The FG Joomla to WordPress plugin is the most widely recommended tool for migrating Joomla content to WordPress. Almost every migration guide on the internet mentions it. What those guides do not mention clearly is that popular Joomla extensions like K2, VirtueMart, and EasyBlog are not covered by the base plugin and require separate paid add-ons, with VirtueMart costing an additional 69 euros on top of the premium license.
What FG Joomla to WordPress Actually Is
FG Joomla to WordPress is developed by Frédéric Gilles, the same developer behind FG Drupal to WordPress and FG PrestaShop to WooCommerce. The plugin is available on WordPress.org and has been tested with Joomla versions 1.5 through 6.0. It works by connecting directly to the Joomla database and reading content from there, which is the correct approach: it reads source data rather than scraping rendered pages.
The plugin’s database connection is configured by entering the Joomla database host, database name, username, password, and table prefix. These details can be found in the Joomla global configuration file (configuration.php in the Joomla root). The plugin includes a connection test. Once connected, it runs the migration in stages through the WordPress admin interface.
Free Version: What You Get
The free version of FG Joomla to WordPress, available at no cost from WordPress.org, migrates the following: Joomla sections (pre-3.x), categories, posts, images, media, and tags. It uploads media files to the WordPress uploads folder and updates internal content links to point to the new WordPress media paths.
For a simple Joomla installation that uses only the standard content types, articles with no custom fields, basic categories, and no third-party content extensions, the free version delivers a usable migration. Content arrives in WordPress, categories are mapped, and images are attached. For this use case, the free plugin works as described.
Premium Version: What the Upgrade Adds
The premium license extends the migration to cover additional areas that the free version does not handle: authors and other registered users (with their hashed passwords), navigation menus, and more detailed content relationships. For any site that needs user accounts migrated, the premium version is necessary.
The premium version does not include K2, VirtueMart, EasyBlog, or other popular extension data. The developer is explicit about this. From a verified user review on WordPress.org: “if you bought the premium version, please note it doesn’t import items generated by popular third-party components. So if you have K2 or Joomfish or EasyBlog or Jcomments, you have to purchase more plugins. And they ain’t cheap either. A perfect example is Virtuemart, which will set you back another 69 Euros!”
The Add-on Cost Structure
For Joomla sites that use popular extensions, each extension requires a separate paid add-on purchase. The add-ons available from the developer’s site include K2 content migration, VirtueMart e-commerce data migration, EasyBlog migration, and sh404sef URL redirect mapping, among others. Each add-on requires the premium version as a prerequisite.
The VirtueMart add-on, documented at 69 euros at the time of writing, handles VirtueMart product data migration to WooCommerce. This is the most common scenario for Joomla e-commerce sites. Adding up: the premium base license plus the VirtueMart add-on plus potentially the K2 add-on (if K2 was used for content) means a tool cost that is not trivial, and that does not include the developer time required to configure the migration, debug any issues, map user groups to WordPress roles manually, and verify the output.
What the Plugin Cannot Handle
- Joomla user group permissions. Joomla’s permission system (Registered, Author, Editor, Publisher, Manager, Administrator, Super Users) does not map automatically to WordPress’s role system. The plugin migrates users but does not configure role mapping. Post-migration, user roles must be manually reviewed and reassigned.
- Joomla custom fields (3.7+). Native Joomla custom fields stored in
#__fields_valuesare not read by the base plugin. These fields require explicit mapping to ACF Pro fields, which the plugin does not handle. - Kunena forum history. Kunena is the most widely used Joomla forum extension. Forum topics, replies, and member data in the Kunena tables (
#__kunena_*) are not covered by any version of the FG plugin or its current add-on catalog. - SEF URL preservation. The plugin generates WordPress slugs from article titles and aliases, but does not systematically read and replicate the full Joomla SEF URL structure for category-path URLs. Sites that used sh404sef or custom router configurations may find their URL structure changed, with no 301 redirects created for the changed paths.
- Joomla SEO metadata. Custom SEO titles and meta descriptions set through Joomla SEO extensions or the built-in metadata fields are not transferred to Yoast SEO post meta by the plugin.
When the Plugin Is the Right Tool
The FG Joomla to WordPress plugin is the right choice when the Joomla site uses only standard content types, has no K2 or other content extension data, does not have VirtueMart e-commerce, does not rely on complex SEF URL structures that differ from title-based slugs, and does not have Kunena forum history to preserve. For personal blogs, simple brochure sites, and lightly used Joomla installations, the plugin handles the migration competently at low cost.
When a Professional Service Is the Right Choice
A professional migration service is the right choice when any of the following apply: K2 was used as the primary content management extension; VirtueMart or HikaShop was used for e-commerce; Joomla native custom fields (3.7+) were used to structure article data; the site had an active Kunena forum community; the SEF URL structure is complex and must be preserved exactly; or the site has hundreds or thousands of registered users whose roles need careful mapping.
The practical test: if the Joomla site was used for its content modeling capabilities (K2 extra fields, custom field groups, extension-driven content types), those capabilities are exactly what falls outside what the FG plugin handles.
How gConverter Handles Complex Joomla Migrations
gConverter migrates Joomla sites by reading the source database directly without the plugin’s limitations. Standard articles from #__content, K2 items from #__k2_items with all extra field values, native custom fields from #__fields_values, user accounts with explicit group-to-role mapping, Kunena forum history to wpForo 360° AI, all media imported to the WordPress Media Library, all URL aliases preserved or 301 redirected, VirtueMart products migrated to WooCommerce, and SEO metadata written to Yoast SEO. Before any access, we sign a Data Processing Agreement. Credentials are AES-256 encrypted, deleted within 24 hours of completion.
Read the data protection documentation →
What Clients Say
Went FAR above and beyond to help us work through this project. We are thrilled with the final result and they were professional, great to work with, and responsive every step of the way. Would highly recommend.
Anna P., Wilmington NC – Customer Lobby, January 2026
Extremely professional and efficient, we had very good contact, the work was done in due time.
Timoti F., Berlin DC – Customer Lobby, February 2024
The Bottom Line
FG Joomla to WordPress is a well-built tool for the use case it was designed for: standard Joomla sites with basic content types. For sites that used K2, VirtueMart, native custom fields, Kunena forums, or complex SEF URL configurations, the plugin’s coverage requires multiple paid add-ons, and some gaps remain regardless of which add-ons are purchased.
Before starting a migration with the plugin, audit your Joomla installation: check whether K2 is installed and has content, check the extensions list for VirtueMart or HikaShop, look at whether custom fields were used on articles, and check whether Kunena has active forum data. If any of those boxes are checked, plan for a service rather than a plugin.