Compare · Content management system
Alternative to Joomla
Joomla is a popular content management system. Hoila is something else: an assistant that looks after your website. You write what should change — in the app, by e-mail or on WhatsApp — and Hoila makes the change as a draft, shows it to you and only publishes it when you say yes.
What Joomla is good at
Joomla is an open-source content management system with multilingual sites and user management built in.
- Several languages and user groups without extra plugins.
- Open source with a long history and an active community.
- Extensions for forms, shops and directories.
When Joomla is the better choice
- Your site depends on Joomla extensions you can't replace.
- Someone in your team knows Joomla well and enjoys it.
When Hoila is the better choice
- Changing the site has become a chore since the person who built it left.
- You want changes in plain words instead of menus and modules.
- You want every change as a draft you can preview and undo.
Joomla and Hoila side by side
| What you compare | Joomla | Hoila |
|---|---|---|
| How you make a change | In the admin area | Write a message: in the app, by e-mail or on WhatsApp |
| Starting with your current website | Move it there or rebuild it | Keep it: Hoila works with it or copies it |
| Draft, preview and undo for every change | Depends on the tool and setup | Always, nothing goes online by surprise |
| Where your website is hosted | Your choice of hosting | In Europe, or stays with your own host |
| Technical skills needed | Some, more for custom work | None: you write in your own words |
| Updates and upkeep | You or your agency | Done by Hoila, with undo |
| Your own web address | Yes | Yes, registered in your name (paid plans) |
| Taking your website with you | Yes, it is open source | Yes: download everything, with every version |
Moving from Joomla to Hoila
Your website can stay where it is: Hoila connects with the FTP or SFTP login of your hosting and changes the files safely, as drafts. Or Hoila copies your website as it is — pages, images and forms — so you can change it by message from day one.
Questions about Joomla and Hoila
Can Hoila work with my existing site?
Yes. Hoila connects with your hosting's FTP or SFTP login and changes the files as drafts, or it copies the website as it is. Your web address can stay.
What happens to the Joomla updates?
If Hoila copies your site, the copy is plain pages and files, so there is no Joomla left to update. If you keep Joomla, you keep updating it as now.
Can I try Hoila for free?
Yes. The free plan includes one website or app. You can upgrade or cancel any time, and take everything with you.
Who makes the changes in Hoila?
An AI assistant (Claude, made by Anthropic) does the work, and you decide what goes online. Every change is a draft first, and every earlier version is kept, so you can always go back.
More comparisons
- Alternative to WordPress
- Alternative to Wix
- Alternative to Squarespace
- Alternative to Webflow
- Alternative to Jimdo
- Alternative to Shopify
- Alternative to Drupal
- Alternative to TYPO3
- Alternative to Contao
- Alternative to Statamic
- Alternative to Craft CMS
- Alternative to Ghost
- Alternative to Framer
- Alternative to GoDaddy Website Builder
- See all comparisons
Joomla and the other names on this page are trademarks of their owners. This page compares kinds of tool, not every feature, and reflects our understanding at the time of writing.
Try Hoila for free
Change your website by sending a message: in the app, by e-mail or on WhatsApp. Nothing goes online until you say yes.