If you’ve ever looked into building a website, chances are you’ve heard the debate: WordPress vs Joomla. It’s been going on for years, with WordPress usually taking center stage as the obvious choice for beginners, bloggers, and small businesses. It powers a massive chunk of the internet, and for good reason - it's familiar, user-friendly, and has a plugin for just about everything.
But somewhere along the way, Joomla’s strengths started getting overlooked. People forget that Joomla has been quietly powering complex websites, multilingual platforms, and membership systems without needing a dozen extra plugins. It’s a powerful CMS that doesn’t always get the credit it deserves.
We’re not here to knock WordPress, it’s great for a lot of projects. But if you’re looking for more control, flexibility, and built-in features, Joomla still deserves a seat at the table.
More Built-in User Access Control
One of Joomla’s biggest advantages is something most people don’t realize until they need it: user access control. Right out of the box, Joomla lets you set detailed permissions for different user groups without needing to install anything extra.
Want certain pages or content available only to registered users? Or maybe you need specific groups to have editing access to some sections but not others? Joomla’s Access Control List (ACL) makes it easy to assign exactly who can see or do what on your site, all from the admin panel.
With WordPress, this level of control doesn’t come standard. If you need anything beyond basic roles like Editor or Contributor, you’re usually adding plugins, and each plugin comes with its own settings, updates, and potential conflicts.
In Joomla, these permissions are baked in. You’re not piecing together access rules with third-party tools. It’s already there, ready to work, and it scales as your site grows.
If you’re building a site that needs more than “everyone sees the same thing,” Joomla gives you that flexibility upfront.
Flexible Content Management
When it comes to organizing content, Joomla takes a more flexible approach right from the start. Instead of just splitting things into Posts and Pages like WordPress, Joomla uses an Article + Category system that’s designed to handle more complex structures.
In Joomla, you can create nested categories, categories inside categories, as many levels deep as you need. This is perfect if you’re building a site with lots of sections, like a knowledge base, product catalog, or multi-topic publication. You’re not stuck flattening everything into tags or figuring out workarounds.
You also get custom fields built into the core. Need an extra text field, image, or link attached to certain articles? You can add them without installing a plugin or hacking templates. It’s powerful for building out structured content without writing code.
Sure, WordPress can do some of this with plugins or custom post types, but Joomla’s system is already geared toward content-heavy sites. If you’re managing lots of information, or expect your content to grow over time, Joomla gives you more control over how everything fits together.
And let’s not forget tagging: Joomla includes it as a core feature that works across different content types, not just blog posts. This makes it easy to create connections between related content anywhere on your site.
If your site needs more than a handful of pages and blog posts, Joomla’s content management tools are ready to handle the complexity without extra layers.
Better Menu Management
One area where Joomla really stands out is its menu management. While WordPress technically lets you build menus, Joomla’s system gives you way more control over what shows up, where, and for whom.
In Joomla, every menu is its own thing, you can have multiple menus running independently, each tied to its own module and placement on the site. Want one menu for your main navigation, another for logged-in users, and a different one just for a landing page? No problem. You’re not limited to one master menu that controls everything.
It gets even better with menu item-level control. Every single menu link can have its own settings, including access levels (so only certain user groups see it), language assignments (perfect for multilingual sites), and module visibility. You can show or hide parts of the site based on who’s visiting or what language they’re using, all without extra plugins.
In WordPress, pulling this off usually means installing a handful of plugins or writing custom code. With Joomla, it’s all baked in from day one.
For projects that need different experiences for different audiences, Joomla’s menu system gives you tools to map it all out clearly. Whether you’re building a members-only area, running a multilingual site, or just need custom menus for different sections, Joomla’s approach makes it easy to stay organized without losing flexibility.
Multi-language Support from Day One
If you’ve ever tried to build a multilingual site in WordPress, you probably already know it’s not exactly plug-and-play. You’ll need to install a third-party plugin like WPML or Polylang, configure everything, and hope nothing breaks during updates.
With Joomla, it’s a different story. Multilingual support is built right into the core, ready to go as soon as you install the CMS. You don’t need an extra plugin just to manage translations or switch between languages.
You can assign languages to articles, categories, and menu items directly in the admin panel. Joomla even comes with a language switcher module that you can drop onto any page. It handles linking translated content behind the scenes, so visitors can easily switch languages without landing on broken pages or missing content.
This makes Joomla a great choice if you’re building a site for international audiences, especially if you’re managing more than two languages. You avoid the complexity of relying on external plugins, and you won’t have to worry about translation features breaking with a future update.
A real-world example? Say you’re running a nonprofit site that needs content in English, Spanish, and French. In Joomla, you can set up your languages, assign articles and menus to each one, and let the system handle the routing. You can even show different modules or menus based on the visitor’s language ... all without adding a single plugin.
It’s one of those features you don’t fully appreciate until you’ve tried building a multilingual site the hard way. Joomla just makes it easier.
Built-in Accessibility Tools for Everyone
While we’re talking about making websites easier for everyone to use, it’s worth mentioning another win for Joomla: its growing commitment to accessibility. Joomla recently introduced a core Accessibility plugin designed to help site owners meet accessibility standards right out of the box.
With this plugin, you can quickly add tools like font size controls, high contrast modes, and keyboard navigation helpers without needing to hunt for third-party solutions. It’s easy to enable from the admin panel and works across your entire site, giving visitors a way to adjust how they experience your content.
For anyone building a public-facing site that needs to follow accessibility guidelines (or just wants to be more inclusive), it’s a huge time-saver. And just like Joomla’s multilingual features, it’s already included. You’re not adding extra layers or worrying about compatibility every time you update.
Built for Customization without Breaking
One of Joomla’s biggest strengths, especially for developers and site builders, is how it handles customization. It’s designed to let you tweak things without breaking the core system or making updates a nightmare.
A big part of this comes from template overrides. Instead of editing core files or hacking theme templates (which can be risky), Joomla lets you override specific layouts right inside your template folder. This means you can customize how articles, modules, or components display without touching the original code and your changes stay safe even when you update Joomla or its extensions.
Then there’s module positions. Joomla’s templates are set up with clearly defined positions for different types of content. You decide what shows up in those positions, and you can swap modules around easily without needing a page builder or dragging blocks in a UI. It keeps things clean and modular, while still giving you a lot of control over your layout.
WordPress, on the other hand, often leans on page builders to achieve similar flexibility. But those page builders can be bulky, sometimes locking you into their ecosystem or bloating your site with extra code. With Joomla, you’re working closer to the source, you’re not stacking plugins or relying on a visual editor that rewrites your HTML in the background.
Plus, Joomla includes developer-friendly tools like custom fields, language overrides, and debugging modes right in the admin panel. You don’t have to hunt down add-ons just to tweak the system or build out custom features.
Joomla gives you more freedom to customize things the way you want, without piling on extra plugins or risking site stability. If you’re building a bespoke site or something outside the usual blog or brochure site mold, Joomla handles it with fewer compromises.
Why Do Developers Still Choose Joomla in 2025?
Even with WordPress dominating the market, a lot of developers still reach for Joomla and it’s not just out of habit. Joomla offers some real advantages that keep it in their toolkit, especially for more complex projects.
Control without being locked into plugins
One big reason is control. With Joomla, you’re not forced to rely on a long chain of third-party plugins to get basic functionality. A lot of features like access control, multilingual support, and custom fields are built into the core. You’re less dependent on plugins that might stop being updated or introduce conflicts down the road. Fewer moving parts means fewer surprises.
Ideal for complex content structures
Joomla also handles complex content better out of the box. Its category system, nested hierarchies, and ability to attach custom fields to articles make it easier to build sites with layered, structured information. If you’re building something beyond a simple blog or brochure site, Joomla’s content tools give you more flexibility without needing custom development for every piece.
A smaller but helpful community
And while Joomla’s community is smaller than WordPress’s, it’s still active and often more personal. Forums, Slack groups, and community sites tend to be welcoming and focused. You’re more likely to get answers directly from experienced users or even core contributors. There’s less noise and fewer spammy “SEO experts” trying to sell solutions in every thread.
Developers who stick with Joomla do it because it gives them more control, handles complexity better, and still has a solid support network. It might not be the loudest platform in 2025, but for the right projects, it’s the right tool.
Is Joomla Harder to Use Than WordPress?
If you’ve ever heard someone dismiss Joomla, it’s probably because they’ve said, “It’s too complicated.” And honestly? It’s not entirely wrong, Joomla does have a steeper learning curve if you’re coming from WordPress or building your first site.
But here’s the thing: that complexity comes with more flexibility. Joomla gives you more control over menus, access, content structure, and customization from the start. You’re setting up systems that WordPress often needs plugins to handle. Once you understand how it works, those features actually make managing a complex site easier, not harder.
It’s kind of like switching from driving an automatic to a manual car. It feels like more work at first, but once you get the hang of it, you’re in charge of the gears.
If you’re new to Joomla, don’t let the interface scare you off. There are great resources to guide you through the basics:
- Joomla Documentation → Official docs with clear step-by-step guides
- Joomla Forum → Community support for troubleshooting and advice
- Joomla YouTube Tutorials → Free video walkthroughs for visual learners
- Joomla User Groups (JUGs) → Local or online meetups for learning and networking
Once you get past the initial setup, Joomla’s extra options start to feel less overwhelming and more empowering. It’s not harder just for the sake of it, it’s more capable out of the box.
Why Not Give Joomla Another Shot?
At the end of the day, both Joomla and WordPress have their place. WordPress is a fantastic tool for many types of websites, especially when simplicity and speed are the priority. But Joomla brings its own strengths to the table, especially when you need more control, flexibility, or built-in features without relying on plugins.
If you’ve passed over Joomla before, maybe it’s time to give it another look. It’s a powerful CMS that can handle everything from multilingual business sites to membership platforms and custom applications without needing a stack of add-ons to get there.
If you’re dreaming up something more custom, whether it’s a plugin for Joomla, WordPress, Shopify, or a completely custom website (simple or complex), the developers behind Wyldcode at e-dimensionz.com are ready to help turn those ideas into reality.
We’re always up for a challenge. Reach out anytime if you’d like to talk shop or explore your options.
