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Joomla

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Contentful

Joomla vs Contentful

Joomla vs Contentful: which is right for your project? Joomla is php cms balancing power and usability. Contentful is api-first headless cms for omnichannel content. We compare features, performance, and pricing.

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TL;DR — Our Recommendation

Contentful wins overall, but Joomla is better for community portals and membership sites needing built-in user management. Choose Joomla for Community portals and membership sites needing built-in user management. Choose Contentful for Enterprises needing to deliver content across web, mobile, and IoT channels.

Official docs: Joomla Documentation · Contentful Documentation

Feature by Feature Comparison

Feature	Joomla	Contentful
Ease of Use	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐
Performance	⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Flexibility	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐
Cost Value	⭐⭐⭐	⭐
Scalability	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ecosystem	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐

Pros & Cons

Joomla

Pros

Built-in ACL system more powerful than WordPress out of the box
Native multilingual support without extensions
Flexible content categorization system
Good balance between ease of use and developer features

Cons

Smaller community means fewer extensions and themes
Admin interface feels dated compared to modern CMS options
Performance degrades with many extensions installed
Finding skilled Joomla developers is increasingly difficult

Contentful

Pros

Powerful content modeling with structured content types
Global CDN-backed API delivers content at edge speed
Rich ecosystem of integrations (Algolia, Netlify, Vercel)
Excellent SDKs for every major language and framework

Cons

Expensive — free tier is very limited, paid starts at $300/month
Editing experience is functional but not beautiful
No built-in preview or visual editing (requires custom setup)
Vendor lock-in with proprietary content storage

Platform Details

Detail	Joomla	Contentful
Language / Stack	PHP	API-based (any frontend)
Type	traditional cms	headless cms
Pricing	Free (self-hosted)	Free / $300+/month
Open Source	Yes	No
Best For	Community portals and membership sites needing built-in user management	Enterprises needing to deliver content across web, mobile, and IoT channels
Export Method	Database export or J2XML extension	Content Management API or CLI export

When to Choose Each Platform

Choose Joomla if…

You need community portals and membership sites needing built-in user management
Your team is comfortable with PHP
You want an open-source solution with full code ownership

Choose Contentful if…

You need enterprises needing to deliver content across web, mobile, and iot channels
Your team is comfortable with API-based (any frontend)

Which Should You Pick?

The right choice between Joomla and Contentful depends on three things: your team's technical skills, your project timeline, and your long-term content strategy.

These platforms take fundamentally different approaches. Joomla is a traditional cms built with PHP, while Contentful is a headless cms built with API-based (any frontend). That architectural difference shapes everything from daily content editing workflows to deployment and hosting costs. If your team includes non-developers who need to publish content frequently, Joomla's familiar editing interface may save you onboarding time.

From a cost perspective, Joomla is open-source (Free (self-hosted)), while Contentful (Free / $300+/month) carries ongoing license costs. Factor in plugin or extension costs, developer rates for each tech stack, and whether you need managed hosting or can self-host.

Whichever you choose, migrating between them is straightforward. LeaveWP supports migration between 60+ platforms, so you're never locked in regardless of which you pick today.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Joomla better than Contentful?

Contentful scores higher overall (22/30 vs 18/30) thanks to better performance. However, Joomla remains the better choice for Community portals and membership sites needing built-in user management.

Can I migrate from Joomla to Contentful?

Yes. Export your Joomla content via Database export or J2XML extension, then import it into Contentful. LeaveWP can help automate this process while preserving your SEO metadata and URL structure.

What are the main differences between Joomla and Contentful?

Joomla is php cms balancing power and usability, while Contentful is api-first headless cms for omnichannel content. Key differences: performance (Joomla: 2/5, Contentful: 5/5), pricing (Free (self-hosted) vs Free / $300+/month), and ecosystem size (Joomla: 3/5, Contentful: 4/5).

How much does Joomla cost compared to Contentful?

Joomla: Free (self-hosted). Contentful: Free / $300+/month. Joomla is open-source and free to self-host, while Contentful is a paid platform.

Which is easier to learn, Joomla or Contentful?

They're similarly approachable (both 3/5). Joomla uses PHP, while Contentful uses API-based (any frontend). Your team's existing skills will determine which feels easier.

Which performs better, Joomla or Contentful?

Contentful has the performance edge (5/5 vs 2/5). Contentful has Global CDN-backed API delivers content at edge speed. Joomla Performance degrades with many extensions installed.

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