Should I upgrade to Joomla 5?
The question isn’t whether, but how. Based on your current version and code base, we choose the right path. We’ve already guided many upgrades to Joomla 5 — fast, safe, and in a controlled, structured way.
What’s the next step for your Joomla website?
If you’re still on Joomla 3.x: Support has ended (August 2023), so an upgrade is overdue. In many cases the best path is a clean migration of content and structure, replacing incompatible extensions — with the goal of landing on Joomla 5.x.
If you’re already on Joomla 4.x: The upgrade to Joomla 5.x is usually much leaner. We check compatibility (template, extensions, PHP), test the upgrade on a staging instance, and then roll it out safely.
Since 2021 we’ve migrated and updated many projects to Joomla 4 and, more recently, Joomla 5. We evaluate your options transparently and recommend the path that fits budget, timeline and risk.
Projects & References
Who are we?
We’re a Joomla-focused agency based in Manchester. We’ve been working with Joomla since 2006, supporting existing sites and delivering new builds. In recent years, upgrades to Joomla 5.x have become a particular focus — and one of our core strengths.
Our update & migration services
Free assessment & binding quote
You tell us about your site and how critical it is to your business. After a detailed review we make a recommendation and provide a quote.
Migration from Joomla 3/4 to 5.x
We migrate content, structure and functionality to a current Joomla 5 base, replace incompatible extensions, and surface blockers early — fully documented and tested.
Relaunch your site on Joomla 5
A fresh start on a clean Joomla 5 installation — reusing or refactoring the valuable parts of your current code base. You get a modern, maintainable foundation.
My thoughts on Joomla 5
My first impression of Joomla 4 was mixed: compatibility and documentation were rough, so we often advised clients to wait. Over time most of that was solved.
Joomla 5, on the other hand, felt very stable right from the start. Upgrades are usually quick and clean, the new features make sense, and the platform feels future-proof.
My recommendation today: upgrade to Joomla 5 in every case.
Ivana / Project Lead
Our step-by-step approach to upgrading to Joomla 5
1. Understand your starting point
We review frontend/backend, template, extensions and hosting. For Joomla 3.x we map possible migration paths; for Joomla 4.x we check whether a direct upgrade is realistic.
2. Align with your goals
What role does the site play in your business? How critical are uptime, SEO and editorial workflow? Are there design or UX goals you want to address during the upgrade?
3. Recommendation & quote
You get a clear recommendation (upgrade 4 → 5 or migrate 3 → 5), including effort, risks, fallback plan and timeline.
4. Q&A & final specification
We clarify open questions, prioritise tasks, and finalise the rollout plan for staging, testing and go-live.
FAQ about upgrading to Joomla 5
The effort depends heavily on your starting point and extensions. Small sites (especially 4 → 5) can often be upgraded very quickly; complex 3.x sites need analysis, a migration path and testing. We review your site for free and give you a binding quote.
For 4 → 5 it’s sometimes possible if the template and extensions are compatible — but we still recommend doing a staging upgrade and full backups. For 3 → 5 we strongly recommend professional guidance to avoid downtime or data loss.
Running outdated software with known vulnerabilities significantly increases security risk. Without support and security updates, both operational risk and maintenance cost go up.
Yes. Our experience with Joomla 5 is very positive: the base is stable, the community is active, and the upgrade path is clear. That’s why we recommend moving to it.
Jay Haydon
Agency owner
Let’s talk about Joomla 5!
Get in touch — we’ll get back to you within one working day. You can also send me an email.