Craft CMS 3: Why it’s time to upgrade

If your website uses Craft CMS, then you should be aware that it needs the occasional upgrade to ensure it’s using the latest version. This is especially important to keep in mind if your site is using an older version, since you’ll start to lose out on important features and security updates.

Support for Craft CMS 3 ended in 2024, so if your site is currently using this version, then it wouldn’t be a bad time to look at upgrading to Craft 5, since it’s the latest version with all the bells and whistles.

To help you get a handle on the benefits of upgrading, we’ve covered the main points in this handy guide.

This guide at a glance

• What is a Craft CMS upgrade?
• What are the benefits of upgrading?
• Support
• Security
• Plugins
• Latest features
• Speed

What is a Craft CMS upgrade?

In layman’s terms, a Craft CMS upgrade is the process of transitioning your site from your old, outdated version to the latest, all-singing and dancing version. This may sound simple, but here’s what the process usually looks like to give you an idea of how involved it is:

• Core functionality is updated to the latest version
• All plugins and modules (i.e. the things that give your website its features) are upgraded
• Replacing any plugins and modules that aren’t compatible
• Rewriting any custom code that isn’t compatible with the latest version of Craft CMS
• Data transferring any essential systems (think things like newsletters)
• Testing and quality assurance

What are the benefits of upgrading?

As you can imagine, there are plenty of reasons to consider upgrading your Craft CMS to the latest version. 

Support

Like any piece of software, there comes a time when the creators and their communities have to move on and focus their efforts on the newest version. This means that sites using older versions no longer receive active support. As a result, older versions stop receiving updates, bug fixes, or plugin support. 

The length of remaining support you have depends on which version you are on:

 

Version currently supported: 

Version	Released On	Active Support Until	Security Support Until
Craft CMS 4	4th May 2022	30th April 2025	30th April 2026
Craft Commerce 4	4th May 2022	30th April 2025	30th April 2026
Craft CMS 5	26th March 2024	31st December 2030	31st December 2031
Craft Commerce 5	30th April 2024	31st December 2030	31st December 2031

 

Versions no longer supported: 

Version	Released On	Active Support Ended	Security Support Ended
Craft CMS 3	4th April 2018	30th April 2023	30th April 2024
Craft Commerce 3	28th January 2020	30th April 2023	30th April 2024

 

As you can see, Craft 3 is no longer supported in any capacity. Because it has reached end-of-life, we’d therefore recommend upgrading to the latest version as soon as possible. If you’re unsure what version your site is using, or you need help upgrading to the latest Craft CMS, then we’d be happy to help.

Security

Although this is related to the point about support, we thought it deserved a separate mention because of how important it is. You see, not only do you lose access to the latest features for unsupported Craft CMS versions, but you lose security updates and patches, too.

Cyberattacks are commonplace in the digital age, with 50% of businesses having reported some sort of cybersecurity breach in 2024, according to statistics from the UK government.

Craft CMS creators, Pixel & Tonic, and the supporting community, work tirelessly to ensure that each version of Craft, including its plugins, is fully protected from potential threats. Given the sensitive data that can be contained within a CMS, your site’s security should be a top priority, making it a good enough reason as any to upgrade to a version that’s fully supported.

Plugins

The beauty of plugins is that they allow you to unlock features that give you more control over your site, whether it’s enhancing the user experience, helping you get a better handle on customer data, or allowing you to get the most out of your content through search engine optimisation (SEO).

Here’s the kicker, these plugins are configured by developers to run on actively supported versions of Craft CMS. So, if you’re running an outdated version of Craft CMS, then you won’t have access to the latest features (see the point about security).

There’s also another issue with this: Developers will always opt to work with the latest versions of a CMS because they don’t have to navigate older programming languages or work around security vulnerabilities that aren’t being patched. It’s therefore unlikely you’ll be able to request the development of new plugins for your site. And, if you’re a business aspiring to improve internal processes, remove customer friction points, or simply enhance the customer experience using custom functionality, this could set you back. 

 In short, if you want to improve your website’s features with plugins, then upgrading to the latest version of Craft CMS is a necessity.

Latest features

You probably won’t be surprised to learn that upgrading to the latest version of Craft CMS gives you access to a range of new features, all of which are designed to improve the navigation, workflow, and security.

For example, if we compare Craft CMS 5 vs Craft CMS 4, you’d get access to the following:

• Refined user interface with a collapsible sidebar and new icons
• Enhanced security through passkey and two-factor authentication
• Enhanced matrix fields that offer support for all field layout features (e.g. tabs)
• Inline editing capabilities from a table view that allow for efficient bulk editing.

Speed

Last, but certainly not least, the latest versions of Craft CMS are always faster than its predecessor. This is because the developers work incredibly hard to optimise the framework of the CMS and its features, which not only improves the navigation for users but also has a positive impact on the loading speeds for your target audience if configured correctly.

The benefits of this improvement in speed can be felt for editors who use the platform to publish content regularly, but it will also be reflected in your site’s Core Web Vitals, which Google uses as a ranking signal.

Need help with a Craft CMS upgrade?

When your website is hosted on Craft, periodic upgrades to the latest version are a necessary part of maintenance and development. This is especially important if you’re using a version that’s totally unsupported now, such as Craft CMS 3. By avoiding an upgrade, you not only risk leaving your site vulnerable to cyberattacks, but you’re also placing shackles on any future development that may improve sales.