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

Reviewer Pros & Cons

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Pricing

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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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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
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
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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 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

(1-2 of 2)
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Johann Joubert | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
We use Joomla! CMS for all our website design and development. This is the foundation of the website design department but even our own website was designed and developed using Joomla!. Once a website is designed we train the owners to manage their own content. This helps us to focus on new developments rather than to have to maintain websites for other companies.
  • Joomla! has a vast quantity of developed extensions available. There are very few applications for which there isn't an extension available, paid or free.
  • The Joomla! CMS back-end administration control panel is extremely user friendly. Once you have mastered the basics of Joomla! editing it is very simple to manage the content of your website.
  • Joomla! is easy to install and there is a legion of information available on how to use the software, once installed. Using Akeeba Backup, makes the backing up of sites simple and easy to move around, if necessary.
  • Joomla! needs to be constantly updated. Some of the extensions makes it vulnerable to attacks from hackers. This makes it very important to always update to the latest version.
  • One has to be very thorough before updating Joomla!, or any of it's extensions. Backups are extremely important as some updates are known to "break" the site.
  • One can do a lot with Joomla! using CSS and PHP but both these languages are fairly difficult to learn. This forces you to do a lot of research if you want to be able to tweak sites using CSS and PHP.
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
  • Website development, using Joomla!, has had a very positive impact on our income.
  • Using Joomla! helps us to develop websites faster and much more efficient than any other software we have used before.
  • We create our own templates for Joomla! which saves us money and our customers get customized templates for their businesses.
We have used other online website builders as well as CMS systems. In my humble opinion, joomla! is much more versatile and there are so much better extensions available for Jooma! than any of the others.
We have done the hard yards in learning how to, effectively use Joomla! We have been using Joomla! since version 1.6 and it is constantly evolving, for the better. If Joomla! keeps on improving, as it is at the moment, I cannot see why we should start using any other software.

It is good if you know Joomla! if not it can get a bit confusing
Marni Derr | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
I currently specialize in using the Joomla CMS for an extensive range of web site types; From simple writer blogs to full corporate extranets, intranets, sales, portals, and knowledge bases. Joomla is easily used by employers and employees across an organization. In order to keep IT costs down, users with very little web knowledge can manage a Joomla web site with a few days of training. It is not necessary to know or understand coding or design.
  • Joomla has one of the largest communities of developers in the CMS market. With easy to install plug-n-go applications there is no need to hire a developer to custom build your web sites main features or functionality.
  • Joomla 3.2 and the available template frameworks are responsive, clean, and current. These frameworks keep updated on the cutting edge of mobile and web use.
  • With a few hours of training, most users can maintain and update a Joomla site as easily as you would write up a document.
  • Over the past few years Joomla remained behind in the ability to update a site easily, with few issues. Joomla is getting much better at one-click updates, but there can still be issues with other applications (components) that do not stay current.
  • Joomla does have a small learning curve. Although it is not necessary to know or understand any coding when utilizing Joomla, a user will need to understand how Joomla compiles it pages and how to create use the main features.
  • The choice of applications available can make it difficult to find the right one for your company. For example, there are 5-6 top eCommerce solutions on the market for Joomla. Careful thought and investigation should go into selecting the right one.
When selecting a CMS, it is important to understand the Server requirements. Though most hosting providers now automatically support CMS apps like WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla... you can select a less than adequate hosting system which will lead to frustration with the product. Always check Joomla requirements against what a hosting provider offers, less is not always the best way to go. With the correct server configuration a user will experience few issues.
  • Easy to implement: Joomla is easy to install and configure. Open source and maintained by a community of developers for the last 10 years it will continue to grow and expand with the current technologies and trends.
  • Quick Training: Joomla is easy to use and there are a multitude of resources online and in bookstores. The average person can learn to use Joomla efficiently very quickly.
  • Large Selection of Applications: There are over 7,000 Joomla 3rd-party templates and extensions on the market. Low-cost, open-source, and free applications keep your site development costs to a minimum.
  • WordPress,Drupal
In today's market there is no 'best' CMS, only the right CMS for your web sites requirements. I have used WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla over the years. WordPress is a great CMS, but it started, and in my opinion, continues to largely support more simple blogs and portfolio's. Drupal is the most robust CMS, allowing for the greatest customization and heaviest of traffic, however Drupal requires a developer with strong coding knowledge modify or grow a Drupal web site.
Joomla falls nicely between these two categories. Easier to use than Drupal for a designer or weekend coder, while still allowing experienced coders to take Joomla to whole new levels of features and functionality. Joomla has more pre-built applications and more control than WordPress.
Joomla is perfect for small, medium, and large businesses while keeping development costs down, yet still performs perfectly for the sole-proprieter, blogger, or hobbyist.
5
I currently develop, design, and train using Joomla. We have two developers, two designers, and one writer/trainer. Each of us began using Joomla exclusively to support our clients a few years ago. We provide a wide range of services covering every faucet of using Joomla for web sites. My company provides on-site, on-line, and custom training for the widest range of Joomla 3rd-party extensions. Each extension we teach, we use extensively.
1
I am a consultant and I currently use sub-contractors I have worked with for years on Joomla projects that require more features or functionality. Joomla is easily maintained by most of our clients, so keeping a staff to maintain the many sites we build is not necessary. We work independently, yet have a reliable group dynamic to cover all aspects of Joomla implementations.
  • Low-cost, high value solutions.
  • Quick and easy implementation.
  • Short training sessions.
  • We have used Joomla to create a multi-agency site. A single Joomla installation, but 7 very different web sites that integrate and can be managed from one install.
  • A company intranet.
  • A community social portal.
  • Online Universities and Training.
  • Large e-Commerce solutions.
  • Large multi-part, self-maintained directories or listings.
After years of offering all three of the top CMS' in regards to development, design, and training experience, I chose four years ago to begin offering and using Joomla exclusively. Client experience has taught me that Joomla simply fits 99% of most requirements.
Yes
At the beginning of my web career I started with WordPress. WordPress was easy to use and free. After time sites began to grow and do more, requiring more customization, control, and expansion. As my needs and the needs of my clients grew, I began using Joomla more and more until a few years ago when I started using Joomla exclusively.
  • Product Features
  • Product Usability
Joomla sits perfectly between the top two CMS competitors. Easily expandable yet simple enough to use for simple site requirements. The availability to use any of the thousand of pre-built applications in the Joomla community was the number one deciding factor for my company in offering Joomla. Joomla applications expand Joomla in such a way that almost any imaginable feature or function can be found, installed, and configured in very little time.
I cannot say that I would change the process I used. I tried each product thoroughly, then listened to clients. The one thing that would have helped in the early days of trying on so many different CMS's would have been a site like TrustRadius in order to make a truly informed decision on which would fit the needs of a particular web site. For example, I no longer use WordPress but it is still a very viable option and I still recommend it today when a clients requirements are best suited to it.
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