Joomla vs Kirby
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted content management systems options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Joomla
Versatile CMS balancing power and ease of use
VS
Kirby
File-based CMS for designers and developers
| Feature | Joomla | Kirby |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 90 · Excellent | 84 · Excellent |
| Category | Content Management Systems | Content Management Systems |
| License | GPL-2.0 | Proprietary |
| Language | PHP | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 5,143 | ★ 1,531 |
| First released | 2005 | 2012 |
| Replaces | Wix, Squarespace | WordPress, Squarespace |
What are Joomla and Kirby?
Joomla
Joomla is a long-established open-source CMS that sits between WordPress and Drupal in complexity. It offers built-in multilingual support, flexible templating, and a wide range of extensions for building websites and portals.
- Built-in multilingual content
- Flexible access control levels
- Large extension directory
- Strong templating system
Kirby
Kirby is a flexible file-based content management system that stores content in plain text files and gives developers full control over markup. It is popular for portfolios and custom-designed websites.
- File-based content storage
- Flexible panel for editors
- No database required
- Developer-friendly templating
Joomla vs Kirby: key differences
Both projects are written in PHP. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for Joomla versus Proprietary for Kirby. Kirby is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Joomla. Joomla is the more established project (first released 2005), while Kirby arrived in 2012. Joomla has the considerably larger community, at 5,143 GitHub stars versus 1,531.
Why pick each one
Choose Joomla if…
- Good middle ground in flexibility
- Multilingual without extra plugins
Watch out for
- Smaller community than WordPress
- Extension quality varies
Choose Kirby if…
- Easy backups and version control
- Highly customizable
Watch out for
- Commercial license required for production
- Free only for personal use
Frequently asked questions
Is Joomla or Kirby 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 Joomla and Kirby free and open-source?
Yes. Joomla is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Kirby under Proprietary. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Joomla and Kirby with Docker?
Joomla: yes. Kirby: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Joomla or Kirby?
Kirby has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Joomla. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.