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CMS comparison Joomla vs Liferay DXP

Joomla vs Liferay DXP

Joomla is an open-source traditional CMS that you host yourself. Liferay DXP is a closed-source enterprise DXP that you can host yourself or run on the vendor's cloud. The table below sets them side by side on 28 features. They get a different status on 16.

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  • Joomla Traditional · Open source · 12 of 28 built in
  • Liferay DXP Enterprise DXP · Closed source · 26 of 28 built in

Sources checked: Joomla on 29 Sept 2026, Liferay DXP on 29 Sept 2026. Plans and releases can change after those dates.

WAYF is an official Payload partner and top contributor. Every platform in the table is classified by the same published definitions, and each answer lists the vendor page it came from.

Feature comparison

Built inPaid tierPlugin or add-onLimitedNot available
Joomla vs Liferay DXP feature comparison. Columns are the two platforms. Rows are features, grouped by area.
Platform
Joomla Traditional
Liferay DXP Enterprise DXP
Overview
What it is Open-source PHP CMS built around articles, custom fields, core multilingual support and group-based access control. Self-hosted.Java platform for websites, portals and commerce, with a new object-based CMS. Self-hosted or run by Liferay as PaaS or SaaS.
Edition compared The product and release each column describes. Joomla 6.1, open source. Joomla 5.4 is still maintained. Version 6.1.3, released 18 Aug 2026 Liferay DXP 2026.Q3, Enterprise Subscription. The Free Tier replaced Liferay Portal CE from 2026.Q1. Version 2026.q3.5, released 25 Sept 2026
Vendor Open Source Matters, Inc. (Joomla project) joomla.org Liferay, Inc. liferay.com
Licence Open source GPL-2.0-or-later Closed source Proprietary, under the Liferay EULA. Free Tier activation key at no cost
Hosting Self-hosting No vendor cloud The project's launch.joomla.org offers free hosted sites through a hosting partner. Self-hosting Vendor cloud Free Tier suits smaller-scale use and gets no security patches, SAML or AI Hub.
Built with PHPJava, OSGi, React
Database MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQLMySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, Oracle, SQL Server, IBM Db2
Pricing Public list prices only. Hosting and implementation are extra everywhere. Free to start Free and open source. Hosting and commercial extensions cost extra. Free to start Free Tier at no cost for smaller-scale use. Enterprise Subscription per server instance, price on request.
Content modelling
Content model in code You define content types in files in your repository, review them like any other code and apply them from there. Imperative migration scripts alone count as limited. Not available Fields live in the database. A new content type means writing a component. Built in Definitions export to JSON and deploy from the repo as batch client extensions. 7
Content model in the UI Admins can create and change content types and fields in the admin interface without writing code. Limited Custom fields on articles, contacts, users and categories. No new content types. 5 Built in Objects and web content structures. 6
Reusable blocks Editors compose pages from reusable, typed components or blocks, and can reorder them. Limited Modules placed in template positions. No page-level block editor in core. 4 Built in Fragments on content pages. 11
Localization Editors translate content per locale inside the CMS, by field or by entry, without a separate site for each language. Built in Per-item language with multilingual associations. 7 Built in
Image transformations The CMS resizes, crops or converts images on request, through URL parameters or generated sizes, with no external service. Limited Manual crop and resize in Media. No generated sizes or URL transforms. 9 Built in Adaptive Media generates set image resolutions. 8
APIs and delivery
REST API A documented REST or JSON HTTP API returns content. Built in Web Services API with token authentication. 10 Built in Headless REST APIs. 9
GraphQL API The vendor or an official module provides a GraphQL API for content. Not available Built in 9
Webhooks The CMS can call an external URL when content is created, changed or published. Not available None in core. Only small third-party extensions. 19 Built in Object actions call a webhook on add, update or delete. 10
Renders the website The CMS itself renders and serves the public pages through themes or templates. Headless-only products answer no. Built in Template system, with Cassiopeia as the default. Built in
Editorial workflow
Drafts Editors save changes as a draft and publish them later. The live version stays untouched until then. Limited Unpublished items only. Saving a published article updates it live. 8 Built in
Scheduled publishing An editor can set a future date and time for content to publish or unpublish. Built in Start and finish publishing dates. 8 Built in Display and expiration dates.
Version history The CMS keeps earlier versions of an entry, and editors can compare or restore them. Built in Compare and restore. Includes custom field values since 6.0. 34 Built in
Preview Editors can see unpublished content rendered as it will appear on the site before publishing. Limited Backend Preview shows the last saved version of an article. 8 Built in
Visual editing Editors can click on the rendered page and edit content in place or in a side panel next to it. Limited Front-end editing opens the article or module form on the site. 4 Built in Inline editing in the content page editor. 11
Approval workflows Content moves through review stages you configure, such as draft, review and approved, with permissions per stage. Built in Workflows component, off by default. Visual workflow editor since 6.1. 112 Built in Kaleo workflow, also included in the Free Tier. 3
Content releases Editors group changes across several entries and publish them together as one release. Not available Built in Publications group changes and publish them together. 12
Real-time co-editing Two or more editors can work on the same entry at once and see each other's changes live. Not available Joomla checks out and locks an item while someone edits it. Not available A page locks while one editor has it open. 13
Access and governance
Custom roles Admins define their own roles with granular permissions instead of picking from a fixed set. Built in User groups, access levels and ACL. 4 Built in
Field-level permissions Admins can restrict access to single fields, on top of content types and entries. Built in Per-field Edit Custom Field Value permission. 6 Not available Permissions apply per object, entry or asset. 14
Single sign-on Editors can sign in through SAML or OpenID Connect against a company identity provider. Plugin or add-on SAML or OIDC extensions from the JED. Core authenticates against LDAP only. 1314 Built in SAML and OpenID Connect. The Free Tier lacks SAML. 315
Audit log The CMS logs who changed what and when across the whole installation, and admins can review the log. Built in User Actions Log. 12 Built in Audit framework with search and export of events. 16
Platform and extensibility
Multiple sites One installation or account can manage several separate websites or brands with shared users. Not available One site per install. Third-party multisite extensions only. 15 Built in
Extensible admin UI Developers can add their own components, views or fields to the editing interface. Built in Components, modules, plugins and custom field types. Built in Client extensions. 7
Plugin marketplace The vendor runs an official directory or marketplace of installable extensions. Built in Joomla Extensions Directory, the JED. 14 Built in Liferay Marketplace. 17
Form builder Editors can build and publish forms and collect submissions without code. Limited Contact forms accept custom fields. Core emails submissions and does not store them. 20 Built in Liferay Forms.
Site member accounts The platform handles sign-up and login for public site users or members, separate from editors. Built in Front-end registration and login. 4 Built in
AI writing assistant A first-party AI feature in the editing interface generates, rewrites or translates content. Not available No first-party AI. Third-party extensions such as 4AI. 18 Built in AI Hub writing tools in the new CMS. Not in the Free Tier. 418
Official MCP server The vendor publishes a Model Context Protocol server so AI agents can read or write content. Not available Third-party only, e.g. Onepoint's MCP Server for Joomla. 16 Built in Built-in MCP server released in 2026.Q3, switched on by feature flag. 19

Joomla sources

Checked 29 Sept 2026. Joomla 6.1, open source. Joomla 5.4 is still maintained..

  1. Joomla Downloads: latest release
  2. Joomla 6.1 is here
  3. What's new in Joomla 6.0?
  4. Joomla Core Features
  5. Fields (user manual)
  6. Help5.x: Fields: Edit (permissions)
  7. Multilingual Associations
  8. Article: Preview
  9. Media: Image Crop Resize Rotate
  10. Web Services (programmers documentation)
  11. Workflows (user manual)
  12. User Actions Log
  13. LDAP authentication
  14. Joomla Extensions Directory
  15. JED: Multiple Sites category
  16. MCP Server for Joomla (JED)
  17. Free Hosting (user manual)
  18. 4AI (JED)
  19. Content Sharing - Webhooks (JED)
  20. Adding Custom Fields to the Joomla Contact Form

Liferay DXP sources

Checked 29 Sept 2026. Liferay DXP 2026.Q3, Enterprise Subscription. The Free Tier replaced Liferay Portal CE from 2026.Q1..

  1. Liferay DXP 2026.q3.5 release files
  2. Now available: Liferay DXP Quarterly Release 2026.Q3
  3. Liferay DXP Free Tier (Liferay Learn)
  4. Liferay DXP Free Tier: what it is, how to get it, and when to upgrade
  5. CE is sunsetted. What's your next move?
  6. Liferay Learn: Content Management System
  7. Liferay Learn: Client Extensions
  8. Liferay Learn: Using Adaptive Media
  9. Liferay Learn: Consuming GraphQL APIs
  10. Liferay Learn: Object actions
  11. Liferay Learn: Using Content Pages
  12. Liferay Learn: Publications
  13. Liferay Learn: Configuring Locked Pages
  14. Liferay Learn: Objects permissions framework integration
  15. Liferay Learn: Using OpenID Connect
  16. Liferay Learn: Audit Framework
  17. Liferay Marketplace
  18. Liferay AI Hub
  19. Liferay Learn: Using Liferay as an MCP Server
  20. Liferay Learn: Cloud

Considering more platforms? Compare Joomla and Liferay DXP with the rest of your shortlist in the CMS comparison tool.

Where they differ

Joomla and Liferay DXP get a different status on 16 of the 28 features and the same status on 12. Joomla has 12 built in on its baseline edition, Liferay DXP has 26. Two matching statuses can still name different paid tiers or limits, so read the notes in the table before treating a row as equal.

Licence
Joomla is open source (GPL-2.0-or-later). Liferay DXP is closed source (Proprietary, under the Liferay EULA. Free Tier activation key at no cost).
Vendor cloud
Joomla has no vendor-run cloud. Liferay DXP has a vendor-run cloud.

Built in on Joomla, a different answer on Liferay DXP 1

  • Field-level permissions Joomla: Built in. Liferay DXP: Not available.

Built in on Liferay DXP, a different answer on Joomla 15

  • Content model in code Joomla: Not available. Liferay DXP: Built in.
  • Content model in the UI Joomla: Limited. Liferay DXP: Built in.
  • Reusable blocks Joomla: Limited. Liferay DXP: Built in.
  • Image transformations Joomla: Limited. Liferay DXP: Built in.
  • GraphQL API Joomla: Not available. Liferay DXP: Built in.
  • Webhooks Joomla: Not available. Liferay DXP: Built in.
  • Drafts Joomla: Limited. Liferay DXP: Built in.
  • Preview Joomla: Limited. Liferay DXP: Built in.
  • Visual editing Joomla: Limited. Liferay DXP: Built in.
  • Content releases Joomla: Not available. Liferay DXP: Built in.
  • Single sign-on Joomla: Plugin or add-on. Liferay DXP: Built in.
  • Multiple sites Joomla: Not available. Liferay DXP: Built in.
  • Form builder Joomla: Limited. Liferay DXP: Built in.
  • AI writing assistant Joomla: Not available. Liferay DXP: Built in.
  • Official MCP server Joomla: Not available. Liferay DXP: Built in.

More comparisons

Joomla against other platforms

Liferay DXP against other platforms

Open the CMS comparison tool to put up to six platforms in one table.

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