If you’re running Craft 5, you’re exactly where you should be. Craft 5 is the current major version, and there’s no urgent upgrade path ahead of you. That said, staying on Craft 5 doesn’t mean you can ignore updates entirely.
Keep Applying Updates
Craft 5 releases regular minor and patch updates that address security issues, fix bugs, and occasionally introduce small improvements. These updates (5.x.x version changes) are important to apply. They keep your site secure and running smoothly without requiring the planning overhead of a major version upgrade.
Think of it like maintaining a car. You don’t need to buy a new vehicle, but you do need to change the oil, rotate the tires, and address any recalls. Patch updates are routine maintenance that keeps everything running properly.
Most Craft 5 updates install smoothly through the control panel’s utilities section. Review the release notes first to understand what’s changing, test in a staging environment if you’re cautious, then apply the update to production. Regular small updates are considerably easier than large infrequent ones.
What Happens When Craft 6 Releases
Craft 6 is planned for release in late 2026 (more details in our When is Craft CMS 6 Out? post). When Craft 6 launches, Craft 5 automatically becomes Long-Term Support (LTS). This means Craft 5 will continue receiving security updates for five years after Craft 6’s general availability release.
This is genuinely useful. It means you won’t need to rush onto Craft 6 immediately. You’ll have years to plan the upgrade on your own timeline, evaluate whether Craft 6’s new features justify the migration effort, and wait for the plugin ecosystem to mature.
Should You Plan for Craft 6 Now?
Not really. Craft 6 is still in development. Pixel & Tonic has outlined planned features, but specifics will evolve as development progresses. Making concrete upgrade plans now would be premature.
That said, understanding what’s coming helps with current decisions. If you’re building custom functionality now, knowing that Craft 6 will migrate from Yii 2 to Laravel might influence your architectural choices. The backward compatibility adapter means plugins should continue working, but understanding the future direction informs better present-day decisions.
Focus on Building, Not Upgrading
The best position to be in is using current, supported software so you can focus on actually building things rather than maintaining foundations. Craft 5 gives you that position.
Use this time to improve your site’s content, build new features, optimise performance, or refine the authoring experience. The technical foundation is solid and supported. Take advantage of that stability to focus on the work that creates value for your organisation.
Regular Health Checks
Whilst Craft 5 doesn’t need major upgrades right now, periodic reviews of your site’s overall health remain valuable. Plugin updates, PHP version management, hosting environment optimisation, and security best practices all deserve attention.
We work with clients on retainer to handle ongoing maintenance, apply updates, monitor performance, and address issues before they become problems. This ongoing relationship means you’re always running current versions without needing to manage it yourself.
If you’re on Craft 5 and want to ensure you’re getting the most from it, let’s talk. We can review your setup, ensure you’re following current best practices, and make recommendations for improvements that leverage Craft 5’s capabilities fully.