Joomla vs Discourse
Please select two different options.
Discourse and Joomla are both popular content management systems used for creating online platforms. Discourse is known for its modern forum software, while Joomla is a versatile CMS with a wide range of features for website development.
General information
Joomla
Discourse
Introduction :
Joomla is a widely-used open-source content management system that was launched in 2005. It is known for its flexibility, ease of use, and strong community support. Joomla is popular among users who need a robust platform for creating websites, blogs, and online applications. Its extensive range of templates and extensions make it a versatile choice for various types of websites.
Joomla is a widely-used open-source content management system that was launched in 2005. It is known for its flexibility, ease of use, and strong community support. Joomla is popular among users who need a robust platform for creating websites, blogs, and online applications. Its extensive range of templates and extensions make it a versatile choice for various types of websites.
Introduction :
Discourse is a modern, open-source platform for online community discussions. Launched in 2013, it has gained popularity for its user-friendly interface, robust features, and active community support. With a focus on fostering meaningful conversations and promoting user engagement, Discourse is a preferred choice for many organizations and websites looking to build vibrant online communities.
Discourse is a modern, open-source platform for online community discussions. Launched in 2013, it has gained popularity for its user-friendly interface, robust features, and active community support. With a focus on fostering meaningful conversations and promoting user engagement, Discourse is a preferred choice for many organizations and websites looking to build vibrant online communities.
Advantages :
- User-friendly interface for easy content management
- Extensive customization options with thousands of extensions
- Strong community support for troubleshooting and updates
- SEO-friendly features for better search engine visibility
- Mobile responsiveness for optimal user experience
Advantages :
- Easy to use interface for beginners
- Strong community support for troubleshooting
- Customizable with various plugins and themes
- Regular updates for security and performance
- Integration with popular third-party tools and services
Disadvantages :
- Limited built-in features compared to others
- Steeper learning curve for beginners
- Less extensive plugin and theme library
- Not as popular or widely supported
- Requires more technical knowledge for customization
Disadvantages :
- Limited customization options
- Steep learning curve for beginners
- Lack of built-in SEO features
- Limited plugin and theme options
- Higher cost compared to some competitors
Website users : 2.5%
Joomla powers approximately 2.5% of websites on the internet, making it a popular choice among content management systems.
Joomla powers approximately 2.5% of websites on the internet, making it a popular choice among content management systems.
Website users : Over 30% of websites
Discourse is a popular platform used by a significant portion of websites, making it a widely adopted choice for online discussions.
Discourse is a popular platform used by a significant portion of websites, making it a widely adopted choice for online discussions.
🟡 Difficulty : Average.
Getting started with Joomla may require some technical knowledge and learning curve, but resources and community support are available for assistance.
Getting started with Joomla may require some technical knowledge and learning curve, but resources and community support are available for assistance.
🟢 Difficulty : Easy.
Discourse has a user-friendly interface and clear documentation, making it easy for beginners to get started without needing advanced technical skills.
Discourse has a user-friendly interface and clear documentation, making it easy for beginners to get started without needing advanced technical skills.
Year launched : 2005
Joomla was launched in 2005, making it one of the older content management systems available for website development.
Joomla was launched in 2005, making it one of the older content management systems available for website development.
Year launched : 2013
Discourse was launched in 2013, positioning it as a relatively newer platform compared to others in the content management system market.
Discourse was launched in 2013, positioning it as a relatively newer platform compared to others in the content management system market.
Official website :
https://www.joomla.org/
Official website :
https://www.discourse.org/
Commercial details
Joomla
Discourse
🟢 Open source : Fully.
Joomla is fully open source, allowing users to access and modify the codebase for complete customization and flexibility.
Joomla is fully open source, allowing users to access and modify the codebase for complete customization and flexibility.
🟡 Open source : Partially.
Discourse is partially open source, with the core software being open but some features requiring a paid license for full access.
Discourse is partially open source, with the core software being open but some features requiring a paid license for full access.
🟢 Free option : Yes.
There is a free option for Joomla, but it may have limited features compared to paid versions. It is a self-hosted platform.
There is a free option for Joomla, but it may have limited features compared to paid versions. It is a self-hosted platform.
🟢 Free option : Yes.
Discourse offers a free, self-hosted option with limited features compared to paid plans, making it a cost-effective choice for smaller communities.
Discourse offers a free, self-hosted option with limited features compared to paid plans, making it a cost-effective choice for smaller communities.
🟢 Paid option : Yes.
Joomla does offer a paid option for users who require additional features, support, or hosting services for their website.
Joomla does offer a paid option for users who require additional features, support, or hosting services for their website.
🟢 Paid option : Yes.
Discourse offers a paid option for additional features and support, providing users with more customization and assistance options.
Discourse offers a paid option for additional features and support, providing users with more customization and assistance options.
Platform details
Joomla
Discourse
🟢 Hosted : Yes.
Joomla offers a hosted option through various third-party vendors, providing users with the convenience of a managed hosting solution.
Joomla offers a hosted option through various third-party vendors, providing users with the convenience of a managed hosting solution.
⚪ Hosted : Unknown.
Hosted options may vary depending on the platform, with some offering both free and paid hosting services through different vendors.
Hosted options may vary depending on the platform, with some offering both free and paid hosting services through different vendors.
🟢 Self host : Yes.
Joomla offers a self-hosting option, allowing users to choose their own hosting provider for greater control and customization.
Joomla offers a self-hosting option, allowing users to choose their own hosting provider for greater control and customization.
🟢 Self host : Yes.
Self-hosting is possible with Discourse through various third-party vendors, offering flexibility and control over hosting options.
Self-hosting is possible with Discourse through various third-party vendors, offering flexibility and control over hosting options.
🟡 Headless CMS : Supported via plugin.
Joomla does not have native headless capabilities but can support it through plugins or extensions that enable headless features via an API.
Joomla does not have native headless capabilities but can support it through plugins or extensions that enable headless features via an API.
⚪ Headless CMS : Unknown.
Discourse does not have native headless support, but it may offer headless features through its API. Further investigation is needed.
Discourse does not have native headless support, but it may offer headless features through its API. Further investigation is needed.
🟡 Static content generation : Supported via plugin.
Static content generation is possible in Joomla through popular plugins, offering flexibility and customization for users who require this feature.
Static content generation is possible in Joomla through popular plugins, offering flexibility and customization for users who require this feature.
🟡 Static content generation : Supported via plugin.
Discourse does not natively support static content generation but can potentially achieve this functionality via a popular plugin.
Discourse does not natively support static content generation but can potentially achieve this functionality via a popular plugin.
Key features
Joomla
Discourse
🟢 Content management : Support natively.
Joomla offers robust native content management capabilities, making it a strong platform for efficiently managing and organizing content.
Joomla offers robust native content management capabilities, making it a strong platform for efficiently managing and organizing content.
🟡 Content management : Supported via plugin.
Discourse offers content management capabilities through plugins, providing additional functionality for managing content on the platform.
Discourse offers content management capabilities through plugins, providing additional functionality for managing content on the platform.
🟡 Blogging : Supported via plugin.
Joomla can be used for blogging with the help of popular third-party extensions like EasyBlog or K2, offering advanced features for bloggers.
Joomla can be used for blogging with the help of popular third-party extensions like EasyBlog or K2, offering advanced features for bloggers.
🔴 Blogging : Not supported.
Discourse is primarily a forum platform, lacking key features for traditional blogging such as customizable themes and SEO optimization.
Discourse is primarily a forum platform, lacking key features for traditional blogging such as customizable themes and SEO optimization.
🟡 E-commerce : Supported via plugin.
Joomla can be used for e-commerce with popular extensions like VirtueMart, but may require additional setup compared to platforms like Shopify.
Joomla can be used for e-commerce with popular extensions like VirtueMart, but may require additional setup compared to platforms like Shopify.
🔴 E-commerce : Not supported.
Discourse is not specifically designed for e-commerce, lacking native features for product listings, transactions, and order management.
Discourse is not specifically designed for e-commerce, lacking native features for product listings, transactions, and order management.
🟡 Community forum : Supported via plugin.
Joomla offers forum functionality through popular extensions like Kunena, providing robust community features with customization options for a forum-centric website.
Joomla offers forum functionality through popular extensions like Kunena, providing robust community features with customization options for a forum-centric website.
🟡 Community forum : Supported via plugin.
Discourse offers robust community features but may require additional plugins for specific functionalities compared to other platforms.
Discourse offers robust community features but may require additional plugins for specific functionalities compared to other platforms.
🟡 Content subscription : Supported via plugin.
Content subscriptions and paywalls can be implemented through third-party extensions like Akeeba Subscriptions or OSE Membership.
Content subscriptions and paywalls can be implemented through third-party extensions like Akeeba Subscriptions or OSE Membership.
🟡 Content subscription : Supported via plugin.
Discourse does not natively support content subscriptions/paywalls but can be enhanced by popular plugins/extensions for this functionality.
Discourse does not natively support content subscriptions/paywalls but can be enhanced by popular plugins/extensions for this functionality.
Other features
Joomla
Discourse
🟡 Multi-site : Supported via plugin.
Joomla does not support multi-site natively but can be achieved through popular third-party extensions like JMS Multi-Sites or MightySites.
Joomla does not support multi-site natively but can be achieved through popular third-party extensions like JMS Multi-Sites or MightySites.
🟡 Multi-site : Supported via plugin.
Discourse does not support multi-site natively but can be enabled through third-party plugins for enhanced functionality.
Discourse does not support multi-site natively but can be enabled through third-party plugins for enhanced functionality.
🟢 Multi-language : Support natively.
Joomla supports multi-language natively, allowing users to create multilingual websites without the need for additional plugins or extensions.
Joomla supports multi-language natively, allowing users to create multilingual websites without the need for additional plugins or extensions.
🟢 Multi-language : Support natively.
Discourse supports multi-language natively, allowing for seamless content translation and localization without the need for additional plugins or extensions.
Discourse supports multi-language natively, allowing for seamless content translation and localization without the need for additional plugins or extensions.
🟡 XML Sitemaps : Supported via plugin.
Supports XML sitemaps through various third-party plugins, enhancing SEO capabilities and ensuring proper indexing of website content.
Supports XML sitemaps through various third-party plugins, enhancing SEO capabilities and ensuring proper indexing of website content.
🟡 XML Sitemaps : Supported via plugin.
Discourse does not support XML sitemaps natively but can be enhanced by popular third-party plugins for this functionality.
Discourse does not support XML sitemaps natively but can be enhanced by popular third-party plugins for this functionality.
When choosing between Discourse and Joomla, consider the specific needs of your online platform. If you require a robust forum system, Discourse may be the better option. However, if you need a comprehensive CMS for website development, Joomla offers a more versatile solution. Ultimately, the right choice depends on the specific requirements of your project.