Migration from Joomla to WordPress clearly explained

You manage a Joomla website, but it’s getting too tedious for you over time? Then it might be worth switching to WordPress. In this article, we take a closer look at the benefits of switching. We’ll also provide you with helpful instructions on how to successfully migrate your website from Joomla to WordPress.

What is Joomla?

Joomla is an open content management system (CMS). It is equipped from the ground up with a bundle of functions that are also useful for companies. In principle, you can use Joomla to create and manage all kinds of websites, from portfolio sites, online magazines and community portals to company websites and online shops.

Joomla shows its strengths above all when it comes to larger and more complex projects. The system allows you to add multiple users and manage individual rights. It is also search engine optimised and enables multilingual content management.

Joomla is available to you free of charge. Additional costs may be incurred for paid extensions and plugins as well as for hosting your Joomla website.

What is WordPress?

WordPress is by far the most popular content management system. It is both SEO and user-friendly – meaning you can create a wide range of websites that perform well without any programming knowledge using the intuitive user interface.

The greatest strength of the free open source CMS is its flexibility. With the help of themes, plugins and page builders, you can customise your website as you wish and expand it at any time. Whether you are a freelancer presenting your portfolio, running an online shop as a company, inspiring your community with exciting blogs or want to set up a club website – WordPress has something for everyone, from beginners to professionals.

Why move from Joomla to WordPress?

Just a few years ago, Joomla was in second place behind WordPress in the ranking of the most popular content management systems – albeit with a huge gap. While WordPress continues to grow in popularity, Joomla has now slipped to fifth place with a market share of 2.7 per cent. Even when comparing WordPress vs Wix and WordPress vs Squarespace, WordPress remains unassailable with a market share of 63.5 per cent.

This fact alone could be reason enough to switch from Joomla to WordPress. After all, who wouldn’t want to be part of the leading CMS community? But there are other reasons that could speak in favour of moving from Joomla to WordPress:

WordPress offers more extensions

Joomla comes as standard with a range of functions that you can use to build a successful business website straight away. If you want to expand your website even further, it’s worth taking a look at the Joomla!Extensions Directory. There you will currently find around 6,000 free and paid extensions.

WordPress is still pretty “naked” after installation. But you can change that quickly. After all, there are over 60,000 free plugins available in the WordPress library alone. You can also let off steam with the design thanks to over 10,000 free WordPress themes. This gives you more choice and more options for customising your website with WordPress.

Thanks to the large community of active developers, the pool of WordPress extensions is also growing by the day. So if you have special ideas or requirements for your perfect website, you will most likely always find a solution with WordPress.

WordPress is easier to use

Because Joomla is packed with functions straight after installation, it is also more complex. The Joomla dashboard is not quite as clear in comparison, which is why it takes a while to find your way around. This can be a hurdle, especially for beginners.

WordPress, on the other hand, has a much leaner structure and is more intuitive to use. If you want to implement smaller web projects as quickly and easily as possible, you will probably make better progress with WordPress. At the same time, you always have the option of adding more complex structures and functions to your WordPress website.

WordPress is better suited for blogs

As a blogger, you will quickly reach your limits with Joomla, as the CMS only offers you a few functions for managing blogs. For example, there is not even a special page type for your blog posts.

WordPress, on the other hand, as the original blog system, is perfectly tailored to your requirements. The blog function is directly integrated so that you can also add a blog to your company websites or other types of websites at any time. There are also many suitable themes and plugins. You can find out what you should look out for when you start blogging with WordPress in our article Create a WordPress blog: 7 steps to your goal.

Fun fact: According to Statista, around 85.30 million blog posts were published via WordPress in January 2023.

Move from Joomla to WordPress in 6 steps

Are you ready to upgrade your content management system? Then you certainly can’t go wrong with a move from Joomla to WordPress. The migration isn’t done in a snap, but it’s definitely doable with the following six steps. And it’s worth it!

Step 1: Create Joomla backup

As a first step, we recommend that you back up your Joomla website and create a backup. This will keep you on the safe side in case something goes wrong during the data migration from Joomla to WordPress. You can install and run a corresponding backup extension for Joomla.

It is best to also take screenshots of your website and document all plugins, modules and other functions used. It is also advisable to download all your images and texts manually and save them separately. Better safe than sorry.

Step 2: Set up hosting & domain

For a successful WordPress website, you need the right hosting partner. You have a free choice, as almost all web hosts also offer WordPress hosting. Ideally, however, you should look for one that specialises in WordPress in order to benefit from tailored services and support.

With managed WordPress hosting from Raidboxes, you get the all-round package: we help you to comprehensively manage and optimise your WordPress websites with our wide range of features. So you can take care of your business in peace.

We also make it possible for you to take your old Joomla domain with you. Or you can simply register a new one through us. However, leave your Joomla website live for the import and only change the domain once the new WordPress website is up and running.

Step 3: Install WordPress

To set up a WordPress website, you first need to install WordPress. You can do this by downloading the CMS from WordPress.org and then manually uploading it to the server.

However, there is usually a simpler solution: with many web hosts, WordPress is installed automatically as soon as you create a new website. This is then done with just one click.

Step 4: Start Joomla Importer

To transfer the data of your Joomla website to WordPress, it is best to use a migration plugin, in this case FG Joomla to WordPress is recommended. The importer guides you through all the steps of the migration. This is how you start it:

1. Install the migration plugin FG Joomla to WordPress via your WordPress dashboard.
2. Then select the Joomla (FG) option via Extras → Import . This is how you run the importer.
3. All content on your WordPress website will then be displayed. Even if you have newly installed WordPress, the system contains some content by default. If you want to keep the content (e.g. because you want to migrate your Joomla content to an existing WordPress website), first make a backup of it before you continue. Otherwise, we recommend starting with an empty website. To do this, go to Empty WordPress content.

Step 5: Import data from Joomla to WordPress

Your WordPress website is ready. Now you need the correct data from Joomla.

Log in to Joomla (via a new window/tab):

1. In the menu, go to System → Global configuration → Server.
2. Select the appropriate server.
3. Get the following information via the database settings: Host, database user name, database password, database name, prefix for the database tables. Make a note of the data or simply leave the window open to copy it later.

Then go back to WordPress:

1. In the Joomla Importer, scroll to the Joomla Website Parameters section.
2. Enter the URL of your Joomla website in the URL of the live Joomla website field.
3. Select data transfer via HTTP.
4. Click on Test media connection.
5. If the test does not show any problems, enter all the information you have previously retrieved from the Joomla database settings (preferably simply by copying and pasting).
6. Then click on Test database connection.
7. If everything fits, you can import the content.
8. In the Behaviour section, you can adjust the import settings as you wish. For example, you can specify which content should be transferred and which should not.
9. Click on Start/continue import and wait until the process is complete. Your WordPress website is now filled with your Joomla content.

Step 6: Update WordPress website

Now the real work begins. After all, the migration plugin only transfers your Joomla content, but not the design and structure. This means that you first have to customise your new WordPress website accordingly.

This step takes some time and can be quite tedious as you have to check and update all pages, posts, features and content.

Pay particular attention to the following points:

• Check the internal links. You can use the migration plugin to check your WordPress website for incorrect internal links directly after importing the Joomla content.
• Customise the permalinks . This is important for the search engine and so that visitors can find their way around your website easily.
• Choose a new WordPress theme. You’re spoilt for choice when it comes to picking the right one from the best WordPress themes.
• Research suitable plugins. To replicate the design and functions of your Joomla website on WordPress, you need the right extensions.

In this step, you can use your screenshots and the documentation of all your old Joomla functions as a guide. But don’t let this limit you: use the many possibilities offered by WordPress to give your website a new look. After all, that’s why you moved.

If you are happy with your new WordPress website, you can now say goodbye to your old Joomla website.

Frequently asked questions about switching from Joomla to WordPress

Which is better, Joomla or WordPress?

That depends on what you want to use the content management system for. Joomla offers you powerful basic functions for building more complex websites. WordPress, on the other hand, is easier to use. This allows you to quickly realise smaller projects in particular. But larger websites can also be set up thanks to the numerous plugins and options for developers.

Who is Joomla suitable for?

Joomla is particularly interesting for those who want to build websites with a nested structure or develop more complex web applications. Community portals can also be easily realised with Joomla.

When is it worth moving from Joomla to WordPress?

Switching to the most popular content management system WordPress is worthwhile if you want a more streamlined user interface. On the other hand, WordPress gives you access to a huge pool of extensions and a strong support community. You therefore benefit from almost endless possibilities.