(Article) Why can't we be friends? Joomla versus Drupal

Why can't we be friends? Joomla versus Drupal

I've had more than a few conversations recently about which CMS is better. From the Joomla camp I hear, "Joomla is easier. Joomla has a great user interface." From its competitor I hear, "Drupal is more flexible and it has tagging." It's the Pepsi versus Coke debate for open source CMSes. Okay, that's overstating a bit, but you get the idea. There are sizable camps backing each CMS. I've come in true Canadian style to mediate this debate. So, Drupalers put down your bats. Joomla programmers slip your brass knuckles back into your pockets. I've come to acknowlege the boons and busts of each of your CMSes.

Joomla

::Thumbs up::

• Easy deployment
• More intuitive administration user interface
• Editing content is simple
• Lots of polished modules for things like calendars, polls, etc.
• Easy addition of modules
• Versioning is available
• Large community of developers (more than Drupal) for helping with setup and development
• Multi-lingual

::Thumbs down::

• 1 installation of the software gives you 1 website
• Categories can only go two levels deep
• Limited roles and permission allowances
• Modules cost you money
• URLs are not search engine friendly (there is a purchaseable module)
• Out-of-the-box blogging functionality is mediocre

Overall, I find that Joomla is an excellent CMS for basic to complex websites. The blogging feature is not highly developed, nor is the capacity to multi-purpose your content in different areas of the site due to the rigid filing structure it requires. It has a large user base where the websites seem to be more personal, small business, and non-community-building sites. This last point isn't a cut against Joomla, but only serves to show that it's mostly being used as a CMS and not for building a participative website.

The modules were well designed and integrated nicely with the system. My only problem came when I wanted to update a module. The upgrade made my application fail and all attempts to revert back to the previous module were stymied. It also bugged me that essential modules like the search engine friendly feature had to be purchased.

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Courtesy : http://www.communicopia.com