Wondering which is better between WordPress vs Joomla? We’ve got this!

When it comes to building a feature-rich, scalable web site, not all content management systems (CMSs) are created equal. For large or complex projects, you’ll likely need more in terms of extensibility and security than drag-and-drop solutions that are designed to help non-developers get started quickly. If you need a CMS with more under the hood, you may want to check out Drupal or Joomla! They each require a little more technical expertise to set up and maintain, but they can more than make up for it if you’re building a complex site for a large organization.

Choosing just a platform for blogging might not be as hard as choosing the entire content management system that allows you to do more complex web projects. Casual bloggers who don’t ask for much can easily go for less complicated services, although WordPress should always be on top of the list when pondering over the platforms. But when it comes to entire content management systems that allow you to do much more than just writing posts, things become a bit more serious.

Both WordPress and Joomla are great #CMS. But is it really that hard to choose one to start with?

AN INTRO TO JOOMLA!

Joomla! is an award-winning free CMS that really does it all, also boasting a lot of extensibility and ease of use. It powers millions of websites and applications of all types: think anything from personal blogs to corporate portals and intranets. It’s built with PHP and MySQL (or MS SQL, or PostgreSQL), which makes it easy to install and set up for any developer who’s familiar with these technologies. No need to be super advanced, but Joomla! does require a bit more technical skill than WordPress out of the gate. Similar to WordPress, a Joomla developer will download the CMS, set up hosting, and your site could technically be live in a matter of minutes.

If you’re looking to build an ecommerce store or a social networking-style application, Joomla! performs well in these areas. Once you’re set up, updating and maintaining a Joomla site is right on par with WordPress’s ease of use. Should you need to add additional, special functionality, Joomla has thousands of extensions (many are free) in its Extensions Directory. These extensions come in a few different forms: languages; plugins; components, which are the most complex; files and packages; and modules, which are similar to a WordPress widget. You can find extensions for anything, from image galleries and slideshows to script integrations, URL redirects, and ecommerce functionality.

The core Joomla! Framework is different than the Joomla CMS, and it gives developers the ability to create PHP-based applications without the overhead that comes along with the whole CMS package. Hire a skilled Joomla developer to leverage the Framework to do things like build integrated ecommerce systems with product catalogs and inventory control systems, add on handy reservation systems to a restaurant site, or integrate data reporting tools.

Sites that are powered by Joomla include Nintendo Nordic, Harvard, Linux, and The Hill.

Just like WordPress, Joomla is an open source CMS that allows you to generate web content and powerful applications. It has been available since 2005, and it has been a good WP alternative ever since. Although very similar, Joomla is different from the very start – unlike WordPress, it allows several database options which is something important to tech-savvy folks. But if you’re not into serious web development, those features will not mean that much to you.

Joomla powers up millions of websites. Those range from simple personal pages to complex web applications and intranets that help people connect and work locally.

It is important to know the difference between Joomla CMS (the one we are talking about in this article) and Joomla Framework that allows developers to create PHP-based applications without all the extra features that come with the CMS.

 

AN INTRO TO WORDPRESS!

WordPress is an online, open source website creation tool written in PHP. But in non-geek speak, it’s probably the easiest and most powerful blogging and website content management system (or CMS) in existence today.

What do TED, Flickr, The New York Times, Boing Boing, the Chicago Bulls, BBC America, Beyonce, The New Yorker, Vogue, The Rolling Stones, and thousands of other people have in common? They all made their official blogs and sites with WordPress.org. Launched in 2003, it doesn’t need any introduction except the long list of sites using it today and the fact that it powers almost one-quarter of the web.

Basically, you’re in good company if you use WordPress to publish on the web. Many famous blogs, news outlets, music sites, Fortune 500 companies and celebrities are using WordPress.

For example, famous blogs like Mashable and TechCrunch are both on WordPress. News outlets like The New York Times’ blogs and CNN’s on-air personality blogs all use WordPress, too.

If you’re ever curious about about who uses WordPress, head on over to the WordPress site showcase and you’ll be impressed by the number of well-known sites and famous people using WordPress to power their websites.

Often beginners ask us: Why should I use WordPress? Isn’t my old site good enough? Why do I need to switch to WordPress? If you’re asking these questions, then you’re at the right place. In this article, we have compiled a few reasons why you should use WordPress, in what ways you can use WordPress, and who is using WordPress.

Why You Should Use WordPress

People often make the mistake of classifying WordPress as just a blogging platform. Although that used to be true in the past, WordPress has evolved through out the years into a versatile content management system (CMS). While you can still use WordPress to create a simple blog, now it also allows you to create fully functional websites and mobile applications.

The best part about WordPress is that it’s easy to use and flexible enough for just about anything. That’s the main reason why WordPress has grown so much in popularity. According to a recent survey, WordPress powers 22.5% of all websites on the internet.

Due to it’s robust features, many of the top brands use WordPress to power their websites including but not limited to: Time Magazine, Google, Facebook, Sony, Disney, LinkedIn, The New York Times, CNN, eBay, and more.

Let’s take a look at why you should use WordPress.

WordPress is Free as in Freedom!

WordPress is a free software, this means you are free to download, install, use and modify it. You can use it to create any kind of website. It is also open source which means the source code of the software is available for any one to study, modify and play with.

There are currently 2600+ WordPress themes and 31,000+ plugins available for free. You can download, install and use them on any website.

To run WordPress, all you need is a domain and web hosting. We recommend using either Bluehost or SiteGround because both of them offer our users a free domain and 50% off their hosting prices. Check out our guide on why is WordPress free?

WordPress is an open source software

Due to the nature of open source, WordPress is a community software. It is maintained by a large group of volunteers majority of whom are WordPress consultants with active interest in growing and maintaining WordPress. Anyone can contribute to WordPress by writing patches, answering support questions, writing plugins, creating themes, translating WordPress and updating documentation.

By using WordPress you become part of that awesome community. You get free support from other community members, download free plugins and themes, and once you have little experience with WordPress you can even contribute back to the community.