What Is Joomla?
Joomla is a forever-free CMS. While it is a robust and extremely flexible platform, it is not a drag-and-drop website builder; you’ll need some basic tech skills to work in Joomla. As with WordPress, it is open source, meaning independent developers around the world contribute to the code and extensions for the Joomla core code.
Joomla is split into two access types: Joomla and Joomla Launch. Joomla is where you pick a web host and install the software on the web host’s server to run. Joomla Launch is a quick start method that includes basic hosting from CloudAccess.net, using a subdomain address, [yoursite].joomla.com. Upgrades to unlock extra features and a custom domain are available.
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Joomla Key Features
Joomla offers an impressive set of features as part of the core code. In fact, combined with expansion capabilities, it’s powerful enough that even worldwide companies such as IKEA use it to power their websites.
Customization Features
Joomla offers nearly unlimited customization abilities. Strong baked-in core features, a large stable of extensions to expand capabilities and the ability to add custom code make Joomla stand out compared to other website builders and CMS offerings.
Themes
Joomla includes one preinstalled theme, Cassiopeia, which is great for playing around and learning the system, but most of us will want something more unique. To find more themes, you’ll have to do a web search for a free or paid theme that is compatible with your Joomla version (5.2.1 is the most recent version at the time of this article).
Joomla only includes one theme, but thousands of third-party themes are available.
However, since Joomla is open source, there are a nearly unlimited number of themes available from independent developers. Look for themes that come with user guides for a smoother experience. Template compatibility with the look, feel and content of your site will depend heavily on what is included in the templates.
Extensions
With a global network of independent developers, Joomla’s list of extensions covers just about any function a user can imagine. As I’m writing this, there are 5,799 plugins to expand Joomla. Categories include but aren’t limited to, e-commerce, live chat, user and project management, marketing, SEO, industry-specific tools, security and migration. A huge number of those are free, but some are paid extensions.
Joomla’s extension library is extensive and grows regularly.
Scalability
Because Joomla features a core program with easy expansion, scalability is limited only by hosting and budget. Joomla Live free sites can be easily migrated to run on full Joomla as well, meaning you can grow as your skills with the program grow instead of facing a daunting learning curve of jumping in the deep end as you’re just getting started.
Security Features
Hackers aren’t only going after big targets. A report from the Small Business Administration stated that half of small and medium businesses (SMBs) have been victimized by cybercrime and that 60% of those victims went out of business. Joomla helps level the playing field for small businesses who can’t afford internal security teams.
User Access Controls
Joomla includes robust user access controls. Even if you’re a solopreneur, you may need to add website access for social media contractors and guest bloggers. It also gives you a solid foundation for when your business and team grows in the future.
Joomla allows user access to be set by group for the entire site and for individual content sections.
Being able to control what functions secondary users can access improves cybersecurity and limits accidental damage to website settings and design. Access controls also give you the ability to keep parts of your website private and password protected.
Strike Team
Open-source software can be vulnerable to bad actors inserting malicious code. Joomla meets that threat head-on with a dedicated strike team that works in the background to combat emerging threats to the Core code system.
Joomla’s strike team responds to security threats to the platform.
However, it’s important to remember that the strike team isn’t managing the third-party extensions or your individual access. Secure passwords, access control, choosing a host with good security measures and doing your due diligence before installing extensions are vital.
Two-Factor Authentication
One of the first CMS to implement two-factor authentication (2FA), Joomla includes this security feature without needing plugins. While it is a simple feature, it is one of the most effective to stop damage from compromised passwords. However, it needs to be turned on from your dashboard and works with Google Authenticator and YubiKey.
Joomla includes basic 2FA with Google Authenticator or YubiKey.
SEO Features
Joomla includes more built-in SEO features than most builders, but it isn’t always easy to access. Some features require extension installation or jumping back and forth between different screens.
Robots Settings
If you’ve only used drag-and-drop builders, you might never have seen robots settings. Google and other search engines use automated programs called crawlers to find and list webpages. Joomla lets you customize the instructions to those automated programs to help get your site indexed better and faster. You can also override global settings for each article.
Joomla includes drop-down menus to set robots instructions for web crawlers.
Sitemaps
Several Joomla extensions add sitemap capability to the core system. However, without those extensions, you could have trouble ranking well with Google.
Joomla relies on extensions to add sitemap functionality.
Metadata
Joomla includes basic metadata and keywords without the need for add-on tools. Metadata such as the description and keywords are easily entered in the publishing menu for each article. Robots instructions can also be overridden from global settings at the same time, which speeds up customizing your content for search indexing.
Joomla offers global and article-specific SEO features.
What Sets Joomla Apart?
Joomla shines for flexibility, scalability and affordability. It powers everything from school project websites to kitchen table entrepreneurs to global companies. It’s one of the few CMS systems that grows with creators and is the even rarer unicorn that stays free forever.
The biggest downside of Joomla is the learning curve. It’s not a no-code solution, and while a favorite of technically inclined creators, it’s not a great choice if you’ve never used anything beyond a drag-and-drop editor. Even if you’ve used WordPress, you’re likely to be surprised by the technical nature of Joomla at first.
Joomla Pricing
| Joomla Core | Joomla Launch | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Domain Included | No | .Joomla.com subdomain |
| Hosting Included | No | Yes |
| Extensions | Free and paid | Free and paid |
The only costs for Joomla are extras. Hosting plans, hosting upgrades with Joomla Launch, paid plugins and paid development services bump up the cost, but the Joomla CMS itself is always free. As with WordPress, that makes it a great value for many small businesses. However, the possibility of never having to rebuild a site and change platforms again is often the biggest draw for growing companies.
Joomla vs. Top Alternatives
| Joomla | WordPress | Wix | Jimdo | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free | Free Paid plans start at $17 per month | Free Paid plans start at $11 per month (billed annually) |
| Domain | Free subdomain on Joomla Launch only | Free subdomain for WordPress.com only | Free subdomain for free plans and one-year domain on paid plans | Free subdomain on free plans and one-year domain on paid plans |
| Hosting Included | Free for Joomla Launch with paid upgrades available | Free on WordPress.com with paid plans starting at $9 per month | Yes | Yes |
| Drag-and-Drop Editor | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Templates Available | Free and paid | Free and paid | Yes | Yes |
| Beginner-Friendly | No | Moderate | Yes | Yes |
| Learn More | -- | -- | -- | |
| Read Reviews | -- | -- |
Joomla vs WordPress
Joomla and WordPress are both free and look very similar from a distance, but each takes a different focus. WordPress sacrificed some flexibility and scalability in favor of user-friendliness. In comparison, Joomla is more like running a Linux desktop. The possibilities are nearly endless but require more work from users.
Joomla vs. Wix
Wix offers a free starter plan, so you can try both Joomla (using Joomla Launch) and Wix without any cost. However, Wix takes a more beginner-friendly approach with a drag-and-drop editor and limited features, compared to Joomla. Wix paid plans do include hosting, but the websites aren’t portable to other hosts like Joomla is.
Joomla vs. Jimdo
Jimdo is a lot like Wix but scaled down. It dives even deeper into the beginner market with fewer controls and streamlined design choices. Where Joomla leaves everything up to the user, Jimdo guides you through a curated set of choices. It’s absolutely an easier experience for beginners and also has a basic free plan to try without risk before upgrading.
Our Expert Opinion
Power comes at the cost of a graphic interface with Joomla. For those with some technical background or the time to dive in and teach themselves, it’s a great option to learn one system you can stick with forever. For beginners, Joomla will be a source of frustration and likely result in the need to hire help.
Ease of Use
Joomla is a mixed bag in terms of ease of use. There’s no graphical interface beyond a few options on the initial dashboard, and users must learn both the web host’s dashboard and Joomla itself. If you’ve never built a website before, you’ll need to consult tutorial videos from YouTube or ask your web host for help getting it installed.
Once it’s installed on your web host and logged in to Joomla itself, especially if you’ve used WordPress, it’s mostly a matter of basic controls being ordered or named a bit differently.
Joomla’s dashboard is well-arranged but takes time to learn.
That said, Joomla includes a lot of features, and there is absolutely a learning curve as you dig into all of the possibilities. Some features require more technical knowledge, and most first-time Joomla users will spend hours going through help files when creating a first website.
Value
It’s hard to argue with free, but I find that time investment needs to be considered as well. Your time is worth something, and for most small business owners, every minute building a website or researching how to install an extension is a minute you aren’t interacting with customers or making products.
Value will vary in every circumstance, but for businesses who plan on significant growth and never want to change platforms again, Joomla may very well be worth that initial time investment or hiring a Joomla developer for the initial setup.
Customer Service and Support
As common with open-source software, customer support is limited to a knowledge base and volunteer community support. However, there’s nothing ordinary about Joomla’s documentation and community. The Joomla forum includes worldwide members from all skill levels, and there are nearly 10,000 articles in the documentation library.
Joomla features an extensive documentation collection.
Reputation
Joomla has a great reputation overall, with four stars on G2. The platform is well respected by users and developers, who appreciate built-in features on Joomla that would need plugins with WordPress.
That said, the more technical nature means many talk about struggling to get to a point where they can take the training wheels off and enjoy creating with Joomla. Some also wish there were more frequent updates to the system.
Featured Partners
1
Wix
$17 per month
Yes
Yes
2
Shopify
$29 per month
3 days free + First Month for $1
Drag & drop editor, AI Tools, Customize with 8k+ apps, Sell everywhere
3
Bluehost
$2.99 per month
Yes
Yes
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How does Joomla work?
Joomla is more than a website builder. It’s a full CMS that lets you build websites, control access, manage SEO and add additional capacity with coding or third-party extensions.
How much does Joomla cost?
Joomla is free, and the quick start Joomla Launch option also includes free hosting with a .joomla.com subdomain.
What are the disadvantages of Joomla?
Joomla’s biggest disadvantage is the technical knowledge needed to work with it. Users need to understand a lot of technical terminology and have some experience with web development to hit the ground running with this powerful CMS.
Is Joomla better than WordPress?
Joomla has more features and expansion capabilities than WordPress. However, WordPress is easier to use and has more developers creating third-party content.
What is the best CMS?
Joomla is best for more technically advanced users, and WordPress is better for novices. WordPress focuses on user experience and a huge stable of independently designed plugins, while Joomla focuses on flexibility and scalability through coding freedom.
