What users are saying about
55 Ratings
<a href='https://www.trustradius.com/static/about-trustradius-scoring' target='_blank' rel='nofollow noopener'>trScore algorithm: Learn more.</a>Score 7.4 out of 100
Based on 55 reviews and ratings
279 Ratings
<a href='https://www.trustradius.com/static/about-trustradius-scoring' target='_blank' rel='nofollow noopener'>trScore algorithm: Learn more.</a>Score 7.5 out of 100
Based on 279 reviews and ratings
Feature Set Ratings
- Joomla! ranks higher in 3 feature sets: Platform & Infrastructure, Web Content Creation, Web Content Management
- Cascade Server and Joomla! are tied in 1 feature set: Security
Security

8.0
Cascade Server
80%
8.0
Joomla
80%
Cascade Server ranks higher in 1/1 features
Cascade Server ranks higher in 1/1 features
Role-based user permissions

8.0
80%
19 Ratings
8.0
80%
44 Ratings
Platform & Infrastructure

7.1
Cascade Server
71%
7.7
Joomla
77%
Joomla! ranks higher in 2/2 features
Joomla! ranks higher in 2/2 features
API

7.0
70%
12 Ratings
7.4
74%
39 Ratings
Internationalization / multi-language

7.3
73%
7 Ratings
8.0
80%
40 Ratings
Web Content Creation

7.1
Cascade Server
71%
7.7
Joomla
77%
Joomla! ranks higher in 6/8 features
Joomla! ranks higher in 6/8 features
WYSIWYG editor

6.1
61%
19 Ratings
7.0
70%
46 Ratings
Code quality / cleanliness

6.0
60%
18 Ratings
7.9
79%
44 Ratings
Admin section

8.0
80%
19 Ratings
8.1
81%
44 Ratings
Page templates

9.0
90%
17 Ratings
7.6
76%
45 Ratings
Library of website themes

5.5
55%
2 Ratings
7.3
73%
43 Ratings
Mobile optimization / responsive design

7.0
70%
15 Ratings
7.3
73%
43 Ratings
Publishing workflow

9.0
90%
19 Ratings
8.3
83%
43 Ratings
Form generator

6.4
64%
7 Ratings
7.8
78%
39 Ratings
Web Content Management

6.9
Cascade Server
69%
7.5
Joomla
75%
Cascade Server ranks higher in 3/5 features
Cascade Server ranks higher in 3/5 features
Content taxonomy

8.0
80%
13 Ratings
7.8
78%
44 Ratings
SEO support

7.0
70%
14 Ratings
7.0
70%
44 Ratings
Bulk management

9.0
90%
14 Ratings
7.2
72%
42 Ratings
Availability / breadth of extensions

6.0
60%
11 Ratings
7.5
75%
45 Ratings
Community / comment management

4.8
48%
5 Ratings
8.0
80%
43 Ratings
Attribute Ratings
- Cascade Server is rated higher in 3 areas: Likelihood to Recommend, Performance, Implementation Rating
- Joomla! is rated higher in 6 areas: Likelihood to Renew, Usability, Availability, Support Rating, Online Training, Product Scalability
Likelihood to Recommend

9.9
Cascade Server
99%
44 Ratings
7.6
Joomla
76%
68 Ratings
Likelihood to Renew

9.1
Cascade Server
91%
26 Ratings
10.0
Joomla
100%
28 Ratings
Usability

9.1
Cascade Server
91%
4 Ratings
9.9
Joomla
99%
7 Ratings
Availability

6.7
Cascade Server
67%
8 Ratings
9.9
Joomla
99%
4 Ratings
Performance

8.0
Cascade Server
80%
2 Ratings
7.8
Joomla
78%
4 Ratings
Support Rating

9.1
Cascade Server
91%
10 Ratings
10.0
Joomla
100%
8 Ratings
In-Person Training

7.0
Cascade Server
70%
1 Rating
Joomla
N/A
0 Ratings
Online Training

5.0
Cascade Server
50%
1 Rating
8.0
Joomla
80%
2 Ratings
Implementation Rating

9.1
Cascade Server
91%
8 Ratings
8.7
Joomla
87%
6 Ratings
Product Scalability

5.0
Cascade Server
50%
1 Rating
9.9
Joomla
99%
3 Ratings
Likelihood to Recommend
Cascade Server
Cascade Server is well suited with it's WYSIWYG editor being better than most editors that I have used in other systems. In context, editing makes adding content easy compared to the last CMS I used where you had to wing it and view the page outside of the CMS to see if it was correct. The ability mix HTML, CSS, and the Script of your choice anywhere and with ease.
The scenarios were Cascade Server is less appropriate would be in the use of compilers or programs like Visual studio. You need to go out of Cascade Server and go to other environments to perform tasks and then copy the result to Cascade Server. You can write directly in Cascade Server, but it's easier to do in and editor that is specific to a function.

Verified User
Professional in Other
Higher Education Company, 201-500 employeesJoomla
It seems with the release of Joomla! 4 that the weak areas have all been covered. Its always been good for the mid-level small to large business, the blogging was WP, and the large-scale enterprise was probably bespoke. But the new interface is so simple it seems pointless using WP when Joomla! is as easy and can then grow as big as you like.The Workflows feature which allows you to set up work pipelines easily is going to be a boom to any larger enterprise sites.Couples with the new API which I got to see at one of their user groups, is amazing. They were creating articles on one site then another site was taking the feed directly for just certain categories. Really blows your mind what you could do with that and the new workflows.
Owner
SoftForgeInternet, 1-10 employees
Pros
Cascade Server
- Cascade CMS makes no assumptions about your content. Templates control how the content gets displayed.
- Workflows are intuitive and allow for one or more people to review content before it is published.
- The published site is static (no database connection) which allows for faster page loads and reduced risk of attack.
Web & New Media Specialist
Cleveland State Community CollegeHigher Education, 201-500 employees
Joomla
- We use Joomla to build our websites and web applications because of its incredible intuitiveness and tools to make everything more manageable.
- Its working environment is quite comfortable for my development team, and its web design resources significantly speed up our work when carrying out web development projects.
- It allows you to use blocks to create and visually manage websites and divide them into different categories without programming knowledge.
Sales Manager
CleveroadComputer Software, 51-200 employees
Cons
Cascade Server
- Cascade CMS is not an out-of-the-box pre-built system that you can install, turn on and expect to be serving sites and pages on day one. It's not a blogging system like WordPress, or a drag-and-drop system like SquareSpace (both of which I've used for their own purposes). You need to have someone tasked with management and system administration – and if you implement the on-premise self-hosted version, you ought to have several people. We have the university's IT shop handling infrastructure (server hardware, containers, clustering, operating systems, load-balancing, DNS, database servers, NAS/SAN drives), our Web & Design team managing Cascade CMS (system settings, sites, templates, permissions) and managers coordinating each respective academic unit (A&S, business, education, law, marine science).
Senior Web Architect
William & MaryHigher Education, 1001-5000 employees
Joomla
- Because Joomla's user community is smaller than WP, it lacks as many choices from 3rd party developers, meaning it can be a little more difficult to find the right extension for what you need to accomplish
- Along the same vein, most of the best 3rd-party software for Joomla! is paid
- Simple features such as Add to Menu and Cache cleaners should be adopted as part of the Joomla! core, though they are available as extensions
- Joomla! could use a simpler and easier URL rewriting process
Owner | Principal
LMK Web Design & ConsultingInformation Technology and Services, 1-10 employees
Pricing Details
Cascade Server
General
Free Trial
Yes
Free/Freemium Version
—Premium Consulting/Integration Services
Yes
Entry-level set up fee?
Optional
Starting Price
—Joomla
General
Free Trial
—Free/Freemium Version
—Premium Consulting/Integration Services
—Entry-level set up fee?
No
Starting Price
—Likelihood to Renew
Cascade Server
Cascade Server 9.1
Based on 26 answers
Changing systems would require too much effort. Our institution is using Cascade Server, WordPress and Drupal but we only serve 2200 students so we have 1 too many content management systems. Reflecting on current technical resources we would like to drop down to 2. This effort hasn't moved forward because of the extensive work required to migrate content and train users in a new system.
Associate Director of Web Communications
Union CollegeHigher Education, 501-1000 employees
Joomla
Joomla 10.0
Based on 28 answers
I gave it a rating of 10 because I just love how Joomla! works, how it is set up and how it handles many users. Also it is very fast, and there is no overload on the MySQL database or servers ever.
Owner
Lionsites Web DesignInternet, 1-10 employees
Usability
Cascade Server
Cascade Server 9.1
Based on 4 answers
Cascade CMS is completely usable on mobile devices, we can train our content editors in a single 2-hour session, and we support 1,000 users with a very small team.
There is a level of complexity for the system administrators, site managers and web programmers who implement templates and content types. But the complexity is neither arbitrary nor inconsistent – and once learned provides a powerful environment within which we can develop robust sites that are beautiful and powerful, yet easy for our content editors to manage.
Senior Web Architect
William & MaryHigher Education, 1001-5000 employees
Joomla
Joomla 9.9
Based on 7 answers
Joomla! 3.x is easily installed either manually or via a script provided by your host. It contains most of the tools needed to begin creating websites right from the start. Those features that it doesn't have are easily installed via links and buttons from the thousands of extensions available in the community
Freelance Web Designer and Content Strategist
Words To Web, Inc.Online Media, 1-10 employees
Reliability and Availability
Cascade Server
Cascade Server 6.7
Based on 8 answers
Amazing customer service and VERY customizable.
Webmaster
Jacksonville State UniversityHigher Education, 1001-5000 employees
Joomla
Joomla 9.9
Based on 4 answers
No answer on this topic is available.
Performance
Cascade Server
Cascade Server 8.0
Based on 2 answers
Does a great job.
Web Administrator
True Value CompanyInformation Technology and Services, 51-200 employees
Joomla
Joomla 7.8
Based on 4 answers
Today's Modern Joomla performs very well and is robust and durable. The pages load faster than they ever did in the past and Modern Joomla's integration into other software or systems has become seamless. Modern Joomla sites will last long and will stay running forever.
Webmaster \ Web Developer for the City of Pomona
Jaymersun Website ServicesInformation Technology and Services, 201-500 employees
Support Rating
Cascade Server
Cascade Server 9.1
Based on 10 answers
They have always regarded any question or problem we encountered as very important. We have never felt that they ignore or downplay any issue and not once has anything been left unresolved. They also hold an annual conference where users are invited to attend and share their experiences and wisdom with the entire Cascade community. And with the care and support the provide, we all feel a part of that community.
Manager, Campus Web Technology
SUNY Upstate Medical UniversityHospital & Health Care, 5001-10,000 employees
Joomla
Joomla 10.0
Based on 8 answers
Between the core Joomla developers who are excellent at answering questions and providing support, you have a whole community of developers who work with Joomla and are happy to help fellow developers out answering questions and supporting the Joomla project. Out of the many communities I am involved in for open-source software, Joomla's community is by far the best.
Owner - Web Designer/Developer/Marketer
Programmer JenInternet, 1-10 employees
In-Person Training
Cascade Server
Cascade Server 7.0
Based on 1 answer
Training was helpful.
Web Administrator
True Value CompanyInformation Technology and Services, 51-200 employees
Joomla
No score
No answers yet
No answers on this topic
Online Training
Cascade Server
Cascade Server 5.0
Based on 1 answer
Still needed that physical help
Web Administrator
True Value CompanyInformation Technology and Services, 51-200 employees
Joomla
Joomla 8.0
Based on 2 answers
It is good if you know Joomla! if not it can get a bit confusing
Owner
SA WebhostsInternet, 1-10 employees
Implementation Rating
Cascade Server
Cascade Server 9.1
Based on 8 answers
The key to any CMS implementation is PLAN, PLAN, PLAN. Proper planning with Cascade can increase your satisfaction exponentially once the site migration/creation is complete. When all is said and done, your implementation can make your site run like a Yugo or Maserati. Be smart and deliberate in your decisions. Drive the Maserati. It is already paid for.
Marketing Manager
HCC Medical Insurance ServicesInsurance, 51-200 employees
Joomla
Joomla 8.7
Based on 6 answers
Joomla has gone through tremendous growing pains. It is now better than ever. But before, when it was going from 1.5-2.5, the templates and plugins would break over and over again. If you don't understand what Joomla was trying to do back then, you might have a bad attitude toward it. Today, those pains are over and things don't break like they used to during that time period.
Webmaster \ Web Developer for the City of Pomona
Jaymersun Website ServicesInformation Technology and Services, 201-500 employees
Alternatives Considered
Cascade Server
We selected Cascade server seven years ago, and the CMS environment at the time was clearly different than it is today. We decided to go with a vendor solution rather than a free solution because the long term cost in hosting a free solution is not, in fact, free; we've found Cascade to have been an excellent choice for us.

Verified User
Manager in Information Technology
Higher Education Company, 1001-5000 employeesJoomla
We tested other platforms like WordPress, Magento and some local CMS.
But Joomla offered us better resources for generating content.
Joomla is a CMS suitable for many types of projects, especially if you have several people editing content at the same time.
It allows you to maintain visual standardization and offers many options for working with images.
With its ability to control access to different articles, categories or even different components, it is a great tool, even if they are managed by different people.
Especialista de Desenvolvimento Industrial
SENAI-DNNon-profit Organization Management, 10,001+ employees
Scalability
Cascade Server
Cascade Server 5.0
Based on 1 answer
I used it only a few times.
Web Administrator
True Value CompanyInformation Technology and Services, 51-200 employees
Joomla
Joomla 9.9
Based on 3 answers
No answer on this topic is available.
Return on Investment
Cascade Server
- Initially, ROI was positive - because we completely redesigned the website when we implemented Cascade.
- Over time, the inability to keep up with the latest interactive tools has reduced visitors time on site.
- Also over time, the difficulty of use has led to less buy-in by backend users, leading to outdated pages, little timely information, and lower visitors.

Verified User
Professional in Marketing
Higher Education Company, 51-200 employeesJoomla
- Joomla has reduced our costs of rolling out a new website because it uses less developer time and can be rolled out by individual users as needed.
- Joomla has a lot of extensions and add-ons that make it easy to create and implement advanced solutions quickly.
Web Content Manager
VertMarkets, Inc.Publishing, 51-200 employees