The number of tools for web software development is great. Both IT professionals and beginners can find a tool that meets their particular needs and possibilities. The same can be said about business owners. Due to the significant increase in the number of programming languages and tools available in the market, one can easily find the right options to reach the desired business goal.

A particular niche is occupied by Content Management Systems, or CMSs. No doubts, along with the frequently described pros, there is no guarantee you will avoid facing the disadvantages. For example, a CMS-based website may lack customization or performance in comparison with the ones built using cutting-edge JS frameworks. Still, CMS is a good answer to the questions of many entrepreneurs who want to go online.

In this article, we would like to take a look at two great CMSs which occupy the leading positions in the market. Drupal vs Joomla: which one to choose to take your project to the top? How to pick the more useful tool? Let’s find out.

The Introduction to Drupal and Joomla

Before diving into the depths of technical and business comparison of Drupal vs Joomla, we decided to provide you with some basic information about these CMSs.

Drupal is a well-known CMS used for many years. Millions of websites all over the world are powered by this solution. In some sources, Drupal is referred to as “a content management framework”, so we can conclude that it is more powerful than any other CMS. Besides that, the security features of Drupal are also prominent. With the tool like this, you can easily build a large-scale complex enterprise solution, eCommerce website, social network or a business website that will win the visitors’ attention.

Drupal is powered with PHP and its framework Symfony. Drupal can deal with various web development tasks, but many say you can get all of its perks only if you are proficient enough. We would disagree as the functionality required for small projects can be set up even by a person with the minimum level of experience. So, Drupal allows building both small-scale solutions and great thorough projects.

Joomla demonstrates rather similar features as well. With this tool, you can build anything from a simple personal blog to a large company’s website. PHP and SQL-like database are Joomla’s basis. So, Joomla is quite easy to set up and work with for the specialists who have experience in working with these tools.

Joomla does not require deep technical knowledge, but at the same time, it may seem a bit more complicated than Wordpress.

What can you build with Joomla? There are no specific limitations regarding what websites can be built with this CMS, but you cannot build something extra complicated and powerful with this tool. Therefore, comparing Drupal vs Joomla might be difficult and some even say that it's irrelevant since Drupal is much more powerful and complex. However, this question often arises, so let’s try to figure out their main differences for business owners.

What Do They Have in Common?

Joomla and Drupal have a lot in common:

Great API with the access to the interface components and various functions;

A big number of extensions, as there are 36,000+ Drupal modules and over 7,000 Joomla components;

Each CMS has a free version;

Both codebases are open-source;

The mobile apps built upon these CMSs run seamlessly.

Drupal vs Joomla from the Business Point of View

Which one is more popular among software engineers? Drupal or Joomla? Well, all we can say is that Joomla was downloaded 50 million times, and Drupal 15 million times. We can connect it to both Joomla’s advantages and the fact that it is easier to use than Drupal. Analyzing the business component of the CMS usability, we would like to emphasize the following:

Community

There are 576 Joomla contributors on Github, and the number of Drupal contributors almost reaches 50 developers. Why is it so? Still, we come to the same conclusion: Drupal contributors are all tech-savvy, skilled and experienced developers. At the same time, the Joomla community looks more impressive, but its contributors are not as proficient in the technical aspects as Drupal developers.

SEO Features

Joomla is not very SEO friendly, so it is harder to make the search engines recognize the website and move it higher in the search results listings. Drupal is more SEO friendly and thus is more beneficial for your business. With this CMS, you do not have to devote too much effort to worrying about SEO as Drupal handles many aspects itself.

CMS Development

Drupal is 17 years old as of now, and it continues to grow. The famous Drupal 8 version is a point of interest for many web development engineers. Its significantly improved functionality and upgraded features are a game changer for the website development.

Joomla started its path back in 2005. Since then, 17 new versions have been released. This year, we are going to welcome Joomla 4.0.

Security

Joomla vs Drupal: which one is more secure? Well, both of them are highly protected. The comprehensive analysis of the Drupal capabilities lets us conclude that this CMS is better at keeping your data secure. The special security-focused Drupal extensions deliver even better results in terms of cybersecurity. Additionally, the Exploit database states that Drupal has 38 entries over time while Joomla has a shocking number of 1,300+ entries - it serves a good evidence of both platforms' security.

Who Uses Them?

Drupal vs Joomla comparison must include one more significant point. There is no better way to understand if the tool fits your needs than visiting a website built with the help of this tool. So, take a look at the most famous websites developed using these CMSs and compare them to your own idea:

Conclusion

Drupal and Joomla are both powerful solutions which can satisfy the project’s needs and provide great UI/UX for the customers. Your choice may depend on the particular requirements of the project, your development team’s proficiency and the scale of the solution to be built.

If you are considering building a large-scale reliable solution to be the best in its niche and attract more and more new customers, opt for Drupal.

If you are more focused on enthusiastic wishes and ideas for building a great solution, and your team consists mostly of junior developers, you can use Joomla.

In case you still do not know which CMS to turn your head to, ask for a qualified opinion. Tell us about your project, and we'll help you make a good choice. Contact us through the form below or simply follow this link to schedule a call!