WordPress.
For this category, I declare WordPress as the winner, as it has a more extensive community, less expensive expert help, and is also way easier to use for beginners. Also, there are more groups and forums that offer free help to WordPress users than there are for Joomla users.
Who’s Easier to Use for Beginners?
One of the most important factors when choosing a CMS is how easy it is for beginners to use. Any CMS must be beginner-friendly and easy to maintain for people who are not experts and have no experience in this field. So, it is definitely a good thing that both platforms emphasized ease of use. But let’s see if one puts a more significant emphasis on user-friendliness than the other.
When it comes to WordPress, creating a website or blog is simple, so much so that you can have your website or blog up and running in no time. What makes this possible is the set of WordPress’s tools and functions, which are incredibly easy to use and understand.
Now, at first, you might get a little confused as the WordPress dashboard is a bit cluttered. However, you will see that you’ll get the hang of it in no time and even be glad that WordPress puts everything in one place, and the software will be a walk in the park for you. Also, WordPress is very flexible and can adapt to any experience level, allowing for anyone to build a website with ease.
Joomla is a platform that categorizes its content using a categories and articles system. And although this is quite different from WordPress, it is still a simple and accessible web design to use. However, this process can take longer to understand and get used to compared to WordPress. But if you put in a bit of time, you will learn how everything works and maybe even enjoy this process.
However, a disadvantage for Joomla when it comes to ease of use is that it has endless pages of admin screens, which can make searching for a specific setting quite tedious.
This category is very close, as both platforms are user-friendly and straightforward to use. However, I am inclined to give WordPress the win, as its platform is easier to get used to and navigate and has more helpful and beginner-friendly tools.
Extensions and Plugins
Users can easily enhance the functionality of their websites with WordPress plugins and Joomla extensions. But which platform does the best job of putting this concept into action?
WordPress offers more than 27 000 free plugins to its users. Also, there are numerous third-party plugins that users can instantly download as well. There is a WordPress plugin for every scenario. If you require a specific function for your website, you can rest assured that a WordPress plugin will be able to deliver it. To add more advanced eCommerce capabilities, premium plugins like WooCommerce are available.
So, WordPress has a plugin for anything you might need. You name it, WordPress has it. This can come in handy for anyone who is open to changing their website whenever they want. However, one thing to note is that WordPress does not come with built-in multilingual support. You’ll need to install an additional plugin, which could be free or with a price.
Joomla offers significantly fewer extensions on its website, or around 7 000. However, this number of extensions is still significant, and it is more likely than not that the solution to your problem can be found in one of the 7 000 extensions available.
Joomla extensions are very similar to WordPress plugins in terms of functionality. Many of the most popular upgrades are actually available on both platforms. Joomla extensions are straightforward to set up, and you can have as many as you want on your site. You can also download as many third-party plugins as you like.
Both platforms provide a variety of extensions and plugins to aid in managing your website. However, because Joomla is less popular than WordPress, it has fewer extensions and plugins. That is why I have to declare WordPress as the winner in this category.
Who Has Better SEO Integration?
Undoubtedly, in the ever-changing world of technology, your website should rank in the first ten results in the majority of search engines. As a result, when selecting a platform for your business, SEO is one of the most critical elements to consider. So, let’s see if one is better at this than the other.
WordPress can use effective SEO tactics while keeping them as user-friendly as possible. Customizable meta-descriptions and tags, SEO titles, and alt-text for images are all examples of this. However, users may begin to realize WordPress’s SEO potential via plugins fully.
YoastSEO is by far the most popular search engine optimization plugin. YoastSEO is jam-packed with great features that can help you raise your pages’ organic rankings quickly. The best aspect is that anyone, even total newbies, can use YoastSEO. WordPress is a great place to start if you have more SEO knowledge and want to become more technical.
Joomla comes equipped with a solid SEO experience. Joomla users can add meta descriptions and titles to their materials the same way WordPress users can. Joomla, however, handles these functions better than WordPress and allows for more customization. As a result, when you use plugins like YoastSEO, WordPress is at its finest. Easy Frontend SEO is a Joomla plugin that is the most similar to Yoast. Many Yoast capabilities are available in this plugin, which simplifies complex SEO tasks.
Easy Frontend, however, isn’t quite as good as Yoast. Whereas Yoast is straightforward and intuitive, Easy Frontend demands more effort. Of course, the plugin isn’t completely worthless. However, Yoast is a far more usable package for individuals with limited SEO experience.
This was yet another close race for our competitors WordPress and Joomla. Both are very good at SEO and can get the job. However, there can be only one winner, and that is WordPress. WordPress deserves the win for this category as it has superior plugins and extensions available that can significantly boost SEO performance.
Overview of Different Categories
| Category | WordPress | Joomla |
|---|---|---|
| Ease of use | It’s easy to use and doesn’t require technical expertise. | It’s more complex than WordPress and needs some expertise. |
| Blogging | It is highly recommended for blogging. | It is not as good for blogging. |
| Multilingual support | It doesn’t support various language features from the start. | It supports multiple languages and can manage these languages. |
| Security | It is built on highly secure code and reacts swiftly to security threats and attacks. It also features an auto-update option that allows the site to update automatically whenever new security patches are published. | It is similar to WordPress in terms of security, but its staff responds to security risks quickly and actively, even sending a fix in response to security attacks. |
| Database and programming languages | It is written in the PHP language and connected with MySQL | It is written in PHP and uses OOP techniques and software design patterns. It supports various databases such as MS SQL, PostgreSQL, MySQL, etc. |
Where do WordPress and Joomla Differ?
The key differences between WordPress and Joomla are listed in the table below.
| Parameters | WordPress | Joomla |
|---|---|---|
| Skill Level | Easy | Moderate |
| Number of Downloads | Approx. 140 million | Approx. 30 million |
| Min. memory needed to run the app. | 60 MB | 256 MB |
| Acess to multilungual options | Not straight away | Yes |
| Average Update Frequency | 42 Days | 36 Days |
| No. of Plugins available | 54 226 | 7 905 |
| No. of security experts | 25 | 13 |
| Best for | Creating educational websites and online stores. | Creating Online Forums and Large Product Catalogues. |
| Installation time | 5 min. | 10 min. |
| Level of Security | Good | OK |
| No. of Free Themes | 2000+ | 900+ |
| DBMS Support | MYSQL | MySQL, SQLServer, SQLAzure, PostgreSQL, SQLite |
| Free plugins available | 27 000 | 7 000 |
| Level of skill needed | No need for technical expertise. | Some technical expertise is needed. |
| Used by | eBay, LinkedIn, MIT, Foursquare | Timble, Workwave, Construct, Digital |
| Security | Moderate | Low |
| Performance | Lower traffic is well-handled. However, increasing traffic requires a more powerful hosting plan. | To avoid fast resource use, it needs to be tweaked. |
| SEO | Excellent | Basic |
| eCommerce | Yes, with the WooCommerce plugin. | Yes, Virtuemart for product and content management. |
| Design | Widget areas | Positions |
| Extensions | Plugins and Widgets | Components, modules, and plugins |
Benefits of the Two Platforms
| WordPress | Joomla |
|---|---|
| Very Easy to Install | Can Create a Social Network |
| Highly Customizable | Easy eCommerce Store Creation |
| Great Community | It’s free |
| It’s free | Fast, safe, and easy editing |
| You Can Present Your Content the Way You Want | Powerful and easy menu creation tool |
| Your Content Is Easy to Publish, Revise, and Update | Changeable core |
| Your Online Store Is Easy to Set Up | Open-source infrastructure |
| Your Content Gets Found | Built-in caching |
| Your Content Is Easy to Share | Multilingual support |
And the Winner is – WordPress!
Both of these platforms are incredible at what they do. Most of the categories were close calls, and the platforms were battling it out today. However, there can be only one winner, and that is WordPress!
Even though the categories were close calls, WordPress won most of the categories and offers more advantages than Joomla. So, there is no doubt why WordPress is the most popular CMS out there. However, Joomla is not to be left behind, as it really held its own in this challenging race. But at the end of the day, WordPress surpassed Joomla and proved that it offers everything that a user can ever need.
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