Joomla IMHO is superior to Wordpress and never more so than when you consider its impressive range of built in core features. With Wordpress you seem to need a third-party plugin for every little thing.
However there will always be times when it is necessary to extend Joomla and there are certain tried and tested components and modules that I favour on my websites.
When choosing an extension for Joomla, one of the main things I look for is longevity. It's all very well subscribing to a great extension only to find the developer drops it a year or so later, and you are back to Square One. An unsupported extension can quickly become a security risk on your site and may eventually cause your site to crash or get hacked.
Some extensions are free, others are paid. Free is not always best, with a paid extension you will usually get more support and the developer will have more incentive to maintain it. Things to look for when paying for an extension are:
- How long the licence is for. If you have to renew every 3 months it can get expensive.
- If the licence is limited to a single domain. If you are wanting to use it on several sites, the fees can mount up.
- Will it meet your needs. Very few paid extensions come with a trial so if you are not sure it's worth asking the question of the developer.
My 2 most essential extensions
I install these two extensions on every site I build and it's usually the first thing I do.
Akeeba Backup
With Akeeba you can make regular backups of your site files and database, and use a backup to restore the site in the event of any problem, such as a hacked site. You can't really do without it.
I use the free version of Akeeba but with the Pro version you can automate your backups and more. By default Akeeba keeps the three latest backups on the server. I usually download backups by FTP. You can do this from within Akeeba though you'll get a warning from Akeeba as to possible corruption. Also Akeeba recommends using JPA format for backups as they reckon that's safer, but I find it easier to use the Zip format and I've never so far had a problem restoring a backup. If you have cPanel then you can unpack the files on the server in File Manager.
More info and downloads:
JCE Editor Pro
Joomla comes with the Tiny MCE Editor and it has a fairly basic selection of tools, so I always install JCE for the extra features and ease of editing. I went Pro with it so long ago I can't even remember why!
JCE has been around forever and just makes my life easier.
More info and downloads:
Other Essential Extensions
These extensions I might not need on every site, but they are very often needed.
Ignite Gallery
Ignite is a photo gallery that is so adaptable I hardly ever need to look at another. The only exception has been when I needed a full width slider and for this I use the DJ Image Slider.
The great thing about Ignite is the range of configuration options. You can configure it to show a large image with or without thumbnails, and the large image can also open in a lightbox. Or you can just show the thumbnails and open them direct in a lighbox.
You can set categories and show a menu page for your categories.
Also you can set it up for front end editing, so users can update their galleries without having to go into the backend admin.
Plus the support is fantastic, I've always had a great response from this developer.
What's not to like!!
More info and downloads:
Convert Forms
A good form extension is essential for any web designer. I had the perfect extension for many years with Fox Contact until it stopped receiving support from the developer. When Joomla 4 came along I had to find a replacement and I tried a few before settling with this one. It's very easy to use and offers lots of functionality.
My only minor quibble was the emails weren't pre-formatted nicely like I'd gotten used to with Fox, but eventually I knuckled down and coded a nice format myself.
Also had a bit of trouble remembering where to put Update key but I got it now. Search plugins for Tassos or framework.
More info and downloads:
Route 66
A nice little free extension that can do a few things, but I got it for the Canonical Tag. This tells Google which is the official version of your page as it's in the nature of a CMS to produce the same page on different URLs.
Also it does it automatically. So all you have to do is install it.
More info and downloads:
JRealtime Stats
The latest discovery for my arsenal, this fabulous stats package is a breath of fresh air after struggling for years with Google Analytics. Say no more, it's just great. It looks good, nice and clear and easy to navigate.
It's a paid extension but worth every penny.
More info and downloads:
JED REALTIME ANALYTICS WEBSITE
