Our thoughts on Joomla 5

A major version is always a highlight, but it’s not something we rush into. Upgrading takes time and money and should make your site better. Joomla 5 is about speed, security and usability.

A new release cycle and what it means for you

Joomla now follows a two‑year major release cadence with four years of support for each version. That means Joomla 5 arrived just two years after Joomla 4, with Joomla 6 already pencilled in for 2025. For site owners this regularity is good news: you can plan upgrades rather than being caught out by an unexpected overhaul.

Crucially, moving from Joomla 4 to 5 is an update rather than a painful migration – more like applying a service pack than rebuilding your site from scratch. If you’re still on Joomla 3, though, you’ll need to move to 4 before you can enjoy any of these benefits.

What’s actually new in Joomla 5

Joomla 5’s headline improvements fall into five broad areas. We’ve summarised them below and explained why they matter to everyday users rather than developers.

Performance	Supports modern PHP and databases; cleaned‑up code and smarter caching for snappier sites.
Security	Built‑in multi‑factor and passwordless login; tougher password rules and better protection against hacks.
User experience	Redesigned admin dashboard with dark mode, improved editors and keyboard‑friendly navigation.
SEO & content	Schema.org integration for rich snippets, cleaner URLs, longer meta descriptions and smarter search.
Customisation	More flexible custom fields, improved APIs and a plugin that keeps most Joomla 4 extensions working.

Performance & security

Under the hood Joomla 5 takes advantage of newer versions of PHP and MySQL, drops outdated code and tightens up caching. In plain English: your pages should load faster and your server will be easier to keep secure.

On the security front you can opt for multi‑factor authentication or even passwordless logins, and the core introduces stricter password rules to help keep accounts safe. These aren’t flashy features, but they reduce the risk of downtime and hacking – two things no site owner wants to experience.

User experience & accessibility

The administrator dashboard has been tidied up with clearer menus, a dark mode option and smoother editing tools. The TinyMCE editor and Code Mirror source view are both updated, so editing content feels less clunky. Better keyboard navigation and compliance with WCAG accessibility standards mean Joomla 5 is more usable for people with different abilities. The built‑in media manager now supports AVIF images and there’s even a progress bar during installation so you aren’t left wondering if it’s frozen.

SEO, content and search

If you care about being found on Google, the new Schema.org plugins let you describe your articles, events and other content in a way search engines understand. Joomla 5 also lets you strip out ugly index.php from URLs and choose whether to add or remove trailing slashes – handy for avoiding duplicate pages. Meta descriptions can now be up to 300 characters, giving you more space to entice readers. Smart Search has been expanded to include custom fields, and you can hide or show archived articles as needed.

Customisation & developer tools

For non‑developers the main takeaway is that Joomla 5 gives you more flexibility without forcing you into code. Custom fields are more capable, making it easier to structure content without resorting to hacks. Behind the scenes the API has been cleaned up so third‑party extensions can integrate more smoothly. A new behaviour plugin keeps most Joomla 4‑compatible extensions running, meaning you don’t have to wait for every vendor to catch up before upgrading. That said, always check your favourite extensions are ready before you hit the update button.

Upgrading: a brief reality check

Upgrading from Joomla 4 to 5 is designed to be simple, but there are still some basic rules to follow.

If you’re coming from Joomla 3 you must first move to 4; there’s no shortcut. Always back up your site before making changes and verify that your server meets the new requirements (PHP 8.1 or later, modern MySQL or MariaDB versions).

Make sure all your templates and extensions are up to date – outdated plugins are the number one cause of failed upgrades. Only then should you switch the update channel to “Joomla Next,” run the pre‑update check and click the button. The whole process takes minutes, but preparing properly can save hours of recovery.

Back up first – make a full copy of your files and database so you can roll back if something goes wrong.
Check requirements – PHP 8.1+, MySQL 8+ or MariaDB 10.4+, and update your server if needed.
Update your extensions – uninstall unused plugins and verify that your active ones are Joomla 5‑ready.
Use the pre‑update check – Joomla 4’s built‑in tool flags compatibility issues before you hit update.
Don’t rush – wait for at least the first maintenance release so early bugs are ironed out and extension authors can catch up.

Never test an upgrade on your live site. Create a staging copy and run through the process there. It may feel like extra work, but it’s far less stressful than fixing a broken production site.

Our agency’s view

We’re pleased to see Joomla move to a predictable release schedule and to focus on the fundamentals instead of chasing flashy features. The improvements are things that benefit every site owner, and the decision to make the jump from Joomla 4 to 5 an upgrade rather than a full migration will save a lot of headaches. That said, we don’t believe in rushing. Always back up, test on a staging site and wait for the dust to settle before committing. Our own sites won’t go live on Joomla 5 until at least the first maintenance release has landed.

Longer term, the new release cycle bodes well for the future. Regular, manageable updates make budgeting and planning easier for site owners. However, the quick pace may also pressure extension developers and create upgrade fatigue. Keep an eye on your third‑party suppliers and don’t assume they will support Joomla 5 immediately. And remember, Joomla still lacks a built‑in page builder – you’ll still rely on trusted extensions for drag‑and‑drop layouts. Overall, Joomla 5 is a solid step forward, but treat it as part of a journey rather than a destination.