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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.

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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 …
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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 …
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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)
    7.1
    71%
  • Page templates (45)
    7.0
    70%
  • WYSIWYG editor (46)
    6.0
    60%

Reviewer Pros & Cons

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Pricing

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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

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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.

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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
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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.

7.1
Avg 8.0

Platform & Infrastructure

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

6.6
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
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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 8.9.

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

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Reviews and Ratings

(287)

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 68)
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Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
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.
Johann Joubert | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
I have recommended Joomla! to quite a few of our clients who wished to build their own websites. The one website without which one cannot go if you are using Joomla! is http://extensions.joomla.org/

If you do the research and you learn how to, properly, work with Joomla! you will never look back.

One can honestly make a very good living as a website developer using Joomla! CMS
Score 5 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We like how easy and user-friendly is for us to do edits with Joomla! When we want to deliver a basic but stable site, especially for landing pages, we take advantage of the basic and simple tools that the CMS has. No need for coding at all so I will recommend it for those who do not have much web design knowledge.
Sergey Gvozdetskiy | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Using Joomla!, you don't need to be a web development expert to build the most creative websites; it provides everything you need and is quite intuitive. Most tasks can be easily accomplished using Joomla! modules. The benefits of Joomla! include learning site analysis, metadata, structure, and navigation to create a professional website. It's worth it.
Fernanda Ministerio | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
There are constant security updates that you need to be aware of and keep the current version. 
You must always read the instructions before making the updates, to ensure that certain Modules continue to function correctly.
It works in a very dynamic and comfortable way. 
It has a comprehensive navigation system for managing hierarchies. 
I also used this content management system to build the internal sites and it works very well.
Another important issue is that the community behind Joomla is very active and it is easy to find development issues in the forums.

Nuno Reis | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 2 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Joomla! can be an option when you have full control (hardware, PHP versions, database) and devote time to it. When you can (and know how to) do everything, it is a powerful tool. When you use it regularly, you will learn where functionalities are.

I enjoyed very much the gallery functionality and some minor article settings (change author, date) but in general, from my experience and compared to WordPress, it was a disappointment. The learning curve is steep for the occasional user and things get hard to find after a few days away from it. It is only a viable option for content creators who use it on a daily basis (agencies, for instance).
Lonela Marinela | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
It works very dynamically and is comfortable. It has a comprehensive system of navigation for managing hierarchies. I have also used this content management system to build my clients' websites and it works great.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Joomla is best appropriate for websites that are out of the norm, but in general, I prefer it for everything over WordPress or Drupal. Granted, the level of specificity might be daunting to someone that's used to creating websites on something like WIX, but this system gives you complete control if you're a person with basic understanding of web design, architecture and so on.
Vinny Hebert | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Joomla is a CMS for all types of projects, especially if you have multiple people editing your site. With its ability to control access to different articles, categories or even different components, it makes it a great tool for businesses or government where there are multiple branches of the same organization but handled by different people. It can handle bloggers, news organizations, towns, cities, corporate giants, or mom and pops.
Jason Montoya | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Joomla is quick and easy to set up on a server. With Launch.Joomla.org, it's even easier. If you're looking to start a website for your small business or a blog, it's a great out-of-the-box tool to get started.

With the countless extensions, Joomla's functionality can be extended to provide you with more advanced tools the default install lacks. This includes email marketing, event booking, online store, online community, and popup boxes. It is, by far, has the best multi-lingual support system in a CMS.

Joomla, out of the box, has terrific access control and privacy settings. This allows you to tier both admin access and public user experiences based on the level of the user and in many cases, the level of their paid subscription.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Joomla! is an excellent content manager which has a control panel which can be used to manage and customize all the elements of the website. It is ideal for managing large amounts of content. Having said that, really large websites may use large amounts of server resources and become slow.
October 18, 2019

Jammin' with Joomla!

Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Joomla is not suited if you want a drag and drop environment. If you need to custom control and integrate other solutions, then Joomla is a perfect system. For example, if you need a shopping cart system on your website, Joomla has many offerings to choose from. If you need a mass mailing subscription system, Joomla has many too choose from. There are so many extensions available in Joomla, the challenge is to find the one that fits your needs. What we love about these extensions is that it gives you the freedom to choose and not locked into or abide by the policies on hosted system. For example, many hosted shopping cart system have strict policies in what you can actually sell on your website. They can cancel your entire shopping cart system if you inadvertently violate their policy. With Joomla, you have the freedom and won't be held hostage by arbitrary policies from hosted systems because you are the one hosting yourself, not others.
Josh Randall | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I think it's well suited for running all kinds of websites, especially ones that require more advanced features like having forums, classified ads, shopping carts, etc. I've found Joomla's blog capabilities to not be as good as WordPress though. I think it takes a little more technical ability to work with Joomla than some other content management systems.
Lisa Keyser | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Joomla! is a great CMS for companies who are looking for flexibility and extensibility. With the right set of extensions, it's extremely secure and able to power any type of website, from simple to complex. Any time a business wants to do more than just put up content and pretty pictures on their website, Joomla! is my recommendation. For companies, however, that are looking for simple brochure websites without a lot of complexity, it might be too much. Also, for companies that are looking for enterprise-level solutions with white-glove support, an open-source CMS may generally not be the best path, unless they also have a dedicated vendor who provides that type of support.
Miles Szkoda | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Joomla is a great CMS that can be easy to use and easy to manage, but there are a lot of alternatives now. They have made a lot of great changes and provide a very robust and complex platform that can be used to produce any type of website. There are a ton of add-ons and extensions that make it easier to create certain things without having to know or understand any code. It is very simple to deploy on nearly any web host and you can always find support for it.
Brittney Collier | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Joomla is great if a beginner or intern will be using the platform. I would also recommend it for small business owners who publish their own web content and don't have much experience. It's perfect if you're solely looking for ease of use and don't plan to heavily customize your site.
Ricardo Melo | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
When you need something done quickly and automated and with good looks and experience for the user, Joomla! is the best option. For other more specific purposes like an e-commerce site, other tools should be considered such as OpenCart and Magento. It is worth mentioning that even e-commerce sites can be made with Joomla!, using a component called VirtueMart, but we did not feel much security in using it, but that seemed very good too.
Chris Putnam | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 3 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
If you have a large team that is already accustomed to using Joomla for site management, it is a good enough solution to stay with it. If not, then take a careful look at other options, such as WordPress, which can be much more intuitive to work with. These alternatives are also more popular (and therefore, you'll find more support, more plugins, themes etc.).
Shawngela Pierce | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Joomla is a great open-source CMS for someone who wants to implement a more complex site. For instance, if you want a site that needs an e-commerce solution or a community website.

I would not recommend Joomla if all you need is a simple website to just blog and give basic information about your business. I would more than likely recommend WordPress for that.
Rahul Kumar Singh | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Joomla! is the latest technology used CMS with which one can use the front as well as back end of website very easily. Managing users is again an advantage while you can not see these things in Blogger.
Jen Garfinkel-Canseco | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Joomla is especially great for complex sites where non-technical clients won't be using administration. I use Joomla for my clients that want a robust CMS where, between extensions and customizations, I can create very specialized website projects. I'm not a big fan of any of the e-commerce extensions for Joomla, but the social network capabilities of some of the extensions are excellent! I do highly recommend using a dedicated server so server settings can be tweaked to optimize Joomla, though it will run on a shared hosting for a simple site.
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