The Howdy Glossary

Joomla! is a free and open-source content management system (CMS) built in PHP, offering robust features like page caching, RSS feeds, blogs, multilingual support, and various search options for publishing web content. It was created as a fork from Mambo in 2005 by developers within the Mambo community. Complementing Joomla!, VirtueMart is an integrated e-commerce solution that supports unlimited products and categories, multiple payment gateways and shipping methods, discounts, product feature management, inventory control systems, and other tools essential for e-commerce operations.

Joomla!'s main competitors in the CMS landscape are WordPress and Drupal. WordPress is renowned for its user-friendly interface and extensive plugin ecosystem while Drupal is favored for its flexibility and scalability suited to complex websites. In e-commerce solutions, VirtueMart competes with WooCommerce (a WordPress plugin known for ease of use), Magento (favored by larger businesses due to customization options), and Shopify (popular for its user-friendly interface). Together, Joomla! and VirtueMart offer a competitive advantage through their seamless integration providing comprehensive website management alongside robust e-commerce functionalities.

Joomla! stands out in the CMS realm by balancing flexibility with ease of use while supporting multilingual sites strongly with rich user access controls. Its ability to integrate effectively with extensions further enhances functionality making it suitable for diverse website types including corporate websites or online communities. VirtueMart distinguishes itself by seamlessly integrating into Joomla! sites offering comprehensive features such as unlimited product listings, diversified payment gateways/shipping methods along with discount capabilities which make it an appealing choice among small businesses aiming to establish online stores without incurring high costs.