The content management system (CMS) you choose can have huge repercussions for your website. There are a number of CMS options available, each with its own pros and cons. However, in some instances, it makes more sense to use one system rather than any other.

Both Joomla and WordPress are known for their ease-of-use and extensive customization opportunities, but WordPress tends to be the more popular option. Therefore, this article seeks to determine when it’s more appropriate to use Joomla rather than WordPress.

Comparing WordPress and Joomla

The main difference between Joomla and WordPress is that Joomla began as a CMS meant to serve portal-type websites. WordPress, on the other hand, started as a blog-focused platform. Today, however, both these platforms can run any type of website.

From a technical point of view, both these platforms need to be installed on a web server. Fortunately, finding a Joomla hosting provider or a WordPress hosting provider is pretty straightforward.

Now, let’s get into the differences. If you want to create a website, an important thing to consider is how comfortable you are with web software configuration, working with servers, and dealing with coding and other technical aspects of a website. Joomla is ideal for developers who aren’t afraid to do some coding and are ready to work with servers. WordPress, by contrast, is better for beginners because it’s super easy to get started with.

Let’s examine some components of website building to see how each platform deals with them.

• Security

When it comes to security, WordPress struggles with some vulnerabilities. This is mainly because WordPress plugins create openings for hackers to exploit. Additionally, WordPress doesn’t come with basic security features such as an SSL connection on its dashboard. To get this, you’ll have to modify its core files. It also doesn’t come with two-factor authentication. In fact, WordPress mainly relies on plugins to provide advanced security features for its users.

Joomla comes with both an option to force connections over SSL and another one for two-factor authentication. It also provides its own set of security extensions, and its developers have a list of extensions with known vulnerabilities.

Therefore, when you need to be sure that your site is secure out of the box, you should use Joomla.

• Customization

Both platforms have a roster of plugins that allow users to customize their website’s functionality and design. However, WordPress locks you into using a single theme when designing your website. Regardless of the webpage you visit, you get the same basic layout. There isn’t this limitation with Joomla as users can use multiple templates on their site.

Joomla is also the better choice if you want to display different forms of content. Joomla offers greater flexibility with modules that let you combine content types on each webpage. On the other hand, WordPress has difficulty handling multiple content types, and they sometimes restrict how you can display certain content. 

Therefore, if you want exceptional design freedom, you should choose Joomla.

• Backend Organization

With WordPress, it can often be difficult to figure out how to make an article appear on a specific page or make a plugin work in a certain website area. For example, if you need something as simple as a menu, it takes extra coding or a plugin to work correctly.

Joomla’s backend, by contrast, is much more organized, with more straightforward available options. For instance, if you need to restrict articles to specific web pages, this can be done easily. If you want to add a menu, the option is simple, and no extra coding is required.

Therefore, if you need excellent backend organization, you should use Joomla.

• Multilingualism

If you need your site to be multilingual, WordPress will require you to use a plugin. As a result, you will have to keep the plugin updated regularly, and it may even need replacing at some point.

With Joomla, multilingual functionality comes standard. All you have to do to make your website multilingual is navigate to the language manager, select the language you want to translate your content into, and the platform takes care of the rest. Best of all, if the language you need doesn’t exist in Joomla already, you can install it with a language module.

Therefore, if you want an easy way to make your site multilingual, you should select Joomla over WordPress.

Conclusion

The reasons to choose Joomla over WordPress include:

• Enhanced security right out of the box
• More design freedom
• Better backend organization
• Multilingual functionality that comes standard

Therefore, you should use Joomla instead of WordPress when you require any of the above.