Joomla!
With 2.5 million installations worldwide, Joomla! is the second biggest agent in the Content Management System (CMS) market. The software is aimed at both beginners and advanced users. That being said, Joomla! is more challenging to use than WordPress. Unlike the market leader (WordPress), comprehensive CMS functionalities are included without installing extensions. A bonus for non-experts without a professional IT background is the good documentation in the form of community-supported online handbooks as well as active user forums.
Facts
- Currently around 7400 available extensions
- Object-based content management
- Community support through forums
Joomla! is the development of the open source CMS called Mambo. The system is particularly popular in the USA, and is characterized by a completely object-oriented software design based on a stand-alone MVC framework. This allows Joomla! users to write their own extensions and share these with the community, if they want to, using the Joomla! extensions directory, where extensions can easily be installed via the backend. Templates can be created in Joomla! modular, by combining predefined content elements.
Joomla! divides extensions into plugins, components, and modules. These can be used in the backend as well as the frontend, which is sometimes irritating to users. The rights management and approval processes are occasionally seen as lacking for larger projects. Extensions help – but are not always available for free.
Pros
- ✔ Comparably simpler installations and configuration effort
- ✔ Large pool of extensions and designs
- ✔ User-friendly template creation
Cons
- ✘ Inadequate rights management
- ✘ Advanced extensions can be pricey
- ✘ Extensions often require manual implementation
Tip
With Joomla! being more complex, it is advisable to use it through a hosting provider. This eases the process with a 1-click installation. The technical infrastructure as well as regular updates are given directly by the provider with Joomla! hosting, which makes the management of the CMS much easier.
Visit the Joomla! website for more information.