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Comparison · Mkt Auto

Joomla vs Sulu

A side-by-side editorial comparison of Joomla and Sulu — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.

Joomla vs Sulu: at a glance

FeatureJoomlaSulu
SectorMkt AutoMkt Auto
Velocity score6.35.0
Sparks · 30d00
Top themescms, php, security, multilingualai disclosure, media provenance, two-factor auth, api deprecations
Last editorial update1mo ago2mo ago
WebsiteVisit →Visit →

What is Joomla?

Joomla 6.2 enters beta with AI language fallback, XOAuth2, and a revamped TinyMCE — three tracks shipping in parallel.

Joomla is maintaining three active release tracks simultaneously: 5.4.x receives security patches, 6.1.x gets maintenance updates, and 6.2.0 is now in beta. The 6.2 beta cycle has introduced an AI-assisted language fallback chain, a generic XOAuth2 implementation, an Enum form field type, TinyMCE link selector and native readmore, and secure article preview without requiring a frontend login. A path traversal vulnerability in com_templates was patched across both 5.4.8 and 6.1.3 as simultaneous security releases.

Read the full Joomla trajectory →

What is Sulu?

Sulu adds AI disclosure fields to media, shipped to both supported lines the same minute

Sulu is a Symfony-based CMS for developer-built sites, released as a synchronised pair: every 3.0.x patch ships within a minute or two of the matching 2.6.x patch, carrying largely the same pull requests. The 3.0.9 / 2.6.26 pair is the most substantive in months. Media assets gain Origin and AI Disclosure information, delivered as a doctrine migration with new columns and an updated form metadata snapshot, and the AI platform integration now reports a reason when it turns a request down. Two-factor setup adds an authenticator app (TOTP) flow and a Google Authenticator method, and a deprecation batch retires AbstractRestController, RestControllerTrait, ApiWrapper and the persistence component repositories and traits.

Read the full Sulu trajectory →

Joomla vs Sulu: editorial side-by-side

J
Joomla
MKT AUTO
6.3

Joomla 6.2 enters beta with AI language fallback, XOAuth2, and a revamped TinyMCE — three tracks shipping in parallel.

◆ Current state

Joomla is maintaining three active release tracks simultaneously: 5.4.x receives security patches, 6.1.x gets maintenance updates, and 6.2.0 is now in beta. The 6.2 beta cycle has introduced an AI-assisted language fallback chain, a generic XOAuth2 implementation, an Enum form field type, TinyMCE link selector and native readmore, and secure article preview without requiring a frontend login. A path traversal vulnerability in com_templates was patched across both 5.4.8 and 6.1.3 as simultaneous security releases.

◆ Where it's heading

The '6.2 beta' label is doing real work: the release cycle is disciplined, with two betas already out and a feature set that has mostly stabilized. The AI-prefixed items in the changelogs (language fallback chain, login module configuration) suggest a push to make content delivery smarter across multilingual sites — though the scope is narrow so far. The three-track release model is a deliberate trade-off between stability for existing installs and forward development.

◆ Prediction

Joomla 6.2.0 stable should ship within 4-6 weeks given the beta pace. The AI-prefix features will likely expand in 6.3, particularly around content personalization and multilingual workflows. A fourth track (6.2.x security) will open once 6.2.0 ships.

S
Sulu
MKT AUTO
5.0

Sulu adds AI disclosure fields to media, shipped to both supported lines the same minute

◆ Current state

Sulu is a Symfony-based CMS for developer-built sites, released as a synchronised pair: every 3.0.x patch ships within a minute or two of the matching 2.6.x patch, carrying largely the same pull requests. The 3.0.9 / 2.6.26 pair is the most substantive in months. Media assets gain Origin and AI Disclosure information, delivered as a doctrine migration with new columns and an updated form metadata snapshot, and the AI platform integration now reports a reason when it turns a request down. Two-factor setup adds an authenticator app (TOTP) flow and a Google Authenticator method, and a deprecation batch retires AbstractRestController, RestControllerTrait, ApiWrapper and the persistence component repositories and traits.

◆ Where it's heading

Three threads run through the pairs and their balance has shifted. Editor and framework upkeep continue — Symfony 8 request bag replacements, PHPStan baselines kept green — but this release adds two things that aren't maintenance. The media provenance work puts AI disclosure into the content model itself rather than leaving it to editors, which is the shape of a CMS preparing for disclosure obligations. The controller and repository deprecations point the other way, at an API layer being cleared out ahead of whatever 3.x becomes, since 3.0 has otherwise read like a maintenance branch alongside 2.6.

◆ Prediction

Expect the deprecated REST controller and persistence layers to be removed in a future major, since deprecating four API surfaces in one release is how Sulu signals a rewrite is staged. Whether the AI disclosure fields are surfaced on the delivery side or stay editorial metadata isn't visible in these entries.

Alternatives to Joomla and Sulu

Other Mkt Auto products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either Joomla or Sulu.

See all Joomla alternatives → · See all Sulu alternatives →

Recent activity from Joomla and Sulu

Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.

  1. 1mo agoJoomlaJoomla 6.2.0 Beta 2
  2. 2mo agoSuluMedia gains AI disclosure and origin fields; TOTP 2FA lands
  3. 2mo agoSulu2.6.26 mirrors 3.0.9 with AI disclosure and TOTP setup
  4. 2mo agoJoomlaJoomla 6.2.0 Beta 1 ⚡
  5. 2mo agoJoomlaJoomla! 5.4.8
  6. 2mo agoJoomlaJoomla! 6.1.3
  7. 2mo agoJoomlaJoomla 6.1.3 Release Candidate 2
  8. 2mo agoJoomlaJoomla 5.4.8 Release Candidate 2
  9. 3mo agoSuluSulu 3.0.8 validates selection filter params at build time
  10. 3mo agoSuluSulu 2.6.25 adds a redirect after SSO login
  11. 5mo agoSuluSulu 3.0.7 fixes smart-content filtering and speeds up indexing
  12. 5mo agoSuluSulu 2.6.24 upgrades CKEditor to version 48

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Joomla and Sulu?

They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. Joomla is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 6.3 vs 5.0), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.

Is Joomla better than Sulu?

Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. Joomla is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 6.3 vs 5.0), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other Mkt Auto products to evaluate alongside.

What are the best alternatives to Joomla?

Top Joomla alternatives in Mkt Auto are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Joomla alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/joomla for the full list with editorial commentary on each.

What are the best alternatives to Sulu?

Top Sulu alternatives in Mkt Auto are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Sulu alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/sulu for the full list with editorial commentary on each.