The Swiss Army Knife of Content Management Systems
June 30, 2015

The Swiss Army Knife of Content Management Systems

Anonymous | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User

Software Version

3.4

Modules Used

  • AkeebaBackup, JFBConnect

Overall Satisfaction with Joomla!

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.
  • Easy to use Content Management system for creating rich content for your website.
  • Cost-effective extensions allow adding new functionality with minimal effort.
  • Easy integration with social networks using JFBConnect to help grow your site organically.
  • User ACL can be tricky to set up and manage if you need many different levels of user groups with various permissions for each.
  • Media manager is rudimentary. Uploading and editing images isn't possible.
  • Has improved overall customer service by allowing for an easy to implement and manage public forum where users can post and find answers to their questions.
  • Reduced management costs compared to custom-built site.
  • Easier user tracking and Google Analytics integration due to powerful SEF integration and analytics extensions.
  • WordPress,Drupal

Joomla! can seem a little more complex to use than WordPress right out of the gate. However, that additional complexity brings with it immense power to add and customize the site to perform anything you want it to do. While WordPress is working to add more CMS capabilities with more varied plugins, it still lags behind. Additionally, while WordPress plugins are generally 'free' and Joomla!'s best extensions come with an immediate price tag, upon closer inspection, the Joomla! ecosystem is much more robust. Paid WordPress extensions are generally two to three times more expensive than comparable Joomla! ones and they usually come with less features.

Drupal is at the other end of the spectrum regarding add-ons. Almost all are completely free, but you're expected to pay handsomely to have new features added. In general, with Drupal, it seems you need a PhD to be able to create your own site. Definitely not for do-it-yourselfers.

It's an excellent, well-rounded CMS applicable to just about any website need. Unless you need the most basic of websites, Joomla! is an excellent choice.

Joomla Feature Ratings

WYSIWYG editor
8
Code quality / cleanliness
10
Admin section
9
Page templates
10
Library of website themes
10
Mobile optimization / responsive design
10
Publishing workflow
9
Form generator
7
Content taxonomy
7
SEO support
9
Bulk management
8
Availability / breadth of extensions
10
API
10
Internationalization / multi-language
10
Role-based user permissions
10