WordPress vs. Joomla!?
A frequently-asked query:
I’m a web designer, but am new to blogging and CMS. I’ve been looking at tutorials on YouTube and looking at how you install both WordPress and Joomla and some of the features of both. I have several questions and detailed answers from experienced developers would be greatly appreciated. Thanks to all those who answer!
The reason I’m looking into these CM systems is so that clients may take over the website once it’s designed (blog, post articles, update, etc.). Which CMS is the most user friendly?
Which CMS offers the most flexibility in terms of features?
What is the difference between WordPress and Joomla? From what I can tell, WordPress is more for blogging and Joomla seems to be more for news articles. If I were to get a job with a newspaper company, I would like to be able to have them be able to post their news articles and have people be able to comment on stories. Which one is best for this?
Also if I would be working for a newspaper, I would like the articles to be able to be searched for through a search engine on the site. Do either of these CM systems offer search capability? If both do, which one is easier to install?
To use these CMS, do you need to know a lot of PHP?
For WordPress, which is easier to use? WordPress.com setup or installing the files from WordPress.org right onto the hosting server? Is the user interface set up the same way? Like, is the dashboard exactly the same for both? I’m asking this more from the point of view for a person who really doesn’t have much computer experience (just enough knowledge to know simple things like email and such).
Are there any hidden fees while using these CMS?
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Just to clarify from previous answer, WordPress manages content, so I call it a CMS. 😉
Which CMS is the most user friendly?
Wordpress, by a huge margin.
Which CMS offers the most flexibility in terms of features? Joomla
What is the difference between WordPress and Joomla?
Wordpress’ primary function is to assemble content into a blog structure. There are plugins that do other things, but most of them support that blog structure. Joomla, on the other hand, is primarily a framework for managing content articles AND plugging in components that do a lot of different functions ie: directories, forums, support center etc. while using the Joomla framework for permissions, authors, users, etc. Does more and is more complicated. If you are using this for newspapers, you will probably need the extra functionality Joomla can provide.
Also if I would be working for a newspaper, I would like the articles to be able to be searched for through a search engine on the site. Do either of these CM systems offer search capability? If both do, which one is easier to install?
Both, once the content is put in. Neither is easier for search to work because it is built in.
To use these CMS, do you need to know a lot of PHP?
You don’t need PHP to build and operate, but you do need basic PHP knowledge to customize look and function. And if you are working with a client, you know hey are going to ask for something. 😉
For WordPress, which is easier to use? WordPress.com setup or installing the files from WordPress.org right onto the hosting server? Is the user interface set up the same way? Like, is the dashboard exactly the same for both? I’m asking this more from the point of view for a person who really doesn’t have much computer experience (just enough knowledge to know simple things like email and such).
Backend is very much the same on WP.org and basic WP install. Personas without computer experience can easily manage WP backend. Joomla is not that much more complicated on the backend IF you explain where they need to go to do different tasks so hey are not overwhelmed with the choices that Joomla presents.
Are there any hidden fees while using these CMS?
No but components and plugins are often paid. It is good to pay however if you get a stellar product and product support.
Joomla, Drupal, etc. are CMSs. WordPress is not a CMS – it’s a blogging tool that has "just (barely) enough" CMS functionality to support its primary function as a blogging tool. Let me recommend Concrete 5 (C5) to your attention.
We offer CMS-based solutions for the very reasons you cite wanting to do. That is, take the professional geeks (US) out of the picture for ongoing content support. We build sites that normal people (small shops) can learn to maintain and even extend without our mediation. Okay, we also build other types of sites (large, complex things that require us to manage them forever – at a price – whether a CMS is involved or not), but our C5, mini-sites are the cheapest in the sense that the customer CAN learn the whole shebang without having to gain REAL geek skills. The support and change management are page-oriented and handled via a WYSIWIG, in-context web interface.
C5 is based on PHP/MySQL (we deploy on CentOS, but any Linux would do – haven’t looked at Apache/MySQL/PHP on Windoze, but I bet it WOULD); it’s Open Source, easy to install, etc. My last, previous answer to this type of question is at:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Ap6Y7waqi47wysPLiR_X.U7ty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20100129105755AApVvrd&show=7#profile-info-RlKr7HRzaa
The provider is at:
http://www.concrete5.org/
Added – just to clarify…
Noob developers often confuse the two principles of object oriented programmming that we more experienced types refer to as "is-a" and "has-a." In OOP, if a Class Man is a direct descendant of the Class Human, we say it "Man IS-A Human." If a Class Bus needs a Class Driver that extends Human, we say "Bus has-a Human" (Driver, in this case). Joomla IS-A CMS. WordPress HAS-A CMS. In the cases of frameworks such as Joomla, Drupal, Concrete 5, etc., these are primarily CMS software with which you can do anything related to content management; if you wish to apply them to support blogging, you can, but that is not what they are primarily designed to do. In the case of WordPress, the tool is designed to present blogs – it has CMS functions that are relatively inflexible with respect to general CMS frameworks. WordPress is dead-simple, but it’s not a CMS and will fall far short of any real (is-a) CMS for the generalized management of content.