WP vs Joomla! Reasons why I actually use both.

It's not fair to only write the actual content in the link...

I use both

Wordpress is built for bloggers, featuring comments, and tagging. Joomla is the better choice if your site is almost anything but a blog. Wordpress is an easy platform than Joomla.

This is just my opinion.

Clint Smith

I was a huge advocate of Joomla prior to getting into Wordpress. For a period of about 3 years I used nothing but Joomla for every site I made. When I was the multimedia manager at my last office job, I ran the company's sites on Joomla. When I first started my own business, I also used Joomla to build everything.

It was when I started getting into site flipping that I saw the demand and preference for Wordpress. I was initially very stubborn about trying out Wordpress, as it just seemed flimsy compared to Joomla, but once I took the plunge I started singing a different tune.

Being very familiar with both platforms, I've had a different experience than described in most of those 5 points. Each to their own of course, but this is my experience of the two:

1. You need more than a blog

Yes, absolutely you do, and Wordpress is the easiest way to make non blog websites that I have encountered. Joomla to me is overcomplicated for a simple website, and I can create any non blog website in Wordpress about 3 or 4 times faster than Joomla.

2. More diverse extensions

Yes, but in terms of the end results you can achieve, there are very few things you can do with Joomla that you can't do with Wordpress. For me personally, I've found that the things Joomla can do that Wordpress isn't as strong on are actually better handled by other dedicated platforms anyway, such as ecommerce, ticketing systems, forums etc.

In fact, Wordpress actually does have some quality solutions for ecommerce and forums, but perhaps not as robust as the Joomla extensions. But then in turn, I would rather just use e-junkie and phpBB anyway.

3. More powerful

Depends on what kind of power you want. For me, the power to easily and quickly set up any kind of site that I want, get it indexed and ranking in no time, and making money for me is the kind of power I want. In my experience, Wordpress has far more of this kind of power.

4. More sophisticated templating

Yes, Joomla templates are more "sophisticated" but boy oh boy are they a pain and time consuming to create. There are a lot of reserved css classes that you have to learn and utilize to get your templates to play nicely with Joomla. With Wordpress on the other hand, I can just make an xhtml and css design as I would if it weren't even going to be using Wordpress, add in a few lines of PHP and I'm done. Joomla templates take aaaages and Wordpress themes are faster, easier, and more flexible.

5. Its easier to customize

Perhaps this is the case if you are a gun developer, but it's not the case if you are a designer or a user. I'm more a designer than a developer, and I am at definite "dabbler" status with 'real' code. And yet, I can customize Wordpress. Joomla customization? Not a chance.


Now having said all that, I of course still want to give props to Joomla for being the best "CMS" system out there. It's far better than paid solutions that cost thousands per year to access. I respect all the work and time that has gone into it, especially given that it's free.

Nonetheless, to be honest, there isn't a single task I would actually use it for anymore. As a very experienced user of both platforms, with complete freedom of choice which one to go with, I say Wordpress all the way.

My other half just reminded me of an example to show you.

Wordpress site, no blog, generates half million dollar sales: Fraser Coast Custom Marine

Oh and for the record, I set this client up initially on Joomla. I then migrated them to Wordpress, and after that their sales picked up.

I recommend both plus xsitepro and the reason why I go into showing how to work with all three in my course as no one person is the same, nor is their goals for a website.

Each persons level of learning is different. One person can pick things up fast, another person can look at the same stuff and take forever and another person will complain and give up after 5 seconds.

I'm an advocate for " Testing " some things work well one way for one thing and bad for another.

Site building and marketing is a bit like dieting

Some diets work for some people and they swear by them... Other people have tried it and bombed

The platform is only one part of the bigger picture

I've take joomla sites, switched them to just wordpress and seen better results
Then ive taken some wordpress sites switched them to Joomla and seen better results

Then Ive used Xsitepro only and seen good results.

It comes down to many factors involved