Joomla
CMS
WordPress
CMSJoomla vs WordPress
Side-by-side comparison of detection signals, AI scores, and features. Use our free tool to check which one powers any website.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | CMS | CMS |
| AI Score | 20/100 — Traditional | 20/100 — Traditional |
| Detection Signals | 7 patterns | 10 patterns |
| Script Detection | 2 patterns | 3 patterns |
| CDN Detection | — | 1 domains |
| Header Detection | 1 headers | 2 headers |
| Sites Detected | 46 scans | 2,975 scans |
| Best For | Blogs & content-heavy sitesTry Joomla → | Blogs & content-heavy sitesTry WordPress → |
| Official Website | Visit | Visit |
Example Websites
Joomla websites
Joomla
CMS
Joomla is a cms with an AI Score of 20/100 (Traditional). Our detection engine uses 7 signal patterns to identify Joomla-built sites.
WordPress
CMS
WordPress is a cms with an AI Score of 20/100 (Traditional). Our detection engine uses 10 signal patterns to identify WordPress-built sites.
Platform Overviews
Joomla
Joomla is a veteran open-source CMS that holds the second-largest market share among self-hosted CMS platforms after WordPress — powering millions of sites for small businesses, government agencies, and non-profits worldwide. Its flexible user access management (ACL) and multilingual support built into the core (no plugin required) make it popular for organizations with complex permission structures and international audiences. Joomla's extension directory has 8,000+ extensions for adding functionality. Joomla sites are identifiable through /media/jui/ paths for jQuery UI assets, com_content references in URL query strings (index.php?option=com_content), the Joomla generator meta tag containing the version number, and /administrator/ path for the backend. The Joomla JavaScript namespace and component-specific CSS classes (mod-articles-category, com_content) appear throughout the markup. Joomla is free and open-source.
WordPress
WordPress is the world's most popular Content Management System, powering over 43% of all websites on the internet — from personal blogs to enterprise news sites and e-commerce stores. As open-source software, WordPress is self-hosted and highly extensible through thousands of themes and plugins, including WooCommerce for e-commerce and Yoast for SEO. WordPress sites are unmistakably identifiable through their /wp-content/ and /wp-includes/ directory paths in HTML source, the WordPress generator meta tag, X-Powered-By: WordPress HTTP headers, and WordPress-specific REST API endpoints. The platform has no monthly SaaS fee — you pay for hosting — though WordPress.com offers managed hosting from $4/month. WordPress's architecture is completely different from AI builders: it's a server-rendered PHP CMS with a traditional database-driven approach.
Key Differences
- Both Joomla and WordPress are classified as CMS tools, making them the most direct competitors in this comparison.
- Joomla scores higher on AI involvement (20/100 vs 20/100 for WordPress), meaning it relies more heavily on AI for site generation and content creation.
- Our detection engine identifies Joomla using 7 fingerprint patterns and WordPress using 10 patterns — more signals generally means more reliable detection.
Which Should You Choose?
Choose Joomla if…
- You prefer a cms solution
- You want more manual control over the final output
- Joomla's detection fingerprint of 7 signals means your site is reliably identifiable
Choose WordPress if…
- You need a cms approach
- You prefer traditional building tools with predictable output
- WordPress's ecosystem and community better match your team's existing workflow
Our Pick — Based on 3,021+ detections
WordPress
Detected 65× more often than Joomla across our database of scanned sites.
Was this helpful?
Check Which Builder Powers a Site
Curious if a website uses Joomla or WordPress? Scan it now — free.
Joomla vs Drupal
Joomla vs Ghost
Joomla vs Notion Sites
Joomla vs HubSpot CMS
Joomla vs Webflow CMS
Joomla vs Contentful