Joomla vs WordPress 2026: Which CMS is right for your website?

Choosing the right content management system (CMS) is one of the most important decisions you’ll make when building or redesigning a website. In 2026, two platforms continue to stand out: Joomla and WordPress.

Both are powerful, open-source CMS platforms with global communities and the flexibility to build everything from simple websites to complex digital platforms. Each has evolved significantly over the years, and both are fully capable of supporting modern SEO, performance and user experience requirements.

Rather than asking which platform is “better,” the real question is:
Which CMS is better suited to your specific needs?

In this guide, we compare Joomla vs WordPress across key areas including usability, design, SEO, performance, security and scalability – so you can make a confident, informed decision.

Joomla vs WordPress: Quick overview

At a glance:

• WordPress is known for its accessibility, flexibility and extensive ecosystem
• Joomla is known for its structure, built-in capabilities and technical robustness

Both platforms are mature, reliable and widely used – they simply take different approaches.

Ease of use

WordPress

WordPress is widely recognised for its user-friendly interface. The dashboard is intuitive, and the block editor allows users to build and edit pages with minimal technical knowledge.

This makes it particularly appealing for:

• Business owners managing their own content
• Marketing teams
• Beginners to web development

Joomla

Joomla has a more structured interface, which can feel less intuitive initially. It requires a bit more familiarity with how content, menus and modules interact.

There are multiple tutorial and “how-to” videos on YouTube, and extensive support documentation on the Joomla website.

However, this structure can become an advantage over time, especially for users managing more complex websites.

Verdict

• WordPress offers a quicker learning curve
• Joomla offers more structured control once learned

Design & customisation

WordPress

WordPress provides a vast range of themes and visual builders, making it easy to create a highly customised website design without extensive coding. Keep in mind you may need to subscribe to a theme provider.

It’s well suited for:

• Businesses wanting quick turnaround websites
• Projects with evolving design needs
• Marketing-led builds

Joomla

Joomla also offers templates and extensions, with a stronger emphasis on consistency and structure.

Customisation may involve more technical input, but this can result in:

• Greater design consistency
• More controlled layouts across large sites

Verdict

• WordPress is great for flexibility and rapid design changes
• Joomla provides more controlled and structured customisation

Content management

WordPress

WordPress began as a blogging platform, and that heritage still shows in its streamlined content creation experience.

It’s particularly effective for:

• Blogs and articles
• News and updates
• Content marketing strategies

Joomla

Joomla offers more advanced content organisation, including:

• Nested categories
• Complex menu structures
• Greater control over content relationships

This makes it well suited to websites with more intricate content needs.

Whichever platform you choose, you can install a page builder component eg. SP Pagebuilder for Joomla or Elementor for Wordpress which makes laying out pages super easy.

Verdict

• WordPress is simpler for everyday publishing
• Joomla is stronger for structured content systems

SEO capabilities

WordPress

WordPress offers highly flexible search engine optimisation capabilities through its plugin ecosystem. With the right setup, users can manage everything from metadata to structured data and technical SEO elements.

It’s particularly strong for:

• Content-driven SEO
• Ongoing optimisation
• Integration with marketing tools

Typically you’ll need to install an SEO plugin eg. Yoast in order to add title and description tags to your website pages.

Joomla

Joomla includes many SEO features within its core system, such as:

• Search engine friendly URLs
• Metadata management
• Canonical URL support

This reduces reliance on third-party tools and provides a solid SEO foundation from the outset.

Verdict

• WordPress offers SEO via third-party plugins
• Joomla provides strong built-in SEO capabilities with less reliance on plugins

Performance & speed

Performance is a key ranking and user experience factor in 2026.

WordPress

WordPress performance depends on how the site is built and maintained. With proper optimisation, it can achieve excellent results.

Factors include:

• Hosting quality
• Theme efficiency
• Plugin usage

Joomla

Joomla often delivers strong performance out of the box due to:

• Leaner setups
• Built-in caching
• Reduced plugin dependency

Verdict

• Joomla offers a strong performance baseline
• WordPress can achieve equally high performance with optimisation

Security

WordPress

WordPress is a frequent target due to its popularity, but it also benefits from:

• Regular updates
• A wide range of security tools
• Strong community support

When properly managed, it is a secure platform, however it’s up to you as the website owner to ensure these software updates are implemented.

Joomla

Joomla is known for its robust security features, including:

• Advanced access control (ACL)
• Strong core security practices
• Fewer third-party dependencies

All content management software will require regular website maintenance.

Verdict

• Both platforms can be highly secure when properly maintained
• Joomla includes more advanced security features out of the box

Extensions & ecosystem

WordPress

WordPress has one of the largest ecosystems of any CMS, offering:

• Extensive plugin options
• Wide integration capabilities
• Rapid innovation

Joomla

Joomla’s ecosystem is smaller but more focused, with:

• High-quality extensions
• Less reliance on third-party tools for core functionality

Verdict

• WordPress offers broader choice and flexibility
• Joomla offers a more streamlined, controlled extension environment

eCommerce capabilities

WordPress

WordPress supports eCommerce through integrations that allow businesses to build scalable online stores.

It’s a strong option for:

• Small to large online shops
• Businesses integrating content and commerce

Joomla

Joomla also supports eCommerce through extensions, which can be tailored to suit specific requirements.

While setup may be more involved, it offers flexibility for customised solutions.

Verdict

• Both platforms can support eCommerce effectively
• WordPress is often quicker to deploy, while Joomla can offer more tailored setups

Multilingual capabilities

Joomla

Joomla includes built-in multilingual functionality, allowing websites to manage multiple languages without additional tools.

WordPress

WordPress achieves multilingual functionality through plugins, which can be configured to deliver strong results.

Verdict

• Joomla offers native multilingual support
• WordPress offers flexible multilingual solutions via plugins

Scalability & use cases

WordPress

WordPress is highly adaptable and supports a wide range of websites, including:

• Business websites
• Content platforms
• eCommerce stores

Joomla

Joomla is particularly strong for:

• Complex or structured websites
• Membership platforms
• Organisations requiring advanced user roles

Verdict

• WordPress excels in flexible scalability
• Joomla excels in structured scalability

Final comparison table

Feature	WordPress	Joomla
Ease of use	Easy	Easy
Design flexibility	Excellent	Excellent
Content management	Excellent	Excellent
SEO	Requires plug-in	Built-in
Performance	Optimised	Strong baseline
Security	Strong	Very strong
Ecosystem	Extensive	Focused
eCommerce	Scalable	Customisable
Multilingual	Requires plug-in	Built-in

 

So, which CMS should you choose in 2026?

The right choice depends on your priorities.

Choose WordPress if:

• You want an easy-to-use platform
• You need flexibility and integrations
• Your site is content or marketing-driven
• You want a faster path to launch

Choose Joomla if:

• You need advanced structure and control
• Your site has complex user roles or content relationships
• You want built-in multilingual functionality
• You prefer fewer plugin dependencies

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In 2026, both Joomla and WordPress remain highly capable CMS platforms.

Rather than one being universally better, each excels in different areas:

• WordPress offers flexibility, accessibility and a vast ecosystem
• Joomla offers structure, built-in functionality and technical control

When properly developed and maintained, both platforms can deliver excellent performance, strong SEO outcomes and scalable growth.

The key is choosing the platform that aligns best with your business goals – not just today, but into the future.