Joomla 5 or Joomla 6: which version should you use in 2026?

Joomla 6 has been available for some time now. However, that does not automatically mean that every Joomla 5 website needs to be updated to Joomla 6 straight away.

Joomla 5.4 is still a perfectly good and supported version of Joomla. The question, therefore, is not so much whether you should upgrade to Joomla 6, but rather when.

When is it best to continue using Joomla 5.4?

Is your website running smoothly on Joomla 5.4? If so, there isn’t always a reason to switch to Joomla 6 straight away.

Particularly if your website uses extensions that are not yet compatible with Joomla 6, it’s better to stick with Joomla 5.4 for the time being. This also applies to bespoke extensions, plugins and templates where it is not yet clear whether they will work without issues on Joomla 6.

So, continuing to use Joomla 5.4 is not a problem. Of course, do ensure that you always install the latest Joomla 5.4.x version.

When is Joomla 6 the best choice?

If your website is technically ready for Joomla 6, there is little reason to delay the switch.

In particular, check the following:

• whether all the extensions you use support Joomla 6;
• whether your template is compatible with Joomla 6;
• whether any custom plugins and overrides will continue to work;
• whether your hosting environment meets the requirements of Joomla 6;
• and whether your website works without any issues without the backwards compatibility layer.

For a relatively simple Joomla website with up-to-date extensions, the switch from Joomla 5.4 to Joomla 6 can therefore be surprisingly straightforward.

But of course, always make a proper backup first.

Does your hosting meet the requirements for Joomla 6?

A key difference between Joomla 5.4 and Joomla 6 is the technical requirements for the server. You should therefore check before migrating whether your hosting environment is suitable for Joomla 6.

Technical requirements for Joomla 6

A Joomla website runs on a combination of a scripting language (PHP), a database (MySQL, MariaDB or PostgreSQL) and a web server (Apache, Nginx, IIS). The following technical requirements apply to Joomla 6:

* The current requirements can be found in the Joomla Technical Requirements. Technically, Joomla can still run on MariaDB 10.4 and PostgreSQL 12, but these versions are considered the absolute minimum and are no longer officially supported.

For PHP, the difference is clear: Joomla 6 requires at least PHP 8.3, and PHP 8.4 is recommended.

In addition, Joomla requires the PHP modules json, simplexml, dom, zlib and gd, plus a suitable MySQL or PostgreSQL driver. mbstring is recommended. For the PHP memory limit, Joomla recommends a minimum of 256 MB.

So, before upgrading from Joomla 5.4 to Joomla 6, check not only your extensions and template, but also the server on which the website is running.

When is it better to wait a little longer?

Are you using a key extension that Joomla 6 does not yet officially support? If so, wait.

The same applies if your website contains a lot of customisation and you are not entirely sure to what extent it relies on Joomla. A production environment is not the best place to find that out. Always make a copy of the website first and test the migration in a separate environment. You can then take your time to check what problems arise and what needs to be adjusted, whilst the existing Joomla 5.4 website remains online as normal.

Joomla has a backwards compatibility plugin to make the transition to a new major version easier. That’s useful, but it’s no reason to continue using incompatible extensions for years on end.

Think of this plugin primarily as a temporary stopgap. Ultimately, you want your website, template and extensions to be fully compatible with Joomla 6 without relying on backwards compatibility. That makes future updates a lot easier.

New Joomla website? Choose Joomla 6

For a new Joomla website in 2026, I would, in principle, opt for Joomla 6. That way, you’ll start straight away with the current generation of Joomla and avoid having to migrate to a new major version shortly after launch.

Only if an essential extension is not yet compatible with Joomla 6 might Joomla 5.4 be a sensible choice for the time being. But in that case, I would also ask myself: do I want to make a new website dependent on an extension that does not yet support Joomla 6?

Joomla 5.4 or Joomla 6?

Ultimately, the choice is quite simple.

• Stick with Joomla 5.4 if key extensions, your template or customisations are not yet compatible with Joomla 6.
• Upgrade to Joomla 6 once your website is technically ready and all key extensions support Joomla 6.

Wait a little longer if you’re not sure whether everything is compatible. First, create a test copy and try out the migration on that.

So there’s no reason to install Joomla 6 as quickly as possible at any cost. But there’s also little reason to stay on Joomla 5.4 if your website is already fully ready for Joomla 6.

A Joomla update should, above all, be a straightforward process. Just a bit of preparation, make a backup, test, update and you’re done. 

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