Skip to main content
TrustRadius
Joomla

Joomla

Overview

What is Joomla?

Joomla! is a free and open source content management system used to publish web content. Included features are page caching, RSS feeds, printable versions of pages, news flashes, blogs, polls, a search function, and support for language internationalization.

Read more
Recent Reviews

TrustRadius Insights

Joomla is a versatile content management system used by various businesses and organizations to run and manage their websites. It is …
Continue reading

Jammin' with Joomla!

10 out of 10
October 18, 2019
Incentivized
Joomla is used across our organization. It solves our website address needs and much more due to its flexibility and ease of use. We …
Continue reading
Read all reviews

Awards

Products that are considered exceptional by their customers based on a variety of criteria win TrustRadius awards. Learn more about the types of TrustRadius awards to make the best purchase decision. More about TrustRadius Awards

Popular Features

View all 16 features
  • Availability / breadth of extensions (45)
    8.0
    80%
  • Role-based user permissions (44)
    7.0
    70%
  • Page templates (45)
    7.0
    70%
  • WYSIWYG editor (46)
    6.0
    60%

Reviewer Pros & Cons

View all pros & cons
Return to navigation

Pricing

View all pricing
N/A
Unavailable

What is Joomla?

Joomla! is a free and open source content management system used to publish web content. Included features are page caching, RSS feeds, printable versions of pages, news flashes, blogs, polls, a search function, and support for language internationalization.

Entry-level set up fee?

  • No setup fee

Offerings

  • Free Trial
  • Free/Freemium Version
  • Premium Consulting/Integration Services

Would you like us to let the vendor know that you want pricing?

18 people also want pricing

Alternatives Pricing

What is Adobe Business Catalyst (Discontinued)?

Adobe Business Catalyst was a cloud-hosted system for building and managing web content and online stores with a built-in CRM framework in addition to sales, service, and marketing features including eCommerce and Email Marketing tools. It has been end of life (EOL) since 2020.

What is Agility?

Agility CMS is a cloud-based content management system from the company of the same name in Toronto, Ontario.

Return to navigation

Product Demos

Joomla! 3 Quickstart Installation Step by Step Guide

YouTube

JA Elastica - Free Responsive Design Template for Joomla 2.5!

YouTube

Template Creator CK 3 - Overview, simple demo, create your Joomla template in 7minutes

YouTube

Template Creator CK 3 - Overview, simple demo, create your Joomla template in 8 minutes

YouTube
Return to navigation

Features

Security

This component helps a company minimize the security risks by controlling access to the software and its data, and encouraging best practices among users.

7
Avg 8.0

Platform & Infrastructure

Features related to platform-wide settings and structure, such as permissions, languages, integrations, customizations, etc.

6.5
Avg 7.7

Web Content Creation

Features that support the creation of website content.

7.2
Avg 7.6

Web Content Management

Features for managing website content

6.6
Avg 7.3
Return to navigation

Product Details

What is Joomla?

Joomla! is a free, open source content management system used to publish web content. Joomla is written in PHP, uses object-oriented programming (OOP) techniques and stores data in a MySQL, MS SQL, or PostgreSQL database. Included features are page caching, RSS feeds, printable versions of pages, news flashes, blogs, polls, a search function, and support for language internationalization. Its dashboard organizing administrator tasks into context menus, from which content is edited, permissions set and changed, contacts managed, and messages sent to users. Extensions modify functionality in widely varying ways and provide flexibility.

Joomla Video

What is Joomla!

Joomla Competitors

Joomla Technical Details

Operating SystemsUnspecified
Mobile ApplicationNo

Frequently Asked Questions

Joomla! is a free and open source content management system used to publish web content. Included features are page caching, RSS feeds, printable versions of pages, news flashes, blogs, polls, a search function, and support for language internationalization.

Drupal, Kentico Xperience, and Plone are common alternatives for Joomla.

Reviewers rate Library of website themes highest, with a score of 9.

The most common users of Joomla are from Small Businesses (1-50 employees).
Return to navigation

Comparisons

View all alternatives
Return to navigation

Reviews and Ratings

(286)

Community Insights

TrustRadius Insights are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, 3rd-party data sources. Have feedback on this content? Let us know!

Joomla is a versatile content management system used by various businesses and organizations to run and manage their websites. It is popular among marketing departments as it allows them to update web content without the need for a developer, saving time and resources. Web development teams also benefit from Joomla's user-friendly interface, using it to design websites for clients and teach them to make small changes independently. Additionally, Joomla serves as a content management system for a wide range of projects, both internally and for clients. Its flexibility and extendability make it a preferred choice for both non-technical users and developers.

Joomla is widely used across organizations to manage content on public-facing websites, including non-profit organizations and startup companies. It is also utilized by web hosting platforms for its user-friendly interface and automatic installation. Companies rely on Joomla to manage their company intranets, providing a centralized information clearinghouse. This CMS is also commonly used by website design and development departments to create and maintain websites for various industries. Furthermore, Joomla finds applications in educational institutions to manage department pages and provide control to individual representatives. Its ability to handle different features like e-commerce and blog sites makes it an attractive choice for businesses with diverse needs. Developers appreciate Joomla's customization options, allowing them to create templates and extensions tailored to specific requirements.

The City of Pomona's website is managed using Joomla, enabling web administrators to easily edit and disseminate important information to the public. The built-in Access Control List features of Joomla allow the creation of users and groups with specific rights, granting access only to authorized individuals. These specific users can sign in to the website from the front-end to edit or update content as needed. Additionally, Joomla's Social Network AutoPoster feature automatically posts new articles from the City's website onto its Facebook Page. The CMS also includes a contact manager that lists the contact information of city departments, council members, and the mayor. The user-friendly interface provided by the Joomla Content Editor Component, known as JCE, makes it easy for standard users to edit and update content, similar to using Microsoft Word. Overall, Joomla offers a range of features and functionality that make it a valuable tool for managing websites across various industries and organizations.

Versatility and Customizability: Users have found Joomla to be highly versatile and customizable, allowing them to create websites that meet their specific needs. Several reviewers have mentioned how they were able to tailor the CMS to their unique requirements, making it a popular choice for businesses and organizations.

User-Friendly Interface: Many users appreciate the user-friendly interface of Joomla. They find it easy to navigate and perform various tasks without much hassle. The logical and intuitive admin interface has been praised by several reviewers, highlighting its contribution to a smooth user experience.

Availability of Third-Party Components and Extensions: Reviewers have expressed their satisfaction with the availability of third-party components and extensions in Joomla's marketplace. This wide range of options allows users to enhance the functionality of their websites by adding features like e-commerce capabilities, social media integration, and more. Some users have even mentioned specific third-party components that have greatly benefited their website development process.

Confusing User Interface: Users have found Joomla's user interface to be confusing and not user-friendly, making it difficult to perform tasks quickly. Several reviewers have mentioned this issue.

Security Concerns: There were concerns about Joomla's security, with users mentioning that it was not the most secure platform in the past and needed regular updates and secure file permissions to combat vulnerabilities. Some reviewers have expressed worry about the security of their websites.

Menu Items Rearranging Themselves: Users reported frustration with menu items rearranging themselves after adding new ones. This inconsistency in menu organization has been mentioned by several reviewers as a source of annoyance when managing their websites.

Based on user reviews, users commonly recommend the following for Joomla:

  1. Consider other CMS alternatives: Explore other CMS platforms, especially if you are not tech-savvy or lack previous web programming experience. Compare different CMS options before committing to Joomla.

  2. Invest in learning Joomla: Highly recommend dedicating time and effort to learning Joomla. It is particularly beneficial for small business owners who publish their own web content but have limited experience. Having someone at your business who knows code, including HTML and CSS, is recommended.

  3. Use Joomla for specific purposes: Joomla is suitable for developing web applications and websites, especially for small businesses without the resources for a website agency or in-house management team. It is also recommended for associations and small to medium-sized businesses with the help of a Joomla expert. Additionally, it is seen as a good option for beginners and creating multilingual websites due to its ease of use and flexibility.

It's important to note that while Joomla offers powerful features, it may not be suitable for all users or scenarios. Users advise considering other platforms if SEO is a major part of your company's future or if advanced or e-commerce features are required. Checking out WordPress as an alternative before deciding on Joomla is suggested.

Attribute Ratings

Reviews

(1-25 of 67)
Companies can't remove reviews or game the system. Here's why
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
All the reviews I read are lazy. They all say the same old, WP is easy, Joomla! harder but good and Drupal security. But that's so old, as they were measuring a decade ago. Joomla! has moved ahead. Its got over 70 languages and has been multi-language from the start. [It] was the first to go MVC, was the first with so many things that others are catching up, and its not had a zero day exploit for years and years, that is not true for the others.

The only difference is it has a community and not an owner who is behind it promoting it, so it doesn't spend the money on advertising and they don't make money but do it as a passion.

It's one of those gems that the review sites cannot make affiliate money from as there are no affiliate market returns with Joomla! core so it's not pushed, but that's not a true reflection of how good it is, just how the review sites often want an affiliate link to make money.
Score 5 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Simpler and easy to visually understand elements and tools. We don't need to do any fancy coding or use too many plugins. çompared with WordPress and Webflow, we believe Joomla! has a more accurate and easy interface that allows the user to finish tasks in less time than the others.
Fernanda Ministerio | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
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.
Nuno Reis | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 2 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
As a user, it is more than OK for those standard daily operations like publishing and editing or comment management. As a developer, I have a very different perspective. Joomla! is not my favorite platform. Only ready-to-use tools like Wix can be less friendly than having to configure Joomla! for myself or others. It has more potential than BlogSpot (that one has been frozen for a decade now and can't be taken seriously as a contender) but is no match for WordPress.
Lonela Marinela | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
There are many themes and other design assets for Joomla! we can use from paid and free libraries throughout the internet. WordPress on the other hand is also very good and useful, comparatively Joomla! offered more features and at a better price.
Vinny Hebert | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Part of Joomla core, which is what comes with Joomla when you install it, is it's Access Control Lists. It allows you to not only control which users can access what, but allows you to create custom groups and have unique access per group. WordPress can't do that without a third-party plugin.
Jason Montoya | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
WordPress is designed in a way to make it fairly fool-proof for the admin, but in this approach, it handcuffs the user from having control or making it easy to do, in many cases, what are basic things (changing the title, URL segment, etc...). With the exception of the Gutenberg editor, Joomla is superior in every technical and admin experience way (this comes from someone who works on both platforms regularly). I also find the admin interface much more logical, scalable, and professional than WordPress.

I'm not familiar with Drupal, but I've often heard it can be more technically oriented and hard to use for intermediate and beginning users. While Joomla does provide a large amount of control over a website, it's also fairly simple to use. And with terrific permission controls, basic users can be shielded from functions and tools that may overwhelm them or give them abilities to break things accidentally.
October 18, 2019

Jammin' with Joomla!

Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We chose Joomla! over Drupal or WordPress because it's in the middle ground between those two systems. We needed something that can be extended down the road if we need it, but at the same time, it can't be too complex. We felt Drupal is too complex and WordPress seems to be more reserved for blogging or more simple sites. We needed more than WordPress so Joomla! is a natural fit.
Lisa Keyser | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Joomla! is the #2 Open Source CMS behind WordPress, which we also use, and ahead of Drupal, which we have evaluated but decided not to pursue. Joomla! generally performs better than WP for clients that need more complexity to their websites, including flexibility in templating, menus, and user access. While it is less developer-friendly than Drupal, it was designed from the get-go as a CMS and not as blogging software, like WP, so it has more built-in features that are necessary to run a solid website.
Miles Szkoda | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I think Joomla is on-par with Drupal and Umbraco and similar platforms, but WordPress does seem to be above it. WordPress has become so common that there are more and more features becoming available to it that exceed the Joomla platform and make it hard to compete with. WordPress is also a lot easier for new users to get into and understand, but Joomla is still relatively simple.
Brittney Collier | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I have selected Joomla when I needed an easy content management platform for a team of beginners. It's not as easy to customize or optimize like WordPress or Wix sites, but it's a great introduction until you are ready for the more advanced features offered by these alternative platforms. Wix is a close second for ease of use and WordPress trumps them all as far as features, but is not as simple to use.
Ricardo Melo | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Joomla has a more general and wide use, more documentation, forums and community that develops many templates and extensions for almost all purposes. It has a great web-based administration environment and, with the correct permissions setting, it can be prepared for a regular user to submit content to the site autonomously.
Chris Putnam | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 3 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Joomla is one of the least intuitive options and has had some issues with updates in the past, as compared to WordPress. Magento has similar issues, but Joomla doesn't have as much flexibility as Magento (and of course, Joomla does not have e-commerce features built-in). Unfortunately, it's in the mushy middle as I see it.
Shawngela Pierce | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I have used Wordpress before and while WordPress does have some pros over Joomla, overall, I like Joomla because it is more robust. I found I had to install a lot of plugins in Wordpress to get the same basic set-up that came out-of-the-box for Joomla. I also found that some of the Wordpress plugins seemed to break the site quite readily. Wordpress does have a better media manager, however, Joomla is vastly improving the CMS with every new update.
Jen Garfinkel-Canseco | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
For complex websites, with unique customizations, Joomla is my go to. If my clients want a user-friendly administration and plan on making changes to their website content themselves, I choose WordPress. Joomla's templating system is quicker and simpler to create completely custom templates vs WordPress' Theming system. For managing content, creating content, extending, both software packages are pretty equal. I use both Joomla and WordPress extensively for my client base.
Return to navigation