Your website inherits its structure and functionalities based on the CMS (Content Management System) you choose. You can find many CMS nowadays, each with their pros and cons.
While WordPress remains a popular choice, we realize that it is not the only CMS on the market. Joomla has long been its rival in the field.
There are fanatical fan bases who hoot for their individual choice when it comes to Joomla vs. WordPress. However, we decided to give you a side-by-side comparison between these two.
By the end of this article, you will have enough information about Joomla and WordPress.
Joomla vs. WordPress – What Do the Numbers Say?
Both Joomla and WordPress are self-hosted open-source CMS. These two softwares have been around for over ten years. But when it comes to the recent numbers and popularity, WordPress undoubtedly wins the streak.
When you see the Google trend comparison, Joomla had been leading WordPress until 2010. WordPress strikingly leveled up the race and led since then. WordPress continues to grow while Joomla seems to be close to hitting the stop.
WordPress
WordPress was initiated in 2003 as a blogging platform. It is now a multi-purpose CMS that powers more than 38.4% of all the websites (a lot more than just blogs) on the internet. Likewise, it holds a 63.6% share of all known CMS websites.
Joomla
Initially launched in 2005, Joomla is almost as old as WordPress. Joomla comes in the third position behind WordPress and Shopify when it comes to popularity. Joomla powers 2.3% of all the websites on the internet and holds a 3.8% share of all known CMS sites.
Below is the market position of Joomla and WordPress as of 10 Sept 2020.
For comparison of CMS share and usage percentage of different CMS, click here.
How to Extend a Website With Joomla and WordPress?
Both Joomla and WordPress offer multiple add-ons to extend your website.
For functionality: To increase the functionality, WordPress needs plugins, whereas Joomla needs extensions. For each functionality you want to add, there are various plugins and extensions in each platform, respectively.
For aesthetics: To improve aesthetics, WordPress uses themes, whereas Joomla uses templates. There are multiple themes and templates available on the internet. Use the theme/template that suits your website’s niche, and you are good to go.
Joomla vs. WordPress – Comparison
The main difference between Joomla and WordPress is how both the softwares started. Joomla was initially launched as CMS to power portal-like websites. WordPress started as a blogging platform.
Today, both these softwares are capable of building and running any website.
Joomla is a bit advanced when it comes to using the software. It is intended for the developers and anyone who knows the way with servers and technical issues.
WordPress is more user-friendly. Any beginner can get started with it instantly.
Here is our four-round comparison between Joomla and WordPress. You will have a good idea about each software after this section.
Round One: Joomla vs. WordPress Security
One of the major concerns to website platforms is security. Many of you may question which platform amongst the two is more secure.
As the data depicts, WordPress is more popular with larger market coverage than Joomla. Because of this, WordPress is a giant target when it comes to security threats. There are themes and multiple plugins for almost everything in WordPress.
Extensive features are impressive, but it is also a concern from a security point of view. It is impossible to ensure that every theme and plugin meets the safety standards. Moreover, the compatibility with the newer version remains a question. Most of the advanced security options in WordPress rely on plugins, which is again a question regarding security.
WordPress does not come with basic features, such as a built-in SSL (Secure Socket Layer) connection on the dashboard or 2FA (Two-Factor Authentication). You need to edit the core files to enable these features.
Contrarily to the above statement, Joomla offers both SSL connection as well as 2FA. There is a separate set of security extensions in Joomla and developers maintain the list with known vulnerabilities.
Thus, Joomla wins round one.
Round Two: Joomla vs. WordPress SEO
Joomla takes a slight edge if we compare the SEO of both the platforms. That being said, the SEO capabilities of these softwares are not apparent unless we dive into the plugins and extensions.
In WordPress, there is this famous Yoast SEO plugin. It offers unlimited features to boost your rank. Moreover, any level user can get the grips of this plugin in a few minutes. Yoast shows exactly how you can improve your ranking in various areas. Further, the plugin also rates the post’s readability.
In Joomla, there is this Easy Frontend SEO extension that is equivalent to Yoast. You can edit the meta-information. However, this extension is no match for the powerful Yoast.
Thus, WordPress takes the second round.
Round Three: Customization
Both Joomla and WordPress offer multiple customization possibilities. However, the plugins and themes in WordPress are easier to find and usually offer high-end features as compared to extensions and templates in Joomla. Moreover, WordPress also provides comprehensive and high-quality support for better user experience.
Round three winner is WordPress.
Round Four: Content Management
Both the softwares are complicated CMSs. They enable users to create, edit, and manage the content for any website. However, WordPress is easier to use as compared to Joomla. The learning curve in Joomla is much steeper for beginners.
Despite the equal potential in content management, working with WordPress is relatively easy. Any beginner can quickly figure out the working technicality of WordPress, whereas Joomla CMS is less forgiving.
Thus, considering the user-friendly admin panel and easy learning curve, round four goes to WordPress.
Advantages of WordPress
Let us look at some of the main advantages of using WordPress:
- Easy to use – WordPress is regarded as the easiest content management system. Even non-developers can work with WordPress with ease.
- Best for blogging – WordPress is best suited for blogging purposes. It includes distinction for “static pages” vs. “blog posts” right out of the box. However, WordPress also dominates e-commerce, so it is not limited to blogging. Joomla, on the other hand, includes a ‘single article’ type.
- Extensibility – WordPress offers the largest reservoir of plugins and themes. This makes it effortless to extend the functionality and structure of your site.
- Huge Support Community – As WordPress is a popular and widely-used software, you can easily find help and support. There is a massive pool of blogs, social groups, and developers that can help you out with any WordPress related issue.
- Lower Development Costs – Huge support community also means that you can develop a site using WordPress at a cheaper cost.
Advantages of Joomla
Here are some of the advantages of Joomla:
- Advanced user management system – Joomla is a more advanced system as compared to WordPress. A beginner may find it difficult to access user controls in Joomla.
- Flexibility for various content types – As mentioned above, Joomla includes a ‘single article’ type. However, the components and modules in this software give you slight flexibility for displaying content types.
- Multi-language support – Joomla has a built-in multi-language support feature. It makes it easier to translate your site into various languages. WordPress, on the other hand, also has multi-language support. However, you need to install a third-party plugin such as WPML plugin to enjoy this feature.
- Multiple templates – You can use different templates for different content. In WordPress, you can use only one theme.
Which One Is Better, Joomla, or WordPress? Quick Conclusion
In the above sections, we have pointed out the advantages of both Joomla and WordPress. It is safe to say that both platforms have their strong points and that neither one is 100% superior.
We have also made comparisons based on four main features for any CMS platform. Clearly, WordPress wins three out of four rounds. However, instead of asking which platform is better, you should ask, “Which platform better meets the needs of the website that I want?”
For beginners, it’s best to use WordPress. It will cover you up in most of the situations. WordPress:
- Is easier to use than Joomla
- Is Loaded with user-friendly features
- Helps you set up an attractive website in an instant
- Is backed up by free and professional support groups.
For a developer or the user willing to hire one, Joomla can provide better security and more flexibility when managing different types of content.
One concern is that Joomla’s CMS market share is declining, whereas WordPress continues to grow. Joomla is not going to rest anytime soon. But if you are looking for a better career on a website, betting on the top contender seems logical.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
1. Which is easier, Joomla, or WordPress?
For a beginner, WordPress is much easier to grasp and use as compared to Joomla. But if you are a developer, you may prefer Joomla over WordPress.
2. Is Joomla good for websites?
Yes, Joomla is good for websites. Although its market share is declining compared to WordPress, Joomla still can build a top-notch website. If you know your way with Joomla, the platform even provides better flexibility than WordPress.
3. What is Joomla best used for?
Joomla is mainly used for social networking and e-commerce sites. Likewise, WordPress was initially launched as a blogging platform. Nowadays, you can use both platforms to create any website you want.
