This post isn’t a nostalgic love‑fest; it’s a pragmatic look at the evolution of Joomla, its strengths and its stumbles, written from the perspective of designers and developers who care about what’s good for our clients and for the web.
Origins: the fork that sparked a movement
Joomla was born out of a disagreement: on 17 August 2005 a group of nineteen Mambo core developers decided they’d had enough of corporate interference, forked the code and struck out on their own.
A fortnight later the community voted on a new name, and “Joomla!” – derived from the Swahili word jumla meaning “all together” – became the banner for an open‑source project built around the motto “because open source matters”. The first release, Joomla 1.0, landed in September 2005 and offered a stable, user‑friendly alternative to Mambo.
Those early days were exciting and chaotic. Without venture capital or a commercial owner, everything depended on volunteers. The core team chose community over control; as site owners we benefit from that independence, but it has also meant a slower pace at times.
Building a vibrant ecosystem
Joomla’s real power comes from its extensibility. In 2006 the Joomla Extensions Directory (JED) went live, providing a central place to download add‑ons. By 2008 the rewritten Joomla 1.5 introduced long‑term support, and soon extensions turned Joomla into a Swiss‑army‑knife CMS. There are four basic types of extensions:
- plugins (they tweak the core),
- components (they add major functionality),
- modules (they display data) and
- templates (they control the look).
This modularity made it possible to build anything from a simple blog to a fully fledged e‑commerce site.
That flexibility isn’t without risk. Because anyone can publish an extension, quality varies wildly. Third‑party components have introduced serious security holes in the past, and keeping everything up to date is a chore many site owners neglect. Choosing reputable developers and scheduling regular maintenance is essential.
From 2008 to 2012 Joomla matured quickly. Version 1.6 added granular access control and unlimited nested categories; 2.5 improved database support and streamlined updates; version 3.0 arrived in 2012 with responsive design and Bootstrap integrated out of the box, an industry first at the time. These releases signalled that Joomla could innovate alongside – and sometimes ahead of – bigger players.
| Year | Version | Key improvements |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 1.5 | Long‑term support, stability |
| 2011 | 1.6 | Access control lists (ACLs), nested categories |
| 2012 | 2.5 | Expanded database support, improved updates |
| 2012 | 3.0 | Responsive design, Bootstrap integration |
| 2013 | 3.1 | Tagging |
| 2014 | 3.3 | Better password hashing, microdata for SEO |
| 2015 | 3.4 | No CAPTCHA reCAPTCHA, Composer support |
| 2017 | 3.7 | Custom fields, multilingual associations |
| 2018 | 3.9 | Privacy Tool Suite (GDPR) |
Maturing and diversifying
As the web evolved, so did Joomla.
Tagging in version 3.1 simplified content organisation. Version 3.3 improved password hashing and added microdata for search engines, while 3.4 integrated Google’s reCAPTCHA and Composer support. By 2016 the project counted over 80 million downloads – proof that community‑driven software could reach mainstream adoption.
Custom fields and multilingual associations in version 3.7 made it easier to build complex sites without hacking the core. The Privacy Tool Suite in 3.9 addressed GDPR requirements, while a growing network of Joomla User Groups offered local support and camaraderie. At the same time the development team shifted to a faster release cycle – a welcome change for developers but a headache for busy site owners who suddenly faced more frequent upgrades.
Modernisation: Joomla 4, 5 and the road to 6
Joomla 4
The long‑awaited Joomla 4 launched in August 2021, bringing a much‑needed overhaul. Accessibility, search‑engine optimisation and performance all saw big improvements, the admin interface was streamlined, workflows became customisable and a new media manager simplified file handling. For the first time in years, Joomla felt truly modern.
Joomla 5
Version 5, released in October 2023, built on that foundation. Speed improvements, stronger security and a more flexible architecture made it easier to develop headless solutions and integrate Joomla with other services. Subsequent point releases continued to refine the experience: 4.2 added workflow enhancements and improved media handling, 5.2 introduced task scheduling and accessibility tweaks, and the current 5.3.2 (July 2025) improves email management, extends the media manager to handle non‑image files and polishes task scheduling.
Joomla 6
Looking ahead, Joomla 6 is pencilled in for release around October 2025. The emphasis is on continued modernisation and greater compatibility. For site owners this means smoother upgrades, better support for new PHP versions and a cleaner codebase.
The people behind the code
Unlike its chief rivals, Joomla is still run entirely by volunteers.
That ethos is built into its name – “all together” – and into its motto “because open source matters”. The community hosts local user groups, organises conferences and contributes tens of thousands of forum posts. A dedicated Bug Squad hunts down vulnerabilities and ships security patches quickly. There’s no venture capital steering the project; decisions are made by people who actually build websites.
That independence is a double‑edged sword. Joomla commands roughly 11 % of the CMS market in Germany, far behind WordPress’s 47 %. Smaller market share means fewer commercial extension vendors and less polish in some areas. But it also means you’re not handing your site over to a corporation whose priorities may shift overnight.
Challenges and considerations
Joomla has never been perfect. Security breaches are often caused by poorly written extensions, and upgrading between major versions can be time‑consuming. The move to a more frequent release cycle caught many site owners off guard, especially those running complex customisations. And while the ecosystem is broad, it’s a fraction of the size of WordPress’s marketplace.
If you manage a Joomla site today, a few habits will serve you well:
- Keep the core and all extensions up to date. Outdated code is the easiest way for attackers to gain access.
- Be selective about extensions. Use well‑supported plugins and components from reputable developers. Avoid obscure freebies unless you trust the source.
- Make regular backups. Before any upgrade, take a full backup so you can roll back if something breaks.
- Plan your upgrades. Don’t skip major releases; test in a staging environment before going live.
- Lean on the community. User groups, forums and agencies like ours exist to help when you’re stuck.
Our agency’s view
From day one we’ve respected Joomla’s open‑source ethos and the volunteers who give their time. The decision to fork from Mambo wasn’t just technical – it was a commitment to independence and community. That spirit has kept Joomla alive through turbulent times.
As an agency we’ve also had periods of frustration. Watching Joomla slip from equal footing with WordPress to a much smaller market share made it harder to recommend, especially when clients demanded “the obvious choice.” Extensions haven’t always kept pace, and major upgrades have sometimes felt like rewriting a site from scratch.
But the releases of Joomla 4 and 5 have rekindled our optimism. We’re once again recommending Joomla for projects where flexibility, multilingual support and independence from corporate roadmaps matter. The roadmap to Joomla 6 looks sensible, and the community remains as passionate as ever. For site owners willing to invest a little time in maintenance, Joomla still offers a robust, vendor‑neutral foundation.
Key takeaways
- Joomla started in 2005 as a fork of Mambo.
- Extensions, ACLs and custom fields were all pioneered by Joomla.
- A volunteer‑driven ecosystem provides support – but smaller market share means less commercial polish.
