WordPress vs Joomla (2026): CMS Comparison Guide
WordPress vs Joomla compared on ease of use, features, and community. Find out which open-source CMS fits your website needs best.
WordPress vs Joomla: Two Veteran CMS Platforms
Joomla is the middle ground between WordPress's simplicity and Drupal's complexity. It offers built-in access control, multilingual support, and flexible content types without plugins. However, its market share has declined significantly as WordPress and newer platforms captured the market.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | WordPress | Joomla | WordPress on SiteICO |
|---|---|---|---|
| Market share | 43% | 1.7% | 43% (WordPress) |
| Ease of use | Easy | Moderate | Easy + AI help |
| Built-in ACL | Basic (5 roles) | ✓ Advanced | Basic + plugins |
| Multilingual | Plugin needed | ✓ Built-in | Plugin-based |
| Extensions | 60,000+ plugins | 5,000+ extensions | 60,000+ plugins |
| AI tools | Plugin-based | ✗ | ✓ Built-in AI suite |
| Community size | Massive | Declining | Massive (WordPress) |
Joomla's Strengths
Joomla includes multilingual support and advanced user permissions in its core -- features that require paid plugins on WordPress. For community portals and multilingual government sites, Joomla's built-in features save money and complexity.
Verdict
Joomla remains a solid choice for multilingual or community-driven sites that need built-in ACL. WordPress wins on ecosystem size, community support, and AI tooling. WordPress on SiteICO delivers managed hosting with AI content creation from $9/mo.
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