Do you prefer WordPress, Joomla (or Other) for building powerful websites?

I am looking to build a few websites. I’ve created wordpress blogs in the past. I have not learned how to create my own themes yet. I do want to build websites that include memberships with wordpress or something similar for content management. I like the wordpress features, just wondering if others think there is something better and why? Thank you for your thoughts!
I know at first this sounds like a dumb question. I am hoping to get some thoughts on this. I know that most people use WordPress just for Blogs, but I’ve seen a lot of people using wordpress for their regular websites lately, including membership sites. I’m wondering what most people use if they do not understand *any* programming! (and cannot afford to hire one yet). If you were to build a website that included a memership site, would you use PHP or what other languages?