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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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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
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

(26-50 of 67)
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Sean Pomory | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 5 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Joomla is used to manage our company Intranet. It is used as an information clearinghouse. We both communicate information on the page and use links, documents and videos to further assist communicating what ever is needed. Whether its for Human Resources, Medical Staff, Security or Marketing, we have place for it on our Intranet.
Score 3 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Joomla is used by half of our small team, so roughly 4 people, all with varying levels of CMS experience and Joomla-specific knowledge. This was a legacy platform used by the firm and we have continued to use it as our primary website CMS.
Ilham AB | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
At that time, we used Joomla! to address the specific needs to create and build company Portal and some web applications for business purpose. So, we were using Joomla! as the main platform to serve it for IT departments and other teams as well. Joomla! already quite popular and easy to be used when we search the solution for this requirement.
Ho'omana Nathan Horton | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use this to manage the pages for the English Department at a big university, so we have total access but each program or individual represented can, if they wish, have control over their own page.
Danielle A. Pingitore | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Joomla! is used by our marketing and web development teams. We design websites to hand off to our clients and also teach them to use it in order to allow them to make small changes. It addresses many problems such as time management and reliability. Being that we hand these sites off, they need to be user-friendly and easy to teach.
Eli Aschkenasy | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 6 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use joomla! for a wide variety of projects, both internally and for clients. We use joomla! as a pure CMS for marketing projects as well as the core platform on which we build custom components servicing anything from price model calculations in the manufacturing sector to auction engine design in the food sector.
Robert Jacobi | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use Joomla! internally and externally on behalf of Fortune 50 to entrepreneurial firms. Joomla! addresses simplified management, great flexibility, and proper model–view–controller (MVC) development. With these tools, the least technical users in an organization can make significant content contributions, and developers are able to leverage a robust platform for significant customization with minimal distraction. Additionally, Joomla! is the first open source content management system (CMS) to be mobile ready and responsive utilizing Twitter's bootstrap framework. Out of the box Joomla! is ready to deliver.
Michael Pignataro | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Reseller
'corePHP' uses Joomla not only for our internal websites for 'corePHP' but we also build and customize our clients' websites to the demands and needs of the client. Our clients range from small to fortune 500 companies with vastly different needs. Joomla is an easy to use product for the end users as well as a powerful CMS to program in.
James Fauria | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized

From 2011-2013, as the Web Master for the City of Pomona I personally built a 300+ page website for a city government with little to no budget. The old website was antiquated and didn't allow for the easy and quick editing and dissemination of important information for the public citizens to obtain. After implementing Joomla, the City of Pomona’s website now has these features:

  • Each department has its own individual folder to store its data in.
  • The web administrator can Create users and groups and then assign them specific rights according to the built-in Access Control List (ACL) features of the new CMS system.
  • Specific users with specific rights can sign-in to the website from the Front-End and edit/update content.
  • When the web administrator posts new articles to the front page news section, it is also posted to the City’s FaceBook Page automatically with a Social Network AutoPoster.
  • Specific users with specific rights can access, edit, and update the City’s Calendar, directly through the front end.
  • The website features a contact manger that lists the pictures, phone numbers, email addresses, and fax numbers of the city’s departments, council members and the mayor.
  • Utilizing the Joomla Content Editor (JCE) Component, when standard users sign into the website to edit or update, it’s easy for them to get work done because the JCE is incredibly user friendly and very similar to Microsoft Word.

    There are many more beneficial features that are too numerous to list.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use Joomla as the primary platform for the development of client and internal websites. It provides a robust framework for creating dynamic websites and meets the needs of web projects from simple informational sites to complex action driven projects. Over the years we have used a variety of Joomla versions to deliver web solutions and have enjoyed the new features that each upgrade brings. We find it to be the best overall CMS on the open source market.
Rita Lewis | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Reseller
I am a freelance web designer and content strategist who uses Joomla! as my platform of choice to implement websites for small businesses and non-profits. These websites run the gamut from brochures, landing pages, e-commerce storefronts, to major information portals. Joomla! and its extensions handles all aspects of each of these types of sites.
July 20, 2015

Joomla! Review

Matt Lundstrom | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We've been offering a web hosting platform that supports Joomla since it's inception. Our customers like the fact that they can click a button and have our system automatically install Joomla for them. Joomla is one of our most popular apps and is one of the most user-friendly apps available right now.
Mark Goldsmith | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I provide freelance contractor services for global businesses and organizations. I have been using Joomla CMS from J1.0 to current release of J3.4. I also have experience with both responsive Joomla templates and frameworks and the over 8000 possible extension solutions.

Open Source Advantages:
• Integrated Store (eCommerce)
• Social Networking
• Responsive Mobile Compliant
• Non-Proprietary
• Cost Effective
• Reduced Development Time
• Built In Solutions
• Modular Framework
• Global Support Network
• Training & Tutorials
• 1000’s of potential solutions
• and much, much more
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I use it to build web applications to solve an engineering problem that a corporate company has had. I've improved the business processes and communication between all our locations working together. Without Joomla, we'd all be back to email processes and slow production.
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We implemented various CMS platforms for various size non-profit enterprises (small 1-10 employees to 100-1000 employee ranges). Some of them would select Joomla (others Drupal, WordPress, etc.) based on their specific needs/intentions for their web presence needs and requirements and expected use cases. Ultimately the decision was on the client as to which CMS they would choose/go with, but we'd make strong recommendations according to their needs.
Jerry Janes | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
If you are new to CMS development, Joomla is a good solution to learn and use. I started in web dev. as a designer with low coding skills. When the time came to make myself more productive to my clients, I knew CMSs were the way, so I researched many and the two I chose to learn were WordPress and Joomla, which I picked because of their open scalability. That was four years ago and I almost exclusively use Joomla today because in my opinion it far exceeds the functionality of WordPress and only is widening the gap with its advances like Joomla Framework, which will soon bring RAD to the masses. I am about empowering my clients to do for themselves and even if Joomla (currently) has a more steep learning curve than WordPress, if trained correctly, I find my clients quickly going from newbie to developer in a short time. I taught high school for ten years and know what and when something works for my students, so trust this former teacher and make your choice Joomla. You won't regret it.
July 07, 2015

Joomla!: For What?

Alex Jewell | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
As a contract-based developer for marketing agencies in the Chicagoland area, it is my job to quickly turn their aesthetic and brand development into viable, interactive web applications. Their clients generally need the following: the ability to log in and make changes themselves after the project is complete, the ability to keep track of users, and the ability to carry out business and communication using their web presence. Joomla makes it possible to check off these goals while still fitting within strict timelines.
Cesar Babino | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
As a webdesign agency, we had implemented in different organizations with multiple users and responsibilities. One of the best features of this CMS (Content Management system) is the versatility to create users and assign them different access to components and/or modules. Beside the editorial profile you can give to each user to write, review or edit content. You can assign to each user or group of users access to specific areas (components, category of articles, specific articles, etc.) inside your administrative portal with the chance to just read and or write on the assigned sections.
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
A professional photographer needed a CMS tool that would allow her to have full control of content. I felt that Joomla! provided the tools needed for her request with expandability to handle her changing needs. There was a lot of good plugins to represent her photos, which was the core of what we were trying to do with her site.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Our company Cloudaccess.net is a Joomla! hosting company that specializes in hosting Joomla! sites optimally and offering most excellent support to our clients and customers who are building their websites using Joomla! on our platform.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use Joomla! as our primary customer facing website CMS. It's the front-line method of engagement with our customers by providing information for our product; allowing users to log in using their social network credentials for an easy login experience; helps the user make the purchase by providing detailed information and has an integrated support area to keep our customers satisfied after the sale.
Mike Demopoulos | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
ResellerIncentivized
We use Joomla! as the backbone for our content management system for our clients. We use it for over 100 of our clients in the insurance and banking industries. We find it very easy to develop on while allowing our clients to fully manage their sites. What is unique is that it is open source which saves money for our clients in licensing fees.
Janice Gentles-Jones | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
I use Joomla to build websites for non-profit organizations and small businesses. I find it to be a great resource for non-profits who need functionality such as online donations, event registrations, online directories and online membership management. Joomla has some great extensions that makes it easy for users to manage these function right from within their website.
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