Joomla 5 is packed with powerful features that make it easy to build and manage any website. Whether you’re new to Joomla or coming from WordPress, this beginner-friendly tutorial will show you what makes Joomla special, like a toolbox full of tools to create your perfect site. I’ve broken down the core features in simple terms, with lists to keep things clear, so you can see why Joomla is a top choice for websites of all kinds.
Content Creation Made Simple
Joomla 5 shines at managing content, like pages or posts, without needing to know code. Its built-in editor, TinyMCE, lets you write and format text easily, similar to WordPress’s block editor. Want to add an image? Just drag and drop it from your computer into the editor. You can also insert features like menus or forms with a single click using the editor’s toolbar—no complicated coding needed.
- Easy Editing: Create content with a user-friendly WYSIWYG editor, no coding required.
- Flexible Layouts: Show content in different ways, like highlighting popular pages or recent updates, using pre-installed tools.
- Quick Inserts: Add images or modules (like a contact form) directly in the editor, like adding widgets in WordPress.
Accessibility for All Visitors
Joomla 5 helps ensure everyone can use your site, even those with disabilities. A built-in tool highlights accessibility issues, like missing image descriptions, so you can fix them easily. This is like using a WordPress accessibility plugin but built right into Joomla, making your site welcoming to all users.
Faster Navigation with Keyboard Shortcuts
Joomla 5 offers keyboard shortcuts to speed up tasks in the admin panel, like pressing “J + F” to search or “J + S” to save. Press “J + X” to see all shortcuts. Unlike WordPress, which relies on plugins for shortcuts, Joomla’s features are built-in and easy to use, one key at a time.
Code-Friendly Editing
Sometimes you need to tweak HTML or CSS directly. Joomla’s editor highlights code clearly, making it easy to read and edit, unlike WordPress’s basic code view. You can also search and replace code right in the editor, perfect for quick fixes without extra tools.
Edit Content Right on Your Site
With Joomla 5, you can edit pages or features directly on your website’s front end—no need to dig into the admin panel for simple changes. This is faster than WordPress’s front-end editing, which often requires plugins, and makes updating your site a breeze. WordPress offers Front Site Editing (FSE), which is somewhat similar.
Track Changes with Versioning
If enabled, Joomla 5 saves every version of your content, so you never lose important changes. You can see who edited what and when, and revert to older versions if needed. It’s like WordPress’s revision history but more detailed, great for managing complex websites.
Streamline Teamwork with Workflows
If you work with a team, Joomla’s workflows let you assign roles, like writers creating content and editors publishing it. This is more advanced than WordPress’s basic user roles, helping teams manage large websites efficiently.
Organize Content with Categories and Tags
Joomla 5 makes organizing content simple with categories and tags. Categories group your content (like sections in a library), with no limit on how deep you can nest them. Tags offer a flexible way to label content across categories, similar to WordPress tags but with nesting support.
- Categories: Create unlimited nested categories to organize content, like folders.
- Tags: Add flexible labels to content, with nesting for extra organization.
Powerful Search with Smart Search
Joomla’s Smart Search helps visitors find content quickly with auto-suggestions and advanced options. It also tracks what users search for, so you can improve your site’s content to match their needs; you can see what keywords are being used.
Media Management
Joomla’s Media Manager lets you upload and organize images, videos, or other files with the ability to create folders. Unfortunately, the WordPress Media Library cannot do this without installing a third-party plugin. You can access files directly in the content editor, and it supports various file types, making it easy to enhance your website.
Multilingual Support
Joomla 5 supports over 64 languages out of the box, letting you create websites in multiple languages without extra tools. This is more built-in than WordPress’s multilingual plugins, perfect for reaching a global audience as soon as you install Joomla!
Flexible Menu System
Joomla’s menu system lets you create as many menus as you want, placed anywhere on your site, like drop-downs or sidebars. You can link menus to pages, categories, or external sites, with automatic breadcrumbs to help users navigate, unlike WordPress’s simpler menu setup. Joomla also offers what is known as Hidden Menus, and this is something I will share in another tutorial—consider this as a secret bonus!
Advanced User Management
Joomla 5 offers nine user groups with customizable permissions, like who can edit or publish content. It supports multiple login methods (e.g., Gmail, LDAP) and private messaging, more powerful than WordPress’s user roles, for managing website access.
- User Groups: Set permissions for different users, like editors or visitors.
- Authentication: Use external logins (e.g., Gmail) for easy registration.
- Messaging: Send private messages or mass emails to users.
Enhanced Security with Multi-Factor Authentication
Joomla 5 was the first major CMS to offer two-factor authentication and now supports multi-factor authentication (MFA), like using a phone code or Yubikey. It also includes WebAuthn for passwordless login, making your site more secure than WordPress’s basic login options.
Customizable Templates
Joomla’s templates control your site’s look, like WordPress themes, but with more flexibility. You can use different templates for different pages, customize layouts without touching core code, and use child templates to keep changes safe during updates.
- Templates: Change your site’s design for specific sections.
- Template Overrides: Customize page layouts easily.
- Child Templates: Make changes that won’t break during updates.
Mobile-Ready with Bootstrap
Joomla 5 is built with Bootstrap, making your site responsive on any device, like WordPress’s responsive themes. This ensures your website looks great on phones, tablets, or desktops without extra work.
Note: The current Bootstrap version in the latest Joomla is 5.3.2
Stylish Fonts
Joomla 5 lets you use Google Fonts to make your site stand out, unlike WordPress’s reliance on theme-specific fonts. This gives you creative freedom to match your site’s style.
Advertising with Banner Management
Joomla’s banner manager lets you add ads to your site, track clicks, and manage campaigns, like WordPress ad plugins, but built-in. It’s perfect for monetizing your website.
Contact Management
Create multiple contact forms or profiles for different departments or users, with custom details and images. This is more flexible than WordPress’s single contact form plugins, ideal for complex websites.
Syndication and News Feeds
Joomla 5 offers RSS feeds to keep visitors updated and lets you display external news feeds on your site, like a more advanced version of WordPress’s feed options.
Help and Support
Joomla includes help buttons on admin pages, with pop-up guides and links to resources like forums and documentation. This is more built-in than WordPress’s help, making it easier to learn.
Easy Updates
Joomla 5’s one-click update system notifies you of new core or extension versions, like WordPress’s update dashboard, keeping your site secure and up-to-date with minimal effort.
Extend Your Site
With over 6,000 extensions available at extensions.joomla.org, you can add features like forms or galleries, similar to WordPress plugins, to customize your site.
Community Support
Joomla’s global community offers free help in forums, plus thousands of professional services for building or maintaining your site, like WordPress’s community, but with Joomla’s unique vibe.
Performance and Automation
Joomla 5 boosts site speed with caching and GZIP compression, like WordPress performance plugins. It also includes a Task Scheduler to automate repetitive tasks, saving you time.
- Caching: Speeds up page loads for a better user experience.
- Task Scheduler: Automates tasks like backups or updates.
Why Joomla’s Features Stand Out
Joomla 5’s core features give you everything you need to create a professional website, from easy content creation to advanced security and customization. Compared to WordPress, Joomla offers more built-in tools and flexibility, making it a powerful choice for any website. Start exploring these features to build your dream site!
What’s Next?
Now that you know Joomla 5’s core features, you’re ready to start creating content! In my next tutorial, I’ll guide you through creating your first article to add content to your site.
Continue to the Next Tutorial: Creating Categories