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CMS comparison Joomla vs Optimizely CMS

Joomla vs Optimizely CMS

Joomla is an open-source traditional CMS that you host yourself. Optimizely CMS 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 17.

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  • Joomla Traditional · Open source · 12 of 28 built in
  • Optimizely CMS Enterprise DXP · Closed source · 22 of 28 built in

Sources checked: Joomla on 29 Sept 2026, Optimizely CMS 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 Optimizely CMS feature comparison. Columns are the two platforms. Rows are features, grouped by area.
Platform
Joomla Traditional
Optimizely CMS 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.Optimizely's .NET CMS for rendered and headless sites, hosted on Optimizely's DXP cloud or self-hosted, with Optimizely Graph for delivery.
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 Optimizely CMS 13 PaaS, the current flagship. CMS SaaS is a separate hosted variant. Version 13.1.3, released 9 Sept 2026
Vendor Open Source Matters, Inc. (Joomla project) joomla.org Optimizely optimizely.com
Licence Open source GPL-2.0-or-later Closed source Proprietary
Hosting Self-hosting No vendor cloud The project's launch.joomla.org offers free hosted sites through a hosting partner. Self-hosting Vendor cloud Self-hosted installs lose Opti ID features such as Opal and the DAM.
Built with PHP.NET 10, ASP.NET Core
Database MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQLSQL Server, Azure SQL on DXP
Pricing Public list prices only. Hosting and implementation are extra everywhere. Free to start Free and open source. Hosting and commercial extensions cost extra. No free option Pricing 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 Content types as C# classes. 3
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 Content types and properties in Settings. 4
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 Blocks in content areas and Visual Builder elements.
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 Language branches per content item. 5
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 DXP CDN resizes, crops and converts images by URL parameters. 6
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 Content Delivery API 13 and a management REST API. 12
GraphQL API The vendor or an official module provides a GraphQL API for content. Not available Built in Optimizely Graph, included in the CMS 13 licence. 28
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 Limited Graph webhooks fire on sync batches and expired content only. Per-item hooks need code. 72
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 ASP.NET Core MVC and Razor rendering, or headless. 2
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 9
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 9
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 Visual Builder. 2
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 Approval sequences. 10
Content releases Editors group changes across several entries and publish them together as one release. Not available Built in Projects publish or schedule grouped items together. 11
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 Comments and notifications only. 12
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 Access rights for roles and virtual roles. 13
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 Access rights apply per content item. Not documented per property. 13
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 Opti ID with an external identity provider, or OpenID Connect in code. 2
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 Change Log in Settings. 14
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 Several sites and hosts in one installation. 15
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 Shell modules, gadgets and custom editor widgets. 16
Plugin marketplace The vendor runs an official directory or marketplace of installable extensions. Built in Joomla Extensions Directory, the JED. 14 Built in Optimizely connectors directory and NuGet add-ons. 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 Plugin or add-on Optimizely Forms package. No extra licence. 18
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 Limited Visitor login uses ASP.NET Core authentication set up in code. 2
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 Plugin or add-on Opal, billed through Opal credits. Needs Opti ID on DXP. 219
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 MCP server in the Optimizely.Cms.Opal.Tools package. 20

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

Where they differ

Joomla and Optimizely CMS get a different status on 17 of the 28 features and the same status on 11. Joomla has 12 built in on its baseline edition, Optimizely CMS has 22. 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). Optimizely CMS is closed source (Proprietary).
Vendor cloud
Joomla has no vendor-run cloud. Optimizely CMS has a vendor-run cloud.
Free option
Joomla has a free option. Optimizely CMS has no free option.

Built in on Joomla, a different answer on Optimizely CMS 2

  • Field-level permissions Joomla: Built in. Optimizely CMS: Not available.
  • Site member accounts Joomla: Built in. Optimizely CMS: Limited.

Built in on Optimizely CMS, a different answer on Joomla 12

  • Content model in code Joomla: Not available. Optimizely CMS: Built in.
  • Content model in the UI Joomla: Limited. Optimizely CMS: Built in.
  • Reusable blocks Joomla: Limited. Optimizely CMS: Built in.
  • Image transformations Joomla: Limited. Optimizely CMS: Built in.
  • GraphQL API Joomla: Not available. Optimizely CMS: Built in.
  • Drafts Joomla: Limited. Optimizely CMS: Built in.
  • Preview Joomla: Limited. Optimizely CMS: Built in.
  • Visual editing Joomla: Limited. Optimizely CMS: Built in.
  • Content releases Joomla: Not available. Optimizely CMS: Built in.
  • Single sign-on Joomla: Plugin or add-on. Optimizely CMS: Built in.
  • Multiple sites Joomla: Not available. Optimizely CMS: Built in.
  • Official MCP server Joomla: Not available. Optimizely CMS: Built in.

Built in on neither, with different answers 3

  • Webhooks Joomla: Not available. Optimizely CMS: Limited.
  • Form builder Joomla: Limited. Optimizely CMS: Plugin or add-on.
  • AI writing assistant Joomla: Not available. Optimizely CMS: Plugin or add-on.

More comparisons

Full write-ups with worked examples and costs: Optimizely CMS vs Payload.

Joomla against other platforms

Optimizely CMS against other platforms

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

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