Craft CMS vs Joomla
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted content management systems options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Craft CMS
Flexible CMS for custom-designed websites
VS
Joomla
Versatile CMS balancing power and ease of use
| Feature | Craft CMS | Joomla |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Content Management Systems | Content Management Systems |
| License | MIT | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | PHP | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,600 | ★ 5,122 |
| First released | 2013 | 2005 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Sitecore | Wix, Squarespace |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Craft CMS or Joomla better?
Neither is universally better. Joomla has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Craft CMS and Joomla free and open-source?
Yes. Craft CMS is licensed under MIT and Joomla under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Craft CMS and Joomla with Docker?
Craft CMS: yes. Joomla: yes.