If you’re running a Joomla site and weighing a move, you already know the writing’s on the wall. Joomla was one of the biggest CMS platforms of its era, but the community has shrunk year over year, the developer pool has thinned out, and the extension ecosystem just can’t keep pace with WordPress anymore. Most site owners aren’t leaving Joomla because they hate it. They’re leaving because the platform’s future is harder to defend with every passing release.
This guide walks through why WordPress is the smart long-term landing spot, exactly how the Joomla to WordPress migration works, and how to handle the parts that catch DIY teams off guard, so you don’t lose Joomla content, search rankings, or weeks of momentum.
Why WordPress is the ideal Joomla alternative
Joomla and WordPress started in the same era and grew side by side, but the trajectory split a long time ago. WordPress now powers more than 40% of the web. Joomla powers a fraction of that, and the gap widens every year. The result is a Joomla site that costs more to maintain, runs on shrinking extension support, and pulls from a hiring pool that gets harder to recruit from every quarter.
WordPress fixes that, without forcing you to give up the structure, multi-user capability, or content depth your Joomla site already runs on. It’s a more user-friendly platform, with a more user-friendly interface, a vastly larger plugin and theme ecosystem, and a community that’s actually growing instead of shrinking.
A few things WordPress does better than Joomla, every single time:
- A real ecosystem – Tens of thousands of WordPress plugins and themes, versus Joomla’s much smaller and shrinking extension catalog
- Easier daily editing – A user-friendly WordPress dashboard built around the block editor, instead of Joomla’s heavier, more technical admin
- Stronger SEO out of the box – Tools like Yoast SEO give you full control over SEO settings, meta keywords, schema, and structured data with very little setup
- Lower cost of ownership – WordPress requires less specialized development time than Joomla, which means lower agency bills and easier in-house management
- A healthier hiring market – Finding a WordPress developer is dramatically easier than finding a Joomla developer, and that’s only going to get more lopsided
- More flexible deployment – From single sites to multisite installations, WordPress handles a wider range of setups with less friction
- A modern hosting story – Managed WordPress hosting with proper caching, CDN, and security baked in, versus the harder-to-staff hosting setups that Joomla often requires
If your Joomla site has started to feel like more weight than it’s worth, that’s the signal to start planning the move.
WordPress vs. Joomla comparison
Here’s how the two platforms stack up once you start weighing whether to keep your Joomla site or migrate to WordPress:
| Category | Joomla | WordPress |
|---|---|---|
| Ease of use | Heavier admin, steeper learning curve, more technical day-to-day | Cleaner WordPress dashboard, block editor, designed for non-technical editors |
| Ecosystem | Smaller and shrinking extension library, fewer themes, weaker plugin coverage | The largest plugin and theme ecosystem in open source |
| SEO | Decent native SEO, but most teams need extensions to get parity with WordPress | Strong defaults plus best-in-class tools like Yoast SEO and Rank Math |
| Community | Smaller, more technical, harder to recruit from | Massive, active, easier to staff |
| Customization | Capable but more developer-dependent | Capable AND accessible, with strong tools like Advanced Custom Fields and a vast plugin marketplace |
| Multi-site setup | Possible but complex | Native multisite installations built into core WordPress |
| Total cost of ownership | Higher development and maintenance costs over time | Lower long-term costs thanks to wider talent pool and easier maintenance |
Ready to move? Talk to our migration team, and we’ll map out exactly what your Joomla to WordPress migration would look like, from the FG Joomla setup to launch.
How do you convert your website from Joomla to WordPress?
The path to convert from Joomla to WordPress is more involved than a Wix or Squarespace migration, because a Joomla site is usually structurally richer. Joomla articles, Joomla users, Joomla extensions, custom categories, and tightly modeled content don’t have a one-click button to move. They have to be mapped and migrated through a proper process.
Here’s the high-level path:
- Audit the old Joomla site – Inventory every Joomla article, Joomla user, Joomla extension, custom category, and integration the site depends on
- Set up your new WordPress site – Download WordPress, install WordPress on your hosting account, choose a new WordPress theme, and configure the basics through the WordPress dashboard
- Install the migration plugin – Add FG Joomla to WordPress, the most reliable WordPress plugin for Joomla migrations, available in a free version and a premium version
- Configure database connection – On the FG Joomla settings screen, open the Server tab, enter your Joomla database parameters (database name, host, user, password), and confirm the database connection works
- Run the import process – Follow the plugin’s instructions step by step: import Joomla articles, Joomla users, categories, featured images, and media files into empty WordPress content
- Pull featured images and media – Use the import featured images option in FG Joomla to bring the site’s media into the WordPress media library, instead of leaving image URLs pointing back to your old Joomla URLs
- Rebuild design and navigation – Joomla templates don’t transfer, so the new WordPress theme handles design, layout, and navigation
- Configure WordPress permalinks – Set up clean WordPress URLs under Permalinks so your new WordPress URLs are SEO-friendly and predictable
- Build a complete redirect map – Map every old Joomla URL to its new WordPress URL to preserve search rankings and avoid broken links
- Launch and monitor – Submit a new sitemap to Google, watch search rankings, and verify the import process landed everything cleanly in the first 30 days
The size of the lift depends on the Joomla version you’re running, the number of Joomla extensions in use, and how much custom work has been layered on over the years.
Joomla to WordPress migration process
Most online guides treat the Joomla to WordPress migration as a quick “install FG Joomla and click import” exercise. For a small Joomla site with one content type, that’s roughly true. For anything bigger, the work is significantly deeper, and the parts the plugin can’t handle are the parts that matter most.
Here’s what’s actually involved.
What FG Joomla to WordPress handles well:
- Joomla articles mapped to WordPress posts and pages
- Joomla users imported with appropriate roles
- Categories mapped to WordPress categories
- Featured images and media files moved into the WordPress media library
- Meta keywords and basic metadata transferred where possible
- Internal links rewritten to point to new WordPress URLs
What FG Joomla does NOT do automatically:
- Joomla extensions with no WordPress equivalent
- Custom Joomla templates and design
- Complex content built with K2, EasyBlog, or other Joomla CMS extensions
- Custom links, custom menus, and Joomla-specific routing
- Full SEO transfer, including schema, structured data, and detailed metadata
- Redirect mapping from old Joomla URLs to new WordPress URLs (this has to be built separately)
This is where DIY Joomla migrations usually break down. You install FG Joomla, run the import, see content appear in WordPress, and then realize half the site needs cleanup, redirects haven’t been built, and broken internal links are showing up everywhere.
A complete Joomla site to WordPress migration covers:
- FG Joomla to WordPress setup – Configure the migration plugin, including the Server tab and Joomla database parameters, and validate the database connection before running the import
- Full content import – Run the import process, including Joomla articles, Joomla users, categories, custom fields, and archived posts
- Featured image and media migration – Use the import featured images option to move the site’s media into the WordPress media library, plus a sweep to catch any image still hosted on the old Joomla site
- Modify internal links – Sweep the imported WordPress content and modify internal links so they point to new WordPress URLs, not old Joomla URLs
- Design rebuild – A new WordPress theme paired with custom styling to match or improve the original Joomla design
- Navigation rebuild – Rebuild menus, custom links, and navigation cleanly in WordPress
- WordPress permalinks setup – Configure permanent URLs through WordPress permalinks for clean, SEO-friendly URLs
- Redirect map – Build a complete map from every old Joomla URL to its new WordPress URL, so you avoid broken links and preserve the site’s SEO
- SEO transfer – Move metadata, meta keywords, schema, and SEO settings using Yoast SEO or Rank Math
- Performance and hosting setup – Move to a proper hosting provider with managed WordPress hosting tuned for performance
If your old site is an established Joomla website with years of content, a deep extension stack, and real SEO equity, a DIY migration is rarely the right answer. Broken URLs, empty site sections, missing extensions, and lost search rankings are the most common casualties.
You’ve completed your migration, what’s next?
Migration is the starting line. Once your Joomla content is fully imported into your new WordPress website, work through this post-migration checklist:
- Verify imported content end-to-end – Walk through every post, page, and category to confirm Joomla content imported cleanly, with no broken internal links or empty sections
- Confirm featured images and media – Verify all featured images and the site’s media live in the WordPress media library, not pulling from the old Joomla URLs
- Test the new WordPress theme – Validate that the new WordPress theme renders cleanly across all content, including archived posts and edge-case layouts
- Confirm WordPress permalinks – Make sure permalink structure is correct and that new WordPress URLs match the redirect map
- Run a full redirect check – Verify every old Joomla URL points cleanly to its new WordPress URL with no broken URLs
- Submit a new sitemap to Google – Help search engines re-crawl your site under the new URL structure
- Watch site’s SEO closely – Track rankings, indexing, and organic traffic in the first 30 to 60 days
- Polish the design – A new WordPress theme paired with WordPress design services gives you the chance to upgrade the experience, not just replicate the old Joomla look
- Layer in new functionality – With migration complete, lean into the WordPress plugin ecosystem to add features that were painful or impossible in Joomla
This is also the time to lock in managed hosting, security hardening, and ongoing WordPress maintenance so your new WordPress site stays fast, secure, and supported long-term.
Hire Freshy to manage your WordPress migration
WordPress gives you all the tools to leave Joomla behind, but planning, scoping, and executing a clean CMS migration is real work. Freshy handles the full Joomla to WordPress migration for you, so you can focus on running your organization instead of debugging Joomla database parameters, hunting down sample web pages that didn’t import, and rebuilding navigation from scratch.
We’ve supported over 2,400 clients since 2011, and our team handles everything from the technical WordPress migration work to the design refresh that comes with it. A typical Joomla to WordPress migration covers:
- Discovery and audit – Full review of your Joomla site, including every extension, content type, and integration
- FG Joomla to WordPress migration – Premium version configuration, full database connection setup, and the complete import process from Joomla articles to Joomla users
- Custom WordPress theme design or theme selection – Built around your brand, not a generic template
- Full media migration – Every featured image, image, and document pulled into the WordPress media library with proper metadata
- Complete redirect map – Every old Joomla URL mapped to its new WordPress URL to preserve search rankings
- Internal link cleanup – We modify internal links across imported WordPress content so nothing points back to old Joomla URLs
- SEO setup – Yoast SEO configuration, schema, sitemap submission, search engine optimization, and clean WordPress permalinks
- Mobile-first responsive build – Optimized for every device and screen size
- Managed hosting, SSL, and security – Ready for traffic from day one
- Training and documentation – So your team can confidently manage WordPress without needing Joomla-level technical skills
If you’re ready to leave Joomla behind and build on a platform that’s growing instead of shrinking, get in touch with our team to scope your migration.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a Joomla to WordPress migration take?
A typical Joomla to WordPress migration takes 6 to 12 weeks from kickoff to launch. Smaller Joomla sites with limited extensions and a few hundred articles can move in 4 to 6 weeks, while larger established sites with thousands of articles, complex extensions, and high traffic can run 12 to 20 weeks.
Will I lose SEO rankings when I convert from Joomla to WordPress?
Not if the migration is handled properly. Building a complete redirect map from every old Joomla URL to its new WordPress URL is the single most important step for protecting the site’s SEO. Most sites stabilize within 4 to 8 weeks and often see rankings improve, since WordPress with Yoast SEO gives you stronger SEO controls than Joomla does natively.
Can I keep my Joomla site online during the migration?
Yes. Professional migrations always build the new WordPress site in a separate environment, so your old Joomla site stays online while the WordPress version is built and validated. The final cutover happens in a single planned window to minimize downtime.
What plugin do you use to migrate Joomla content into WordPress?
The most reliable WordPress plugin for Joomla migrations is FG Joomla to WordPress, often called WordPress FG Joomla. The free version handles basic content imports, while the premium version supports more complex content types, Joomla extensions, and full media migration. For especially complex sites, we layer custom development on top to handle anything the plugin can’t cover natively.
What about my Joomla extensions? Do they have WordPress equivalents?
Most do. The WordPress plugin ecosystem is significantly larger than Joomla’s, so for the vast majority of Joomla extensions, there’s an equal or better WordPress plugin available. For anything truly custom, our team scopes a WordPress equivalent during the migration audit.
How do I connect FG Joomla to my Joomla database?
FG Joomla connects through the Server tab in the plugin settings. You enter your Joomla database parameters, including database name, host, username, and password, then test the database connection. Once it’s confirmed, you run the import process step by step following the plugin’s instructions.
What happens to my Joomla URLs after migration?
Your old Joomla URLs need to redirect cleanly to their corresponding new WordPress URLs. This is built through a redirect map that points every old URL to its WordPress equivalent. Done properly, search engines re-crawl the site and pass your existing SEO equity to the new structure with minimal disruption.
Do I need technical knowledge to manage my new WordPress site?
No. One of the biggest benefits of moving from Joomla to WordPress is a far more user-friendly interface. The WordPress dashboard, paired with the block editor, makes daily editing accessible to non-technical team members without needing developer support.
Can I use a free migration plugin instead of hiring an agency?
You can, especially for smaller Joomla sites. The free version of FG Joomla will get you most of the way for a basic blog or small content site. The trade-off shows up on larger sites, where Joomla extensions, redirect mapping, design rebuild, custom links, and SEO transfer become the work most free tools can’t handle on their own.
Does WordPress support multisite installations as Joomla does?
Yes. WordPress has native multisite installations built into the core, which means you can run multiple sites under one WordPress installation, sharing themes, plugins, and users. The setup is often simpler and better supported than Joomla’s multi-site approach.
Ready to convert from Joomla to WordPress?
Joomla served its purpose. But for most organizations running it today, the math has shifted, and moving to a platform with a growing community, easier editing, lower long-term cost, and a stronger future is the smart call.
We’ve helped organizations across the country complete the Joomla to WordPress migration without losing content, custom data, or search rankings. If you’re ready to leave Joomla behind and build on a platform that’s easier to staff, easier to maintain, and faster to evolve, we’d love to help.
