Joomla or WordPress
Slide

Which CMS?

Joomla logo
Joomla
Wordpress logo
Wordpress

Website security

Most vulnerabilities for Joomla or WordPress come from one of two factors:-

  1. Out of date core software and

  2. Poorly developed or out of date third-party extensions to core software. These extensions account for about 60% of vulnerabilities.

There are over 6,000 extensions in Joomla's official extension directory. Joomla verified extensions are available at https://extensions.joomla.org/ . Vulnerable extensions are published at https://extensions.joomla.org/vulnerable-extensions/vulnerable/

Joomla security, for the most part, is built into the core software. In Joomla update notices for core software are emailed to Super Administrators and extension update notifications are provided on administration login. Core software updates can be set to run automatically.

As with all content management systems, risks can be minimised if all software is kept up to date.

Because WordPress has something in the order of 57,000 plugins, many created by startup developers, there is necessarily a lack of quality control. Generally, look for WordPress plugins that come from reputable sources such as:

Risks can be minimised if all software is kept up to date.

WordPress offers protection and support, including security plugins. It provides an automatic update facility. In WordPress there are no email notifications for core software updates but are provided on administration login. Core software updates can be set to run automatically.

Joomla or WordPress, it's your choice.

Joomla or WordPress

Extensions / Plugins and Templates / Themes

Extensions or plugins and templates or themes are what turn a regular website into a website for you. As well as making your website look good, they also play a large role in your website’s functionality (SEO, speed and security). These tools enable customization and are essential for creating a professional website for you.

Joomla offers around 8,000 extensions and WordPress around 57,000 plugins. They both sound impressive but in reality most websites will use no more than perhaps ten or twelve extensions to enhance functionality. It's also worth remembering that many plugins have similar functionality and so to quote plugin or extension numbers can be misleading.

When installing Joomla or WordPress we use templates or themes which incorporate the Gantry 5 framework. This provides increased ease of use and expandability.

Joomla or WordPress, it's your choice.

Joomla or WordPress

Speed

Joomla has extensions for caching built in.

Joomla has a speed advantage over WordPress when it comes to larger and more complex websites. It has better scalability and will require less server usage than a WordPress website of the same size.

Joomla holds up well when it comes to larger and more complex websites. It's scalability is very good and it can be used for pretty much anything from a small business website to a full blown broadsheet newspaper (including advertising).

WordPress has extensions available for caching which helps speed up the site.

WordPress doesn't hold up so well when it comes to larger and more complex websites. It's scalability is not so good and it will require greater server usage.

Joomla or WordPress, it's your choice.

Joomla or WordPress

Flexibility

Flexibility can be a big deal when it comes to building a website and, ideally, you want to be able to customize it. Using Joomla, you can incorporate multiple themes across your website. This means that Joomla users can have different templates for different pages or sections - very handy for companies with different subsidiaries but want to retain corporate identity. It is also possible to have the same template with different layout and colours on different pages. You can switch styles and templates if, for example, you want a different template for your blog than your main website or, perhaps, for different product lines. This functionallity is built into Joomla.

In addition to this, Joomla has greater capacity to handle multiple or more complex forms of content.

Unfortunately WordPress core software only allows users to work with a single theme per website which can limit creativity and functionality. Multiple themes can be used in WordPress but using using a plugin (Multiple Themes or similar). This, of course, introduces potential security problems.

WordPress can find it difficult to keep up when handling multiple or more complex forms of content. Some WordPress plugins that cater to different forms of content have been known to run into technical difficulties because they simply can’t handle it.

Joomla or WordPress, it's your choice.

Joomla or WordPress

Learning curve

Both Joomla and WordPress get up and running fairly quickly. Their basic features, templates / themes and extensions / plugins don’t take much to get to grips with though Joomla can be a bit more complex than WordPress. Most of the plugins are well-explained and most templates enable you to customize pages according to your individual requirements. Most users will need some tuition to get their heads around some of the concepts but how much depends on your experience. For the most part, however, like so many things, it’s more of a “learn as you go” process.

With the help of some tutorial videos and articles, you can learn how to build your website effectively.

Should you wish to have us develop a website for you we will, of course, include tuition.

Joomla or WordPress, it's your choice.

Joomla awards timeline

2005: Linux & Open Source Awards in London Best Linux / Open Source Project
2006: Packt Open Source Awards [1] - Best Open Source CMS
2006: UK Linux & Open Source Awards Best Linux / Open Source Project - Joomla! Wins Again at UK LinuxWorld
2007: Packt Open Source Awards - Best PHP Open Source CMS
2008: Packt Open Source Awards - 1st Runner-up Best Open Source CMS
2008: Packt Open Source Awards - 1st Runner-up Best Overall Open Source CMS
2008: Packt Open Source Awards - Open Source CMS Most Valued Person - Personal award Johan Janssens
2009: Packt Open Source Awards - 1st Runner-up Packt Hall of Fame CMS
2009: Packt Open Source Awards - 2nd Runner-up Best Open Source CMS
2009: Packt Open Source Awards - Open Source CMS Most Valued Person - Personal award Louis Landry
2010: Packt Open Source Awards - 2nd Runner-up Hall of Fame CMS
2011: Packt Open Source Awards - Best Open Source CMS
2012: Infoworld Bossie Awards - Best Open Source Application
2014: CMS Critic People's Choice Awards - Best Open Source PHP CMS
2015: CMS Critic People's Choice Awards - Best Free CMS
2016: CMS Critic People's Choice Awards - Best Free CMS
2017: CMS Critic People's Choice Awards - Best Free CMS
2018: CMS Critic People's Choice Awards - Best Free CMS
2019: CMS Critic People's Choice Awards - Best Free CMS
2020: CMS Critic People's Choice Awards - Best Free CMS
2021: CMS Critic Critics Award - Best Open Source CMS
2021: CMS Critic People's Choice Awards - Best Free CMS
2021: CMS Critic People's Choice Awards - Best Open Source CMS
2022: Cloudfest Hackathon - Overall Hackathon Winner
2022: Cloudfest Hackathon - Social Media Engagement
2022: Expert Insights - Spring 2022 Best-Of Awards
2022: FOSS Awards - Highly Recommended
2023: CMS Critic People's Choice Awards - Best Free CMS
2023: FOSS Awards - CMS Winner

Documentation

If you want to build your own website using WordPress you will find more information at Joomla Documentation.

WordPress awards timeline

2008: Winner of InfoWorld's "Best of open source software awards: Collaboration"
2009: Winner of Open Source CMS Awards's "Overall Best Open Source CMS"
2010: Winner of digital synergy's "Hall of Fame CMS category in the 2010 Open Source"
2011: Winner of InfoWorld's "Bossie award for Best Open Source Software"
2013: Winner CMS Critic's "Best Free CMS"
2014: Winner CMS Critic's "Best Open Source PHP CMS"
2015: Winner CMS Critic's "Best CMS for Personal Websites"
2020: Winner CMS Critic's "Best Open Source CMS"

Documentation

If you want to build your own website using WordPress you will find more information at WordPress Documentation.

Joomla or WordPress

Joomla vs WordPress - Conclusion

The Joomla vs WordPress comparison is not a tie, but they are not all that different from one another.

Both platforms are set for major developments but that is the nature of any web application. It is brought on, in part, by programming development (PHP, mySQLi, MariaDB, Apache, Nginx, Redis and others) and, otherwise, by natural competition.

To decide on which CMS is for you, you need to decide what you want from your site. If you have some tech knowledge and are looking for a more flexible CMS that allows you greater creativity in your design, Joomla will probably be your choice.

If, on the other hand, you’re new to website building, or are not concerned about the potential theme and content limits that it can impose, then WordPress may be your choice.

For a more expansive description see Joomla vs WordPress: A Real Life Data Driven Study.

Joomla or WordPress, it's your choice.

Joomla vs WordPress - My Preference

On most reviews Joomla gets lower ratings when compared to WordPress. Reviewers tend to recommend things they are familiar with or are selling.

If a client particularly wants WordPress I give him or her a WordPress site and the same applies to Joomla, but if I am to decide I do so based upon the use to which the site is to be put. For a basic blogging site I will use Wordpress and for pretty much everything else, particularly where future expansion is a consideration, I will choose Joomla pretty much every time.

This is simply because when the time comes for your site to start growing and you decide that your business needs a site with more functionality and expandability Wordpress can be limiting and you will be faced at some point in time with having to move everything to another Content Management System.

WordPress tends to make life a little easier in the beginning but, in the long run, Joomla offers many more possibilities.