Many people are looking for platforms where they can create digital projects, be it websites, blogs, or even e-commerce. For that, one of the best-known tools is Joomla.
In this text, I am going to talk about what Joomla is, what its are features, and compare it with other famous platforms.
What is Joomla?
Joomla is a CMS, that is, a Content Management System. This type of program allows you to create a virtual space, like a website.
Joomla is a very dynamic and versatile platform that allows you to create various types of projects. Taking advantage of Joomla extensions and templates, you have great freedom and can do everything from websites to blogs and virtual stores.
Joomla main features
The main feature of this system is that it is free. This is possible since it is an open-source program, that is, open-source. In short, open-source is software that any programmer can copy and modify. There is a specific license for this.
Thanks to this feature, the system is always updated, both in terms of functionality and security. The code is developed in PHP, a programming language that most developers like.
Therefore, there are also many forums and user community support, which help you learn more about the program, explaining everything from how to use Joomla to technical problems.
The system is easy to use and manage, it has an intuitive and centralized control panel. You don’t have to look for most of the features – everything is clearly laid out. Publishing content is also quick and easy, without the headaches.
Through this CMS, you can create many pages and the performance will remain good. Therefore, it is highly scalable, allowing you to expand the size of the project.
You can take it beyond borders since Joomla is multilingual. You can easily create a website in the language you want, producing content for an international audience.
Joomla main features
Whenever you are looking for CMS functionality, people want to see plugins and add-on applications. Fortunately for those who love these systems, the Joomla library is huge, with over 7,600 extensions for Joomla.
Among the extensions (which are like applications), you have everything from e-commerce tools to marketing utilities. Therefore, this program is said to be very versatile.
You can find templates in Joomla that you can use to customize the site, making the user experience unique.
Comparison with other content management platforms
Now, let’s compare Joomla to the competitor’s CMS. For that, we choose the main ones that exist: WordPress, Drupal, and Radiant.
We will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each one compared to Joomla, and then we will evaluate if it is the best option for your project.
WordPress
Let’s start with the famous WordPress. This is the largest CMS that exists, both in the number of users and size of the extension library. There are more than 50,000 plugins that you can install on your website.
Even with the Joomla extensions, themes, and template editor, this system is at a disadvantage at this point as it has just over 7,600 options! With WordPress you have more variety, therefore, more creative freedom and you can do better customization.
Also, using WordPress is more intuitive. It presents the tools in a very simple way and the interface is more friendly. This is why beginners often opt for it. Because it has more audience, this CMS also has richer and more active forums, so your question will hardly be answered.
The WordPress community is always ready to help, but that doesn’t mean that Joomla users are not good. As we said, you can find a lot of content in the specific forums, from a tutorial on how to create a site with Joomla to technical questions about updates.
But Joomla has an advantage when it comes to performance. It tends to be faster and more stable than the competitor. After all, the system was created to support large projects, such as shops and other complex systems.
There are many ties between the two platforms. Both are made in PHP and are constantly updated, ensuring greater security. WordPress ends up suffering more attacks since it is the main platform on the market, but it is stable and secure.
Drupal
Drupal is also widely used by those who develop digital projects. For starters, what is most striking is the ease of use. While Joomla development is simple, Drupal does require a bit of technical knowledge.
In return, this second platform offers advanced management options. You may not have to worry so much about this at first, but as your project progresses, these tools will come in handy.
Both CMS have good performance and stability, supporting large sites and a high volume of visits. This ensures that they do not lock or fall during the day. Page loads are usually fast and offer a great experience for visitors.
Performance counts a lot for Google ranking. If a page takes too long to load, users tend to abandon it and the search engine understands that the site is not good. Therefore, the fact that the systems guarantee speed is very important.
Security is not a flaw either: the two CMS are considered secure and with few gaps. There are extensions for Joomla that increase protection, as well as for Drupal. In addition, the user and developer communities constantly update the program, avoiding attacks and security flaws.
When it comes to extensions, Drupal stands out. It has over 40,000 apps, a number second only to WordPress. In conclusion, despite the fact that both tie on the really important points, Drupal is more complete, despite being more technical and unfriendly to non-experts.
Radiant
At first glance, Radiant’s interface can be scary because it seems too technical, while Joomla development seems more friendly to non-experts. But, that does not mean that Radiant is difficult: it is very intuitive and easy to use.
It is also another open-source software, which has positive points in the security and updating of the system. But this CMS is made in Ruby. Therefore, the number of developers who choose it is lower.
Radiant user communities are smaller and less active, making it difficult for beginners who want to learn more about the software. Also, the CMS in Ruby has some limitations. It was made exclusively for sites with few pages. As the project grows, it will be necessary to think about other systems.
Another highlight is the modules and extensions. Here, Joomla has the upper hand, with more than 7,600 options, compared to a few hundred for Radiant. As we indicated previously, a larger library of applications and templates for Joomla allows you to offer a personalized experience.
Is Joomla the best CMS option for my website?
Now that you know what Joomla is, as well as the functionalities and features compared to other solutions, we will analyze if this is the best option for your website, remembering important points about this system.
Open-source
Because it is open-source, this CMS is free. In addition, it has frequent updates, made by the user himself. In this way, the system is always up-to-date and more protected.
Versatile
Joomla allows the creation of various project formats, from sites and blogs to large online stores that work well, presenting speed and stability for users.
Application library
The software also has more than 7,600 templates and extensions for Joomla. You can work very well with that variety, customizing and optimizing your site however you want.
Finally, Joomla is good for beginners, although other systems, like WordPress, are more intuitive. In case of doubts, it has a large and active community of users to provide support.
If you are looking to develop digital projects with ease, maintaining stability and good performance, Joomla is an option to consider! We hope this text has been useful to you and helps you decide which CMS to use on your site. If you are interested in Joomla and want more information about it, you can consult this text on our website.