Joomla! Benefits & Core Features
Start and Grow your business with Joomla!
Joomla! is one of world's most popular software packages. It is used to build, organise, manage and publish content for small businesses, governments, non-profits and large organisations worldwide. Joomla is supported by a large ecosystem and powers:
- Nearly 2 Millions active websites
- Over 9% of all known business websites
- Over 6% of the CMS Market World wide
- Over 3% of the entire Web!
Joomla offers a great opportunity to grow your business building websites and applications. The rock solid code base and large global community will help you get up to speed fast. Whether you are looking to build websites or develop applications, develop templates or extensions or something completely new based on our framework, with Joomla, the possibilities are endless, start using Joomla today!
Joomla's Benefits
7 reasons why Joomla! is the perfect platform for your online projects.
- Joomla has thousands of verified third party extensions which can be easily found on the Joomla Extensions Directory - extensions.joomla.org.
- There are also thousands of high quality templates available, a great number of which are free. Paid templates are also available and come with world class support. Many templates provide a graphical user interface (GUI) which allow you to change colours, fonts, layouts and features without touching a line of code!
- The layout and overrides system and built in extendable functions make it easy to create customised solutions including:
- Custom Layouts
- Language overrides
- Template overrides
- Custom CSS
- ... and much more.
- A wealth of free documentation and video training make learning Joomla a breeze make sure to visit:
- docs.joomla.org - our official wiki
- Learn about Joomla! 5 - Joomla! 5 introduction documentation
- forum.joomla.org - the official Joomla community forum - it’s manned by hundreds of thousands of users, all who are happy to share their knowledge and expertise with you!
- Joomla has powerful SEO tools built and ready right out of the box
- Metadata and Keywords
- Mod_rewrite support for SEF URLs
- Menu creation built with the thought of creating clear and consistent sitemaps
- Every time you create an article or a menu item, it automatically creates an alias for its default PHP string so that the links to particular pages are both user and search engine friendly.
- Each menu item can have its own meta description, keywords and robots settings, allowing you to customize the SEO settings for your content to give optimal availability and searchability. These features allow you to make the most important parts of your content shine out among other similar websites, giving you the technical edge.
- Joomla is created, maintained and supported by a unique volunteer community who believe that it should be freely available to everyone, always.
- Joomla is also surrounded by an extensive ecosystem of extension developers, designers, integrators, copywriters, support personnel, system/server administrators, people from all walks of IT life, who believe passionately in Free Forever Open Source Solutions.
- You get the benefit of thousands of hours of development time and expertise from programmers around the world free for you to use. Being free and open source also means that if you need to change webmasters, many others are available without having to rebuild your site!
With a codebase designed to be robust, Joomla also features built in two-factor authentication and extensive access control levels out of the box. Joomla‘s dedicated Security Strike Team always strives to be ahead of the curve and has a reputation for releasing patches before exploits are widely known in the wild.
Multilingual made easy. With over 70 translation packs available for the core and out of the box support for multilingual content management and language associations, creating multilingual websites with Joomla is a simple and straightforward process.
Joomla‘s stable core and extensibility allows your website or application to keep pace as your business unfolds from a budding idea to a fully fledged Fortune 500. Scale and add new features with fast turnarounds and without headaches.
Joomla is the go to CMS if you need a good platform to adapt to complex needs. With the integrated ACL (Access Control List), you can define granular access rights for different types of user. Your site can be multilingual out of the box thanks to translation packs. Through the documented API and strong code base, you can produce quality solutions, that last and are extendible in the future. Through modern techniques and minimum requirements like PHP 8.1 (required as of Joomla 5) you can expect a stable development environment. Through Overrides, it’s possible to manipulate the output easily without core hacks meaning your updates will go smoothly.
Joomla is not only a CMS, but also a stable and lightweight PHP framework which allows you to write web and command line applications in PHP. The Joomla Framework is easy to adapt and extend according to your needs. The CMS and framework are independent from each other, no need to install the CMS to use the framework! A great example of what you can achieve with the Joomla Framework is our issue tracker.
Joomla's Core Features
Here are some of the Joomla! features you will love.
- Multilingual: Offering over 70 languages.
- Search Engine Optimisation: Out of the box SEO & SEF.
- Flexible: Make a blog, business website, intranet, community website… From the simplest to the most complex website.
- Free forever: Joomla! is free to use under GPL.
- Extendable: Over 8,000 extensions are available to extend your website and broaden its functionality.
- User Management (ACL): ACL stands for Access Control List, it allows you to manage the users of your site, and different groups.
- Menu management: Create as many menus and menu items as you need.
- Cache management: Speed up your website with caching.
- Template override: Achieve superior custom designs.
- Template assignmen:: Assign specific templates to specific pages.
- Responsive : Joomla! uses Bootstrap for perfect responsive designs.
- Do more with Less: Joomla! features LESS CSS.
- Template frameworks: Use external template frameworks or template clubs.
- Create your own: You’re able to create your own template. The only limit is your imagination.
- Publishing tools: Choose when articles are published.
- WYSIWYG editor: Edit content without any knowledge of code.
- Content versioning: You will never again lose a previous important version of your article and other changes on your site.
- Article management: Add, manage and organize your articles.
- Frontend editing: Edit your content while browsing your site.
- Editor buttons: Add extra functions to your content in 1 click.
- Drag & Drop image: Adding an image is as easy as dragging and dropping it from your computer directly into the content. This works anywhere that you are using the default TinyMCE WYSIWYG editor.
- Media manager: A tool to upload and maintain images and other files.
- Categories: Be able to create categories with nesting and no limits on depth.
- Redirect: Easily redirect URLs when needed.
- Banners: Monetise your website by adding banners or ads.
- Contacts: Add several contacts, departments and contact forms.
- Tags: When categorisation is not enough to structure your content.
- Syndication: Create a RSS feed from your content.
- News feed: Show an external news feed on your website.
- Custom fields : 15 different field types to add to articles, users, and contacts.
- Search: Visitors will be able to quickly and easily find the appropriate information.
- Messaging: Sent messages in between administrators.
- Easy core update: Keep your Joomla! up to date with 1 click.
- Easy extensions update: Keep your extensions up to date easy and fast.
- Install from web: Install extensions without leaving your backend.
- User registration: Allow visitors to register and gain access to additional resources.
- Extended documentation: A complete wiki about Joomla!
- Integrated help system: Joomla! has an in-app contextual help system.
- Helpful forum: Our worldwide community of world class developers and business consultants actively help at no cost.
- Professional service providers: Who can help build & maintain your Joomla! project.
- Extended developer documentation: All you need to know to start extending Joomla!
- Microdata library implementation : Incorporate microdata more easily into your extensions and sites.
- PHP 8 support : We prefer PHP 8 to run on.
- Secure Coding guidelines : Best practice for coding in Joomla!
- MVC : Joomla makes extensive use of the Model-View-Controller design pattern.
- Extend further with the Framework : Create both web and command line applications.
- Routing system: New and more flexible interface to handle creating and processing URLs.
Whatever is your project, from a simple showcase to a complex project, Joomla is the right solution for your success on the web! Try it now!
DOWNLOAD JOOMLAGetting Started with Joomla!
Joomla! makes creating and maintaining Web sites easy for everyone, from total beginners setting up their first site to IT professionals managing enterprise installations.
Get the Basic Details
If you have never used Joomla! before, you might want to read What is Joomla? first. If you are evaluating Joomla! for use on a project, you may want to review the materials for evaluators on the Joomla! Documentation Wiki.
Download Joomla! and Run it yourself.
If you're ready to install Joomla, download the latest version here, you'll be up and running in no time. You can also check out the short FAQ on that page and read the tutorial on how to install Joomla.
Get started on launch.joomla.org
Launch.joomla.org allows you to launch a fully functional and free Joomla website. You will get started with just a click on a button, opening up to endless possibilities, full responsive, multilingual... It even includes sFTP, PHPMyAdmin, and the ability to install extensions. You can keep it as long as you login and click a “renew” button once every 30 days. The only limitations are 200mb of disk space, subdomain usage, and your imagination...
Find Documentation and Help
Localised documentation for Joomla! is available on the Joomla! Documentation Wiki at docs.joomla.org. Choosing a user type will help you find the appropriate resources on the wiki. The wiki page The Absolute Beginners Guide to Joomla contains lots of information, advice, and links for first time users. If you have more questions, visit the Joomla! forums.
Get Ready to Install
Getting started on your Joomla! web site is easy to do. Many hosting services offer a simple one-click installation, but if you'd rather be more hands-on, have more control or are your own host, all you need is a Web server with PHP and MySQL. Most commercial hosts provide these as part of their basic package of services. Then download a copy of Joomla. Then visit our install documentation to continue your adventure.
For Developers and Designers
If you're looking to get started in Joomla! development, developer.joomla.org is the best place for you to start. There you'll find tons of information on Joomla, the APIs and much more. Also more documentation is available on docs.joomla.org.
If you're a designer and want to learn more about creating Joomla! templates, the Template management section shows how easy it is to design in Joomla.
If you are an administrator you can find your documentation here.
Extend, Learn and Share Joomla!
How can you use the power of Joomla! to its fullest extent? How can you make Joomla! even better? Here are a few ways:
Browse the Joomla! Extensions Directory™
Joomla! was made to be highly extensible and customizable to your needs. Thousands of extensions are available in the Joomla! Extensions Directory™, many of which are free of charge. If you're a developer wanting to write your own extensions, there are a number of resources available online.
Visit the Joomla! Extensions Directory »
How you can write your own extensions »
Create and Find Translations
Joomla! has been translated in many world languages and we're always looking to translate for more.
Find out more about Joomla! in your language »
Didn't find Joomla! in your language? How to easily create a localization »
Engage in the Joomla! Forums
The Joomla! Forums are a vibrant community of users asking for help and giving expert advice. Whether it's a general question about what Joomla! can do, a deeply technical question, or help with installation, you're likely to find the answers in our multi-lingual forums.
Attend a Joomla! Event or Local Joomla! User Group
Joomla! User Groups meet regularly all over the world and provide an excellent opportunity for users to share ideas and experiences with using Joomla.
Check events in your area »
Check user groups in your area »
No user group in your area? How to easily form a user group »
Develop for Joomla!
Whether you want to contribute to core development, create an extension, or report issues the Joomla! development community provides you with many resources an opportunities for participation.
Joomla! Developer Network »
Development Mailing Lists »
Joomla! API »
Get and Create Help Documentation
The extensive documentation resources for Joomla! are constantly being expanded and updated. You'll find many helpful sections on just about every subject imaginable and your expertise is welcome to make it even better.
Visit the Joomla! Documentation Wiki »
Join a Joomla! Team
All our volunteers contribute by participating in the Joomla! Teams. Each team focuses on a specific aspect of Joomla! essential to the Project's overall growth and all have formal expectations and goals. If you are you willing to contribute to a team, just ask them.
Visit the Joomla! Community Portal
The Joomla! Community Portal™ is the ideal place to find a variety of resources for novices and experts alike. It's a launching point for everything community-related, from our Joomla! User Groups™ to the JoomlaConnect™ the news source created by the worldwide Joomla! Community.
Contribute to Joomla!
Joomla! is a global, non profit, Open Source project working with only volunteers and their contributions. Volunteers are key to our growth and success. Contributing to Joomla! is easy and will give you great satisfaction. Anyone can contribute, whatever your skillset is, with as much time as you want. It’s also a great way to give back to your beloved CMS.
Part of our companies' success is due to the fact that we use Joomla. We can develop good websites with a versatile CMS that is freely available. That is my reason to contribute to Joomla, give something back. -- René Kreijveld
What are your benefits as a volunteer?
You gain a global network full of people who have a passion for Joomla! just like yourself. People who become friends, co-workers, co-volunteers,... You’re able to attend great events around the world.
Wonderful friends around the world! -- Alison Meeks
You’re able to help out and decide the future of our beloved CMS. You will stay on top of the developments and insights of all areas of the web.
As a volunteer I get steady flow of new insights into all areas of the web while contributing to Joomla! -- Christopher Wagner
How can you contribute?
There are several ways to contribute at Joomla. We’ll list the most important. You can contact form to the Volunteer Engagement Team, who will gladly assist you to the correct team.
Join a Team
All our volunteers contribute by participating in the Joomla! Teams. Each team focuses on a specific aspect of Joomla! essential to the Project's overall growth.
Be a helpful poster
Do you know Joomla! by heart? Willing to help other people out? Joomla! forum users helping one another is one of the cornerstones of our community. Registering on the forum is quick and easy, and you can get started right away helping people just like you.
Provide documentation or translations
You’re good at writing, screenshotting or translating? The Joomla! Documentation Wiki is a living website for help documentation (also the help screens served in the backend), tutorials, walkthroughs, and other helpful resources. Joomla! is translated into many languages by our volunteers. You can translate documentation, tutorials or even Joomla! itself into your language. Visit our simple guidelines page to get started.
Become a tester or solve issues.
We are always looking for more people to test patches, find and fix bugs, and help clarify issue reports on our bug tracker. Visit the issue tracker to help out. If you have programming skills, we recommend you inquire about joining the Joomla! Bug Squad.
Localise Joomla! Resources
Offer your local community a great benefit by translating Joomla! Resources on our localisation platform, Crowdin. You can translate the marketing materials, official extensions, websites and templates. If your language is missing, just ask a manager to add it.
Contribute in Other Ways
There are a number of other ways both individuals and companies can contribute to The Joomla! Project. To know more, please contact the Volunteers Engagement Team.
Joomla gives me so much, in the past and present (my business is based on Joomla), that I try to give something back. It doesn’t need to be positive all the time, there’s some sort of loyalty, that help me through the downs. -- Ufuk Avcu
Like most people involved in the project, I have gained a lot from using Joomla personally, professionally, and even financially. It is a privilege to be able to give back to the project that has given so much. -- Ken Crowder
I want to give back to the community that has helped me to build my business and shape my life in all these years -- Carlos Cámara Mora
What is Joomla?
Joomla! is a free and open-source content management system (CMS) for publishing web content. Over the years Joomla! has won several awards. It is built on a model–view–controller web application framework that can be used independently of the CMS that allows you to build powerful online applications.
Joomla! is one of the most popular website softwares, thanks to its global community of developers and volunteers, who make sure the platform is user friendly, extendable, multilingual, accessible, responsive, search engine optimized and so much more.
What's a content management system (CMS)?
The definition of a CMS is an application (web-based), that provides capabilities for multiple users with different permission levels to manage (all or a section of) content, data or information of a website project, or intranet application.
Managing content refers to creating, editing, archiving, publishing, collaborating on, reporting, distributing website content, data and information.
Joomla! in the real (online) world
Joomla! is used all over the world to power millions of websites of all shapes and sizes.
Joomla! can be used for:
- Corporate websites or portals, intranets and extranets
- Small business websites
- Online magazines, newspapers, and publications
- E-commerce and online reservations
- Government, non-profit and organisational websites
- Community-based, school and church websites or portals
- Personal or family homepages ...
Being a web agency, how can Joomla! help me?
If you’re an agency who develops websites for your customers, Joomla! is the perfect tool for you (have a look at our benefits and features). Designed to be easy to install and set up, even if you're not an advanced user. With a short learning curve you’ll be able to quickly build sites for your clients. Then, with a minimal amount of instruction, you can empower your clients to easily manage their own sites themselves.
If your clients need specialised functionality, Joomla! is highly extensible and thousands of extensions (most for free under the GPL license) are available in the Joomla! Extensions Directory.
As a developer, can I use Joomla! in a more advanced way?
Some companies and organisations have requirements that go beyond what is available in the Joomla! Core package. In those cases, Joomla's powerful application framework makes it easy for developers to create sophisticated add-ons that extend the power of Joomla into virtually unlimited directions.
The core Joomla! Framework enables developers to quickly and easily build:
- Inventory control systems
- Data reporting tools
- Application bridges
- Custom product catalogs
- Integrated e-commerce systems
- Complex business directories
- Reservation systems
- Communication tools
Since Joomla! is based on PHP and MySQL, you're building powerful applications on an open platform anyone can use, share, and support.
To find out more information on leveraging the Joomla! Framework, visit the Joomla! Framework site.
There is also extensive developer documentation on manual.joomla.org.
Joomla! seems the right solution for me. How do I get started?
Joomla! is free, open, and available to anyone under the GPL license. Read Getting Started with Joomla! to find out the basics.
- If you're ready to install Joomla! by yourself:
- Download the latest version of Joomla!
You can find it on the Joomla! Downloads Portal, you'll be up and running in no time.
And if you need any help, visit our official forums and documentation. Learn about Joomla! 5 - Joomla! 5 introduction documentation.
Download Joomla! now >>
- Download the latest version of Joomla!
- Joomla! provides also another way to get started without having to install it:
- Free website on launch.joomla.org
This is the easiest way to start your first Joomla! website immediately. You can launch a totally free and fully functional website in seconds and start publishing your content online immediately.
Try launch.joomla.org now >>
- Free website on launch.joomla.org