Joomla! is a Content Management System (CMS) used for developing websites. Through Joomla!, users are able to login to the backend of their websites to manage the content where and when they please. In terms of capabilities, it falls in the middle. While not as developer-oriented as a CMS like Drupal, it has more complex site development options than WordPress. However, as with all content management systems, there are pros and cons to using Joomla! as your CMS and it is important to be aware of them before investing.
Pros of Joomla! CMS
- Open-Source
Joomla! is an open-source platform, allowing you to freely modify and distribute code without worrying about licensing fees.
- E-Commerce
Joomla! has a handful of available extensions for e-commerce, allowing you to manage your products and content all in one place. If you are looking to develop an e-commerce site, Joomla! may be the way to go.
- Content and Structure Flexibility
Editing content and structure on a Joomla! site is so intuitive that you won’t even feel like you are editing site content, it will feel more like a Word document.
- Not Too Developer-Oriented
While Joomla! is more complex than WordPress, you don’t have to be a developer to use it. The learning curve is relatively low, allowing a non-developer to understand and utilize the website in a short amount of time.
Cons of Joomla! CMS
- Slightly Complex
As mentioned before, Joomla! is more complex than WordPress, making it difficult to incorporate your own custom design without developer experience. However, using it for content management doesn’t take an extensive amount of time to learn.
- Small Module Marketplace
Unlike WordPress, Joomla! has a much more limited marketplace for additional modules and add-ons. If you are looking for additional modules to customize your site, they can be harder to find and maintain through Joomla!.
Joomla! is one of the better known content management systems out there, boasting a large, supportive community to help with issues along the way. However, we don’t think of CMS platforms as one-size-fits-all. Joomla! may not be the best choice for everyone. Other platforms like Drupal, WordPress, Concrete5, or a custom approach might work better for others in the long term. If you need help choosing a CMS,
