Joomla is well famous CMS that challenges to WordPress. Are you thinking about creating a blog or a website? Then Joomla becomes the best option to choose you and It is an open-source platform. But all hosting providers do not ideal to Joomla.
The greatest Joomla hosts provide easy and automatic Joomla installation. But servers are optimized for Joomla deployment. However, it also provides applicable bandwidth and disk space allowances. But hosting providers have Joomla specialists as their support staff.
There are 5 top hosts for Joomla that we recognized. But all are explained in detail.
- SiteGround– This is an official demo host and it is free for 30 days. Joomla- specific plans.
- Bluehost
- A2 Hosting
- InMotion Hosting
- HostPapa
What is Joomla
In simple it is very easy to use and it is totally free. And also it is customizable. It provides a multitude of site-building options as well as is given by most hosting plans.
Joomla as a famous CMS
So you know WordPress is the only one that prefers content management systems (CMS) and it is quite famous and also user-friendly. But it has some limits.
So, in that case, we need to introduce Joomla. However, it is powerful. But it is easy to use and open source in CMS. Joomla allows for extensive customization in its advanced options. So that is why it is well known among Web publishers, businesses, and developers.
How to Manage E-Commerce Sites with Joomla
Joomla can manage your e-commerce site. By using Joomla you can make a catalog of the products that you sell and Joomla can do many things. Those are like, it can do a custom reservation system for your restaurant.
Joomla is a convenient CMS that best for most website publishers and the range that Joomla can cover is quite wide. It can manage from personal websites and blogs to corporate sites.
However, CMS is just not for only internet-accessible websites. That can build company intranets to help employees and to stay connected with companies.
Top hosts that Support for Joomla
The main target is of using Joomla is that can build your site and it can find a host that supports you. But this is not difficult. So most hosts offer Joomla as a major hosting plan with their other plans. So that the installation is quite different than the installation of WordPress.
Joomla is also available as a script and it easily installs to your site by just one click. The best offer is it can get as a free package and Joomla is famous as the best free hosting for customers among so many web hosting.
An Ideal CMS for Developers
Joomla is used as a basis for web applications and it acts as a web application framework as part of the content management system (CMS). Both are can be used together or separately.
For the development of portals, blogs, and corporate websites the Joomla is the best. But it can also be used as an e-commerce platform which is meant by an application bridge or a powerful web application. However, developers can more extend their default features and code custom parts used in PHP and MySQL.
The History Behind Joomla
Joomla first launched in 2005 and it was appeared as a fork from the now-defunct Mambo CMS, with 1.5 being released in January 2008 and version 3 appearing in September 2012. However, new releases are updates each and every six months.
A Globally Popular Open-Source Software Applications
The software is an open-source product and It distributes freely under the General Public License (GNU). However, It depends on a network developer who can continue to innovate a live life to the software like other open-source tools. Up to now the downloaded amount of software is more than 50 million times.
So there are many benefits for business and its end users because of having an open-source software application.
Security | Freedom | Quality | Auditability | Support | |
BusinessBenefits | Issues and flaws in security and diagnosed an dealt with quickly | No strict corporate or vendor guidelines to follow | The more developers, the more errors spotted | Better collective teamwork amongst the development team | Ability to interact with users directly |
UserBenefits | Potential security matters and are dealt with faster than the average | User visions can be catered for and advice can be taken on-board | Fewer issues in terms of features and usability | Thousands of developers to trust and rely on | Instant support from IT professional rather than agents |
OverallIndustryQuality | Competent | Higher | High | Higher | Above Average |
Joomla vs WordPress-Not Better, but Different
Most users get Joomla and WordPress for their websites but its usage is quite different. Because of the Joomla is built on a normal traditional model, view, controller (MVC) architecture.
This helps and gives support to interactive controls and also for interfaces that users see. Joomla is extended using extensions. More details are mentioned below in the following topics.
However, Joomla can also install it by using Softaculous.
Five Types of Joomla Extensions
In the present 8000 extensions are available in the official Joomla Extension Directory (JED) and it includes a combination of free and commercial extensions.
But many developers host extensions are everywhere. So to reach the actual number is quite far away. However, all extensions are not compatible with every version of Joomla and there are five categories according to their five various purposes.
- Components
- Modules
- Plugins
- Templates
- Languages
Components
These are the packages of functions and those responsible for creating huge areas on the web page.
Therefore those are larger than the other extensions and just look at those at the site architecture tools.
Modules
Joomla extensions in the form of themes, plugins, components, modules, and templates are extremely simple to install.
Modules are recognized as a collection of simple extensions. Those used for rendering page content. Normally modules are as boxes are in the content.
Plugins
Joomla plug-ins are totally different compared to WordPress and Joomla plug-ins serve as an executor for events. As an example triggered events but those can execute events in sequence.
Templates
Templates are referred to as the extensions that can control the site looks. However, this is the same thing that happens in WordPress and other systems. So for Joomla 3 and the above versions, those templates are responsive. The usage of templates is that makes site design easier for their novices.
Languages
Joomla controls the extensions based on languages. Those are translations, general site languages, and information of various fonts. Language extensions are necessary for multilanguage and international sites.
How you Deploy Joomla
Joomla is specially designed to use with Linux, Apache, PHP, and MySQL in other words LAMP.
Recommended Specifications and Server
A quick overview of the Joomla Control Panel in the demo
So Linux becomes the perfect option even the installation prefer with Windows servers.
Recommended specs for 3x are mentioned here:
- PHP 5.4+ recommended / 5.3.10 required
- MySQL 5.1+
- Apache 2.x or IIS 7
Many web hosters keep advertising their PHP version and if you do not see that contact pre-sales advisors then ask about Joomla’s facility before you sign up.
How to Start Joomla in Different Ways
The highlighted two ways are quick trials and hosted a trial account for free.
Joomla Quick Trial
So keep in remember for online Test Drive for an instant peek. However, this is an anonymous demo and it does not retain any of your information. (That will expire after 90 minutes)
It provides the control panel access and there is a countdown in the footer. So you see how much time rests before its reset by yourself.
Joomla Hosted Trial
The Joomla hosting version is totally free for 90 days. By means of that, you will get a good opportunity to adjust for tools and then you can compare with other options. However, you will have more functionality than Test Drive.
The advantage is you can sign up for SiteGround hosting at the end of the trial since the reason for retaining your data. So try to start with the official demo on the Joomla website and the video content helps you to give a good guide.
After you up and run, then check Joomla forums to get good help and support.
Joomla via a Web Hosting Account
However, most of the shared hosting and VPS hosting plans come across a cPanel. But few hosts advertise Joomla. However, Joomla can install for any hosting service.
Major facts that Joomla to be special
- Open-Source Infrastructure
- Simple and Easy Installation
- Cross-platform support
- Dedicated Community
- Powerful Extensions
- Scalability
Open-Source Infrastructure
PHP is the programming language that is used to build Joomla and it is very helpful. Because when traction of the Open-source community, you will get a variety of developers contributing regularly.
Simple snd Easy Installation
In the first look, Joomla appears as a confusing site but it is very simple. And also, easy to install. So with the help of software like Softaculous you can easily install it by just one click like you do in WordPress.
Cross-platform support
As stated earlier, I suggest that Joomla be used on a Linux server and that apart it is compliant with the cross-platform, and rendering it aa versatile program.
Dedicated Community
Joomla users are being dedicated to the aid of an open-source community. They do help while marketing the CMS continuously and paying much interest.
Powerful Extensions
The five extensions of Joomla help to have a user-friendly support option. But Joomla has separate extension categories and those are not like WordPress. And those are specialized for specific departments.
Scalability
Using some technical knowledge Joomla can use to control large traffic volumes and each host can customize cPanel for their customers. However, there is always at least one script installer just like a Softaculous script installer.
Simple Installation via cPanel
So using these installers you can get a content management system like Joomla and by using that you can do all set up on the server for you.
3 Best Host with Joomla Support
So among all hosts, here I have selected the best 3 hosts for Joomla.
SiteGround
This is the formal demo host provider for Joomla but you can sign up for a demo account in the Joomla site. That will make a site on the SiteGround and that is totally free to you. And also it validates for 90 days.
So this means that Joomla has more confidence in their service upon the SiteGround.
However, you are free to download the Joomla using any plan of SiteGround and it takes only a few minutes. But they are the only ones that explain their plans clearly and display those with Joomla-specific plans
Custom Extensions
These plans help to make Joomla sites perform much better and it can easily manage. But to start it they give a free custom made extension. And that enables the SiteGround SuperCacher on some of the plans.
This can make speed more your site but each server contains Cloudflare CDN.
Updates and Support
They arrange auto-updates for Joomla but it helps to keep your site more secure. They give a backup before you update hence Siteground provides brilliant support in the documentation. And it consists of detailed tutorials about setting up and using the Joomla.
After all, some plans come under Joomla stagging tool and it gives permission to edit a copy of your site. Hence you can get everything exactly before the live version of your site.
InMotion Hosting
For U.S. business and non-profit foundations, you can have InMotion as a web hosting company and it is a great web host. After that, we can certify that they conduct 24/7/365 U.S. based support. It is quite good and you cannot ignore it. Because it does not affect your location.
Data centers and Freebies
InMotion offers two data centers and that is located in the cost of the U.S. That is the reason most customers are recorded in the U.S.
For small businesses, they provide a free domain and 100 dollars. As a free advertising credit and those are offered with each and every hosting plan.
Disk Space and Money-back Guarantee
All servers are in high quality and they offer SSD disk space. That is free and it is included in all plans. However, it is very helpful to recognize the speed improvements over other hosts.
So they offer a 90-day money-back guarantee to decide you that the plan is perfect for you or not.
Bluehost
If you look for a low price package and Bluehost becomes the best option for you. It is the best as a web hosting company but you can download Joomla on any of their packages. However, the prices are very low and you will get a free domain. But it gives only a 30-day money-back guarantee
Support Team
But their server performance is not specific and also their support for customers is not good. Their team performance is not perfect and also the documentation is bad when compared to the other two options. However, if you suppose to have quite a traffic then the above issues will not matter.
Resources
Bluehost provides unlimited disk space and bandwidth. However, this is given many hosting plans.
But if you face high traffic then you need a VPS or dedicated hosting plan.
A Few Things About Joomla
But you need to remember some key facts about Joomla when you deal with it.
- Support for PHP MySQL database
- SSD disk space and caching for speed
- Automated backups
Other features in CMS
- ExpressionEngine
- MemHT
- Plone
- MS DotNetNuke
- Drupal
- Tiki Wiki
- Umbraco
- Concrete5
Questions related to Joomla
What is Joomla?
Joomla is simply an open-source content management system and that is written in using the language of PHP. But it is totally free.
By “free”, the program is intended to be available at no cost and often without restriction. By open-source, it means the application’s source code is available for analysis and modification. Open-source applies to the creative process too. The program is created by a free developer group and not by a private company.
What is a content management system
A content management system (CMS) is a web-based software application and that provides an easy way to create, edit, store, and display content. There is a graphical user interface for adding and editing content in most cases (as with Joomla), which may be websites, blog posts, photos, or some other type of content. There is a directory that contains information, and models to present material to visitors to the website.
Is Joomla famous?
Of course. Joomla runs over 30 million websites and is behind WordPress But it is the second most popular content management system on the web.
Is Joomla well supported?
Yes, Full documentation, a community forum, a newsletter, meetings, seminars, mailing lists, video tutorials, and blogs are available. There is a range of commercial firms and provided by Joomla. But that is charged and has premium support. However, there is consultancy too.
What kind of websites can I build with Joomla?
To Joomla, almost any content – focused website would be a good fit. But most experts say Joomla is particularly good as the base for an e-commerce or social networking site.
How can a CMS be used for e-commerce?
Products reflect a type of material.
Is there any kind of website that wouldn’t be considered”content” based?
Yes, of course, Below are some examples: web-based media processing tools, such as video and audio, command-and-control software running physical devices, and heavy-duty data analysis.
I’m a commencer. Was Joomla to be me a reasonable choice?
Perhaps. But there could be other forms easier. Joomla can be mastered easily enough but it is more common with developers than with novice users. You could find it easier to get advice and tips about your particular issues and if you use a website like WordPress, which has a greater base of novice users.
I’d like to start a blog. Should I use Joomla
If the only thing you intend on doing is running a blog, Joomla may be overkilling. Another CMS like WordPress, which is more focused on blogging and it may be a better option. You can definitely run a blog on Joomla and if you want to run a blog as part of a bigger website then Joomla could be a better option. (such as an e-commerce site or a social networking platform)
Does Joomla have the features which I need?
Apparently. Joomla has an extension of over 8000 in additionally, a very robust hook and filter framework are in place. But that makes adding functionality simple and creating new extensions as required.
Can I make a website like Joomla look the way I want it?
Yeah, Joomla offers more than a thousand free themes and all of which can be customized. But also, designing a new theme based on a custom design is fairly simple. For an experienced developer, there are a large number of talented developers and hence you can employ to do this for you (and plenty of tutorials if you want to learn how to do it yourself)
Is it difficult to set up a new Web site for Joomla?
Neither at all. Many web hosting companies provide Joomla from the control panel with a one-click installation through tools such as Fantastico or Softaculous. But the installation and configuration process is not complicated even without an installation wizard.
Would Joomla be working for my hosting account?
Apparently, Joomla includes both PHP and MySQL, and in other words, both are widely supported by web hosting firms. You can double-check, but if Joomla can not be sponsored by your hosting service, that is a red flag that you do not have quality hosting. Of course, the expectation is specialized and hosting devoted to some other particular software application.
What are Joomla’s key alternatives?
WordPress and Drupal are among the largest rivals. All are open source and are written in PHP.
Comparing Joomla to WordPress?
That depends on what you are trying to do and how well you know the structure too. WordPress is definitely the way to go if you just want to get a quick simple website up and running. When you are creating something with far more custom content forms with Joomla and that will also be achieved better.
How does compare Joomla to Drupal?
Again it depends on what you are trying to do. Joomla’s becoming more famous and Joomla is probably a good choice. However, you need a lot of custom content types. If you are trying to do something complex but relatively common then we can say you are trying something completely different. With a lot of custom features and logic, Drupal may be a great way to go.
How do I distinguish between WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal?
Any of the software on which one framework can be designed may be based on all of them and there is a specific reason in some cases. Because of using one platform or another. For example, you should use WordPress, and if you are just setting up a blog and nothing else.
Or If you need the features that are built-in to a particular Drupal distribution like CiviCRM your choice should be clear. When you are not a developer but you need like and trust. Then let them pick a platform based on their own level of comfort but the particular project needs.