n8n
n8n 3.0 is out, shipped the same morning as 2.46 after weeks of migration-report groundwork.
Comparison · Mkt Auto
Formidable Forms vs Joomla
A side-by-side editorial comparison of Formidable Forms and Joomla — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
Formidable Forms vs Joomla: at a glance
What is Formidable Forms?
Formidable Forms 7.0.1 makes the builder preview reflect more Pro settings as they change.
Formidable Forms v7.0.1 extends the live builder preview to more Pro settings and warns admins when a hardened [frm-field-value] lookup is blocked. Same-day add-on patches fix REST-submitted signatures and inline calendars on multi-page forms. The week before, v7.0 hardened field-value shortcodes and several add-ons (Views, Coupons, Landing Pages) gained their own MCP tools.
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.
Formidable Forms vs Joomla: editorial side-by-side
Formidable Forms
5.0MKT AUTO
Formidable Forms 7.0.1 makes the builder preview reflect more Pro settings as they change.
◆ Current state
Formidable Forms v7.0.1 extends the live builder preview to more Pro settings and warns admins when a hardened [frm-field-value] lookup is blocked. Same-day add-on patches fix REST-submitted signatures and inline calendars on multi-page forms. The week before, v7.0 hardened field-value shortcodes and several add-ons (Views, Coupons, Landing Pages) gained their own MCP tools.
◆ Where it's heading
Formidable is doing two things in parallel: exposing each add-on to AI clients through MCP, one at a time, and tightening data escaping in the core after 7.0. The 7.0.1 warning shows the hardening has user-facing side effects the team is now smoothing over.
◆ Prediction
Expect more add-ons to gain MCP management and further 7.0.x patches around blocked lookups.
Joomla
6.3MKT AUTO
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.
Alternatives to Formidable Forms and Joomla
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 Formidable Forms or Joomla.
Activepieces
Activepieces backports October's Node.js security update to five release lines.
Gumloop
Gumloop 13.1 lets live artifacts drive agents through the SDK and opens outputs in Office.
Buttondown
Buttondown closes an API send loophole and blocks confirmation-email floods in its daily fixes.
Pimcore
Pimcore 2026.3.3.1 tightens the Twig sandbox again, two days after 2026.3.3.
SendPortal
SendPortal resurfaces with a v4 patch release, its first tag since 2020.
See all Formidable Forms alternatives → · See all Joomla alternatives →
Recent activity from Formidable Forms and Joomla
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 8d agoFormidable FormsDatepicker Options v3.1.2
- 8d agoFormidable FormsFormidable Forms v7.0.1
- 8d agoFormidable FormsDigital Signature Forms v3.2.1
- 14d agoFormidable FormsLanding Pages v1.0.04
- 15d agoFormidable FormsFormidable Forms v7.0
- 15d agoFormidable FormsVisual Views v5.13
- 1mo agoJoomlaJoomla 6.2.0 Beta 2
- 2mo agoJoomlaJoomla 6.2.0 Beta 1 ⚡
- 2mo agoJoomlaJoomla! 5.4.8
- 2mo agoJoomlaJoomla! 6.1.3
- 2mo agoJoomlaJoomla 6.1.3 Release Candidate 2
- 2mo agoJoomlaJoomla 5.4.8 Release Candidate 2
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Formidable Forms and Joomla?
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 Formidable Forms better than Joomla?
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 Formidable Forms?
Top Formidable Forms alternatives in Mkt Auto are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Formidable Forms alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/formidable-forms for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
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.