Drupal vs. Joomla — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on September 22, 2023
Drupal and Joomla are both open-source content management systems (CMS). Drupal is known for its flexibility and robustness, suitable for complex, large-scale websites, while Joomla offers a balance between ease-of-use and extensibility.
Difference Between Drupal and Joomla
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Drupal and Joomla are powerful platforms in the world of open-source content management systems. Drupal is often considered more robust and offers greater flexibility for complex websites. It provides a variety of modules and themes and is highly customizable, making it ideal for enterprise-level projects. Joomla, in contrast, aims to offer a middle ground between complexity and ease-of-use, providing a user-friendly interface alongside powerful functionalities like extensions and templates.
Both Drupal and Joomla have their strengths when it comes to community support. Drupal has an extensive community of developers who contribute to its growth and provide solutions for various challenges. Joomla's community is equally strong but is often considered to be more focused on design and out-of-the-box solutions, which can be more attractive to those who are not as technically inclined.
In terms of ease-of-use, Drupal is often seen as more complex due to its robust architecture and the level of customization it offers. Joomla is generally easier for beginners, offering a more intuitive administrative interface. Both platforms offer SEO-friendly URLs and functionalities, but the approaches differ, with Drupal providing more granular control over SEO settings.
Drupal's core is known for its strong focus on security, making it a go-to choice for enterprise-level applications and governmental websites. Joomla also offers strong security features but is often used for websites where ease-of-use and aesthetics are the main focus, such as e-commerce and small-to-medium business websites.
Comparison Chart
Complexity
More complex
Easier for beginners
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Customizability
Highly customizable
Moderate customizability
Focus
Flexibility, robustness
Balance of ease-of-use and power
Community
Developer-focused
Design and out-of-the-box focused
Typical Use Cases
Large-scale, enterprise
E-commerce, social networks
Compare with Definitions
Drupal
Drupal is an open-source CMS.
Drupal is often used for building complex, customized websites.
Joomla
Joomla is user-friendly.
The Joomla admin panel is easy to navigate.
Drupal
Drupal is highly customizable.
The website was built on Drupal due to its customization capabilities.
Joomla
Joomla has a design-focused community.
Joomla's community offers a plethora of ready-to-use templates.
Drupal
Drupal is suitable for large-scale projects.
Enterprise companies frequently choose Drupal for its scalability.
Joomla
Joomla offers moderate customizability.
Joomla templates allowed us to easily change the site's appearance.
Drupal
Drupal has a developer-focused community.
The Drupal community offers extensive technical support.
Joomla
Joomla is generally used for smaller-scale projects.
Many small businesses prefer Joomla for its ease-of-use.
Drupal
Drupal is known for its robustness.
Drupal is ideal for creating secure, high-performance websites.
Joomla
Joomla is an open-source CMS.
Joomla is commonly used for e-commerce websites.
Drupal
Drupal () is a free and open-source web content management framework (CMF) written in PHP and distributed under the GNU General Public License. Drupal provides a back-end framework for at least 13% of the top 10,000 websites worldwide – ranging from personal blogs to corporate, political, and government sites.
Joomla
Joomla (), also spelled Joomla! (with an exclamation mark) and sometimes abbreviated as J!, is a free and open-source content management system (CMS) for publishing web content on websites.
Drupal
(botany) drupaceous
Drupal
Drupaceous.
Common Curiosities
Is Drupal customizable?
Yes, Drupal is highly customizable and ideal for complex projects.
What is Joomla?
Joomla is an open-source content management system that balances ease-of-use with extensibility.
What types of websites is Drupal good for?
Drupal is suitable for large-scale, enterprise-level websites requiring high customization.
What is Drupal?
Drupal is an open-source content management system known for its flexibility and robustness.
Which is easier to use: Drupal or Joomla?
Joomla is generally considered easier for beginners due to its more intuitive interface.
Which CMS has a larger community: Drupal or Joomla?
Both have large communities, but Drupal's is more developer-focused while Joomla's is more design-focused.
Is Joomla customizable?
Yes, Joomla offers moderate customization options through its extensions and templates.
Is Joomla faster than Drupal?
Joomla can be faster for smaller projects and is generally less resource-intensive.
What types of websites is Joomla good for?
Joomla is typically used for e-commerce, social networking, and small-to-medium business websites.
How is security in Drupal?
Drupal has a strong focus on security, making it ideal for enterprise and governmental websites.
Can I migrate from Drupal to Joomla or vice versa?
Yes, but it may require considerable effort due to the differences in architecture and database structure.
How is security in Joomla?
Joomla also offers strong security features suitable for most types of websites.
Is Drupal faster than Joomla?
Drupal can be faster for large-scale applications due to its robust architecture but requires more server resources.
Which is better for SEO: Drupal or Joomla?
Both offer SEO-friendly features, but Drupal provides more granular control over SEO settings.
Which is more expensive to develop in: Drupal or Joomla?
Drupal can be more expensive due to its complexity and the level of customization it offers.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.