If you're currently using Joomla 4 or 5, you might be wondering: What’s new in Joomla 6? How does it compare to Joomla 5? And should you prepare to upgrade?

Joomla Release Lifecycle

Before we dive into the feature comparison, it’s important to understand the lifecycle of Joomla versions:

• Joomla 4.x: Released August 2021 – End of Support: October 2025 (LTS)
• Joomla 5.x: Released October 2023 – End of Support: October 2025 (STS)
• Joomla 6.0 (Planned): Expected Q4 2025 – Long-Term Support

Joomla follows a major release cycle every 2 years. Joomla 6 is expected to be the next LTS (Long-Term Support) release, making it the recommended version for long-term site stability and security.

🆚 Joomla 5 vs Joomla 6 – Feature Comparison

Let’s take a closer look at how Joomla 6 builds on Joomla 5 and why these changes matter to your website or development workflow.

1. PHP Requirement

Joomla 5: Requires PHP 8.1+
Joomla 6: Expected to require PHP 8.2+

Better performance and compatibility with modern hosting environments.

2. Accessibility Improvements

Joomla 5: WCAG 2.1
Joomla 6: Moving to full WCAG 2.2 compliance

Ensures your site is inclusive and meets accessibility standards.

3. Web Components

Joomla 5: Limited usage
Joomla 6: Full native Web Component support

Cleaner front-end development with reusable components.

4. Framework Enhancements

Joomla 5: Joomla Framework 2.x
Joomla 6: Updated framework with Symfony components

Modern architecture and cleaner backend code for developers.

5. Admin User Interface

Joomla 5: Cassiopeia admin template
Joomla 6: Cassiopeia+ with improved UX and accessibility

Better usability for content managers and site admins.

6. Multilingual Handling

Joomla 5: Core multilingual features
Joomla 6: Improved translation workflow and language file management

Easier to manage multilingual sites with less manual work.

7. CLI Tools

Joomla 5: Basic Joomla Console
Joomla 6: Expanded command line support

Enables automation and headless operations for power users.

8. Security Enhancements

Joomla 5: 2FA, modern hashing
Joomla 6: Improved session handling (planned)

Stronger security for user sessions and data integrity.

9. Backward Compatibility

Joomla 5: Mostly compatible with Joomla 4 extensions
Joomla 6: Some breaking changes expected

Extension developers will need to test and update for Joomla 6 compatibility.

10. Long-Term Support

Joomla 5: STS (ends Oct 2025)
Joomla 6: LTS (recommended for long-term use)

Joomla 6 is the future-proof choice for new projects and upgrades.

Should I Upgrade to Joomla 6?

What About Templates and Extensions?

Joomla 6 will introduce changes that require updates to templates and extensions.

• All active JoomlArt templates will be updated for Joomla 6 compatibility
• T4 Framework update is already in progress
• Testing and beta support will begin once Joomla 6 reaches stable release

Conclusion

Joomla 6 is not just another release—it’s a forward-looking upgrade focused on accessibility, developer experience, and future standards.

If you're planning a new site or a long-term upgrade, Joomla 6 will be the right version to adopt starting late 2024.

Have questions about upgrading? Our support team is here to help.