Case Study
View Case StudyTray.ai
Migrating hundreds of thousands of pages, re-platforming and extending for the leading composable AI integration platform
We are the Contentful to Joomla migration experts
Challenges with Contentful
With all good things, there’s a “depends on how you use it and who is using it” clause. Contentful usage-based pricing can quietly snowball, especially for smaller teams or projects running on lean budgets. Its API-first approach might make developers grin, but the non-technical users might find themselves staring at setup screens, wondering, “Wait… where’s the editor?”
More often than not, the main reason Contentful sucks is because a developer has built it incorrectly, as it has a whole host of opinionation, that isn't widely known. E.g.
You need to be extremely careful with the number of documents you build, as you could very easily push yourself into enterprise from an early stage.
We'd always recommend speaking to us first, before completely writing it off.
Key pain points
Potentially high costs
Contentful isn’t a cheap CMS. As your traffic, models, or team grows, pricing can climb faster than expected.
Complex for non-technical users
Marketers and editors may need a small learning curve before they feel at home. It’s powerful but not always plug-and-play.
Integration dependency
A lot of magic happens through third-party tools. Great for flexibility, but it does mean extra setup instead of getting everything out-of-the-box.
Limited native features
Contentful keeps the core CMS clean and minimal, but that also means more building and configuring to get advanced functionality.
Learning curve for new teams
,If your team is moving from a traditional CMS, expect some onboarding time. Structured content is amazing but new for many.
Requires careful management
Because it’s so flexible, projects need good governance. Without it, content models can get messy and harder to maintain over time.
Benefits of Joomla
Trying to convince someone to use Joomla in 2025 feels like recommending Internet Explorer. But hey, if you must use it, there are a few redeeming qualities. Joomla does have some genuinely solid features. Native multilingual support without plugins is impressive. Its permission system is more detailed than most enterprise platforms, and the modular structure gives developers a lot of freedom to architect complex, multi-section sites. If you’ve got a big team with lots of editors and need granular control, Joomla won’t fall apart on you.
If you’re absolutely set on Joomla (and we can’t stop you), we’ll point you toward an agency that still proudly builds 2008-core-web-vital-failing templates. Or you can talk to us, and we’ll at least make sure you don’t regret every step of the journey.
Key advantages
Native multilingual support
Joomla ships with multilingual features baked in, so you don’t need a plugin graveyard just to run a site in five languages. It handles translations cleanly and is genuinely one of the few CMSs that gets this right out of the box.
Granular user permission system
Its ACL system is its biggest bragging right. You can lock down roles, workflows, and access rules with a level of control that most CMS platforms still envy.
Custom field capabilities
Joomla gives you solid flexibility with custom fields, letting you shape structured content without hacking together a dozen extensions. It’s powerful enough for complex layouts and multi-section content.
Active developer community
The community isn’t massive, but the people who are there are dedicated, technical, and still shipping useful extensions and documentation. If you're deep in Joomla land, it’s a lifeline.
Strong security foundation
When properly maintained, Joomla is known for being stable and secure. Regular updates and a security-focused core give it an edge over many older open-source CMS setups.
Modular architecture flexibility
Its module-based layout system lets you build multi-section portals, dashboards, and content-heavy sites without bending the platform backward. If you know what you're doing, it’s flexible enough to scale.
Get in touch
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