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CMS comparison Joomla vs Sitecore

Joomla vs Sitecore

Joomla is an open-source traditional CMS that you host yourself. Sitecore is a closed-source enterprise DXP that runs on the vendor's cloud. The table below sets them side by side on 28 features. They get a different status on 19.

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

Sources checked: Joomla on 29 Sept 2026, Sitecore 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 Sitecore feature comparison. Columns are the two platforms. Rows are features, grouped by area.
Platform
Joomla Traditional
Sitecore 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.Sitecore's SaaS digital experience platform, formerly XM Cloud. Sitecore hosts the CMS. Sites render in a separate front-end app.
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 SitecoreAI, formerly XM Cloud, Sitecore's current flagship SaaS platform SaaS, continuously updated
Vendor Open Source Matters, Inc. (Joomla project) joomla.org Sitecore sitecore.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. No self-hosting Vendor cloud SitecoreAI is SaaS only. Self-hosting needs Sitecore XP 10.5, a separate product.
Built with PHP.NET, Next.js Content SDK
Database MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQLManaged by Sitecore
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 Templates serialize to files in the repo with Sitecore Content Serialization. 2
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 Templates are items edited in the Content Editor.
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 Page builder with reusable components.
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 versions per item.
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 Experience Edge media CDN resizes images with query string parameters. 3
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 Items REST API since September 2026. Delivery through Experience Edge is GraphQL. 4
GraphQL API The vendor or an official module provides a GraphQL API for content. Not available Built in Experience Edge delivery API. 5
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 Authoring webhooks and Experience Edge publish webhooks. 65
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. Not available Headless. Sites render in a separate app, with built-in Vercel and Netlify integrations. 7
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 Saved changes stay unpublished until pushed to Experience Edge. 11
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 Limited Publishing restrictions set availability dates. A publish must still run on the date. 89
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 Numbered item versions.
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 Page builder.
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 Item workflows with states and commands. 6
Content releases Editors group changes across several entries and publish them together as one release. Not available Not available No release bundles. Publishing jobs cover items, subitems and related items. 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. Limited Page builder saves concurrent edits per field. Others get a reload prompt. No live updates. 10
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 Roles with item access rights. 12
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 Built in Field read and field write access rights. 12
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 or OIDC through the Sitecore Cloud Portal. 13
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 Limited Common Audit Log covers only the Cloud Portal and leaves out SitecoreAI content. Item actions show in CM logs. 1415
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 Site collections with shared content.
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 Marketplace apps add custom fields, panels and dashboard widgets. 17
Plugin marketplace The vendor runs an official directory or marketplace of installable extensions. Built in Joomla Extensions Directory, the JED. 14 Built in Sitecore Marketplace. 16
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 Built-in Forms with webhook submission handling. 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 Not available Developers have to build visitor login in the front-end app.
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 Content, variant and translation assistants. Brand kits need Stream Premium. 19
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 Sitecore Marketer MCP server. 20

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

Where they differ

Joomla and Sitecore get a different status on 19 of the 28 features and the same status on 9. Joomla has 12 built in on its baseline edition, Sitecore 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). Sitecore is closed source (Proprietary).
Self-hosting
Joomla can be self-hosted. Sitecore cannot be self-hosted.
Vendor cloud
Joomla has no vendor-run cloud. Sitecore has a vendor-run cloud.
Free option
Joomla has a free option. Sitecore has no free option.

Built in on Joomla, a different answer on Sitecore 4

  • Renders the website Joomla: Built in. Sitecore: Not available.
  • Scheduled publishing Joomla: Built in. Sitecore: Limited.
  • Audit log Joomla: Built in. Sitecore: Limited.
  • Site member accounts Joomla: Built in. Sitecore: Not available.

Built in on Sitecore, a different answer on Joomla 14

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

Built in on neither, with different answers 1

  • Real-time co-editing Joomla: Not available. Sitecore: Limited.

More comparisons

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

Joomla against other platforms

Sitecore against other platforms

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

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