Best Joomla Alternatives in 2026
The top Joomla alternatives are Drupal, Webflow CMS and HubSpot Content Hub: 15 content management systems our editors would look at instead of Joomla, in our ranking order.
Joomla: A capable, free CMS for multilingual publishing, workflows, permissions, and structured content. Where it falls short: you manage hosting for a self-hosted installation.
Switching from Joomla? For most content management systems buyers the best Joomla alternative is Drupal, built for complex structured and editorial content. On a budget, Webflow CMS starts at $15/site/mo.
Why People Look for a Joomla Alternative
- You manage hosting for a self-hosted installation
- Hosting and third-party extensions may add separate costs
- Fewer verified integrations than category leaders
Quick Picks by What You Need
- Best overallDrupal9.4
Complex structured and editorial content
Visit Drupal - Lowest priceWebflow CMS9.3
Paid plans from $15/site/mo
Visit Webflow CMS - Best free optionDrupal9.4
Has a free plan
Visit Drupal
All 15 Joomla Alternatives, Ranked
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.
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Best forComplex structured and editorial content
- Better than Joomla:
- Editor score 9.4 vs 8.6
A mature CMS for complex content, editorial control, and custom digital architectures.
- Custom user roles
- Custom content types
- Editorial workflows
9.4/10★★★★★Visit Drupal -
Best forHosted visual sites with integrations
- Better than Joomla:
- Editor score 9.3 vs 8.6
A hosted visual CMS for structured content, dynamic pages, and integrated publishing workflows.
- Custom user roles
- Custom content types
- Editorial workflows
9.3/10★★★★★Visit Webflow -
Best forMarketing teams combining CMS and personalization
- Better than Joomla:
- Editor score 9.2 vs 8.6
A hosted CMS for teams that want personalization, localization, and marketing workflows together.
- Custom user roles
- Custom content types
- Editorial workflows
9.2/10★★★★★Visit HubSpot -
Best forMarketing-led digital experience programs
- Better than Joomla:
- Editor score 8.8 vs 8.6
A broad digital experience suite for marketing-led teams that need content and journey tools together.
8.8/10★★★★☆Visit Xperience -
Best forEnterprises needing personalization and experimentation
- Better than Joomla:
- Editor score 8.7 vs 8.6
A broad enterprise CMS for personalization, experimentation and multi-channel delivery.
8.7/10★★★★☆Visit Sitefinity -
Best forLong-lived multilingual enterprise websites
A free, self-hosted CMS for multilingual sites with structured governance and extensibility.
- Custom user roles
- Custom content types
- Editorial workflows
8.5/10★★★★☆Visit TYPO3 -
Best forTeams needing managed commercial CMS options
A flexible CMS with a free core and managed cloud plans for growing teams.
- Custom user roles
- Custom content types
- Editorial workflows
8.4/10★★★★☆Visit Umbraco -
Best forGoverned enterprise publishing and intranets
A mature, free CMS for structured, multilingual, permission-controlled publishing.
- Custom user roles
- Custom content types
- Editorial workflows
8.3/10★★★★☆Visit Plone -
Best forSEO-focused multilingual business websites
A free, self-hosted CMS with strong multilingual, workflow, and SEO controls.
- Custom user roles
- Custom content types
- Editorial workflows
8.2/10★★★★☆Visit Contao -
Best forEnterprise digital experience management
A broad enterprise DXP with strong experience features, but a high starting price.
8.0/10★★★★☆Visit Magnolia -
Best forModern headless marketing teams
A flexible headless CMS for teams combining visual editing with developer APIs.
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit Prismic -
Best forLarge enterprises governing content across many markets
A CMS for enterprises that need reusable, multilingual content across sites and channels.
7.8/10★★★★☆Visit RWS Tridion -
Best forOrganizations on Optimizely's content platform
A hybrid CMS with visual authoring, structured content and headless or server-side delivery.
7.7/10★★★★☆Visit Optimizely -
Best forPublishers monetizing newsletters and memberships
A focused CMS for newsletters, memberships, gated posts, and paid subscriptions.
7.6/10★★★★☆Visit Ghost -
Best forLarge organizations needing governed multisite publishing
A governed hybrid CMS for large teams managing multilingual, multisite publishing.
- Custom user roles
- Editorial workflows
- Multilingual content
7.5/10★★★★☆Visit Squiz
Joomla Alternatives: Common Questions
What is the best alternative to Joomla?
Drupal: #1 in our Content Management Systems ranking, with an editor score of 9.4 out of 10. A mature CMS for complex content, editorial control, and custom digital architectures.
Is there a free alternative to Joomla?
Yes. Drupal, Webflow CMS, HubSpot Content Hub, TYPO3 CMS and Umbraco CMS have a free plan or a free tier (9 of the 15 alternatives on this page).
What is the cheapest paid alternative to Joomla?
Of the alternatives here that publish a price, Webflow CMS starts lowest, at $15/site/mo.
Why do people look for Joomla alternatives?
You manage hosting for a self-hosted installation; Hosting and third-party extensions may add separate costs; Fewer verified integrations than category leaders.
How do I switch from Joomla?
Export your data from Joomla (most tools have an export in their settings). Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one. Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on. Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel Joomla.
How to Switch from Joomla
- Export your data from Joomla (most tools have an export in their settings).
- Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one.
- Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on.
- Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel Joomla.
Joomla vs Each Alternative
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | Platform type | Editorial workflows | Custom user roles | Multilingual content | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Joomla | Yes | Free | Hybrid | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.6 |
| 1 | Drupal | Yes | Free | Hybrid | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9.4 |
| 2 | Webflow CMS | Yes | $15/site/mo | Hosted | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9.3 |
| 3 | HubSpot Content Hub | Yes | Hosted | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9.2 | |
| 4 | Xperience by Kentico | 8.8 | ||||||
| 5 | Progress Sitefinity | No | 8.7 | |||||
| 6 | TYPO3 CMS | Yes | Free | Self_hosted | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.5 |
| 7 | Umbraco CMS | Yes | €45/mo | Hybrid | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.4 |
| 8 | Plone | Yes | Free | Hybrid | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.3 |
| 9 | Contao | Yes | Free | Self_hosted | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.2 |
| 10 | Magnolia DXP | Yes | 8.0 | |||||
| 11 | Prismic | Yes | $10/unit/mo | 7.9 | ||||
| 12 | RWS Tridion Sites | 7.8 | ||||||
| 13 | Optimizely CMS | No | 7.7 | |||||
| 14 | Ghost | No | $18/mo | 7.6 | ||||
| 15 | Squiz Matrix | Hybrid | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7.5 |
Head-to-Head
- Joomla vs Drupal
- Joomla vs Webflow CMS
- Joomla vs HubSpot Content Hub
- Joomla vs Xperience by Kentico
- Joomla vs Progress Sitefinity
- Joomla vs TYPO3 CMS
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update