Note: This article was last updated on September 20, 2024 and may contain outdated information.
If you’re running Craft 4, you’re not in the same urgent situation as those on Craft 2 or 3. Craft 4 continues to receive security updates until April 2026. You have time. That said, you should start thinking about upgrading to Craft 5 sooner rather than later.
The Timeline
Craft 4 will reach end of life in April 2026. That gives you roughly a year and a half (as of this writing) before you’re in unsupported territory. This feels like plenty of time, and in some ways it is. But in practice, the earlier you upgrade, the smoother the process tends to be.
Waiting until the last minute means upgrading under pressure. Plugins you rely on might stop supporting Craft 4 before the official end of life date. Finding developers familiar with older versions becomes harder as the community moves forward. Hosting environments may start defaulting to PHP versions that, whilst technically compatible, push you toward the newer Craft release.
Why Upgrade Before You Have To
Moving to Craft 5 whilst Craft 4 is still supported gives you flexibility. You can test thoroughly, address plugin compatibility methodically, and handle any custom development work without deadline pressure. If you encounter unexpected issues, you have runway to resolve them properly.
Additionally, Craft 5 offers genuine improvements worth having. The updated Twig 3 engine provides better performance and cleaner template syntax. The element editor redesign makes content authoring more pleasant. Security and permissions handling received meaningful refinements. These aren’t revolutionary changes, but they’re the kind of incremental improvements that compound into a noticeably better experience.
What Upgrading Involves
The good news: migrating from Craft 4 to Craft 5 is generally less involved than previous major version upgrades. Pixel & Tonic focused on reducing breaking changes whilst still advancing the platform meaningfully.
Most template code transfers directly. The main consideration is Twig 3 compatibility. Some older template patterns need updating, but these are typically straightforward changes. If your templates follow modern Craft conventions, you’ll likely face minimal adjustments.
Plugins present the usual consideration. Check that your installed plugins have Craft 5 compatible versions available. Most actively maintained plugins updated quickly when Craft 5 released, but anything unmaintained or abandoned will need replacing or rebuilding.
Custom modules and plugins require attention. The plugin API evolved slightly between Craft 4 and 5. Simple plugins often need only minor adjustments. More complex implementations deserve proper testing and potential refactoring.
When to Upgrade
There’s no single right answer that applies to every site. Consider upgrading to Craft 5 when:
You’re planning other site improvements that justify the development investment. Combining upgrades with feature work or redesigns makes efficient use of development time.
Your plugin ecosystem is ready. If critical plugins haven’t yet released Craft 5 compatible versions, waiting makes sense. But keep monitoring their status rather than assuming they’ll update eventually.
You have capacity to test properly. Rushing upgrades leads to problems. If you can dedicate appropriate time to staging environment testing and proper QA, that’s your opportunity.
Planning Ahead
We’re helping clients assess their Craft 4 sites and plan Craft 5 upgrades now. This early planning approach means understanding what the upgrade involves, identifying potential complications, and creating realistic timelines that avoid last-minute pressure.
If you’re on Craft 4, reach out. We can review your current setup, explain what Craft 5 migration would entail, and help you determine the optimal timing for your specific situation. Having a plan beats scrambling as the end of life deadline approaches.