Joomla has been a reliable content management system for thousands of developers, business owners and organizations for over 20 years and like any software it keeps getting updates. Joomla 4 lost official support on October 17, 2025, so if your site still runs on Joomla 4 it is time to upgrade to Joomla 5, or to Joomla 6 after a first step to Joomla 5.4.
As a Canadian company serving businesses in Canada and the USA, IDL Web Inc can upgrade your Joomla 4 website to Joomla 5, ask for a FREE audit or a FREE quote and we will send you a no-obligation estimate.
Joomla in a Nutshell
It all began with Mambo, an open-source content management system (CMS) that drew popularity quickly after its launch in 2001. When copyright disputes split the Mambo development team, a group of developers left the project and built their own CMS, which they called Joomla, a Swahili word meaning all together.
Over the years Joomla set itself apart with advanced user management and access control that lets administrators create detailed user roles and permissions. It suits beginners with its user-friendly interface and gives experienced developers the flexibility to build anything from a personal blog to an enterprise site and its multi-language support lets you create extensions that are easy to translate.
The Evolution of Joomla
Each version of Joomla brought improvements:
- Joomla 1.0: the first version, primarily a rebranding of Mambo.
- Joomla 1.5: released three years after the original, with a new architecture and a front-end content management feature.
- Joomla 2.5: launched in 2012 with one-click updates, multi-language capabilities, batch content processing and better template and module management.
- Joomla 3.x: introduced in 2013 with a mobile-friendly design, improved search and support for more advanced content types.
- Joomla 4: released in 2021, nearly nine years after 3.x, with a complete redesign of the administration interface, a new Media Manager and an enhanced workflow system for content creation.
- Joomla 5: builds on the foundation of Joomla 4 with faster performance, stronger security and modern PHP compatibility.
Why It Is Time to Say Goodbye to Joomla 4
Support for Joomla 4 ended on October 17, 2025 and holding on to it is no longer safe.
No security updates
Without security updates, bug fixes or maintenance your site is at risk of being hacked, broken or taken offline.
Compatibility problems
You may run into compliance, SEO and other compatibility issues with plugins, modules and security tools.
A costlier migration later
The longer you wait, the more complicated and costly the migration becomes.
Upgrading to Joomla 5 keeps your site secure, fully supported and ready for future improvements and updates.
Still running Joomla 4?
IDL Web Inc can audit your Joomla 4 website and add-ons and tell you what the upgrade will involve.
Joomla 4 to Joomla 5 Upgrade Process
Upgrading may sound overwhelming but we made it simple and this is how we guide your site from Joomla 4 to Joomla 5.
Staging copy
We set up a staging copy of your live site and we never upgrade the live site directly. The copy lets us test every step without any risk to your visitors.
Core and add-on upgrade
We upgrade Joomla core and all add-ons and if an add-on is not Joomla 5-ready we recommend alternatives. We also check the PHP version and the database before the upgrade starts.
3 rounds of quality checks
We complete 3 full rounds of checks and compare your Joomla 4 and Joomla 5 sites side by side. Each round covers pages, forms, menus and add-ons. We fix what we find before the next round.
Your review and sign-off
We ask you to review the upgraded site and sign off. You compare it side by side with your Joomla 4 site and tell us what you want changed before anything goes live.
Go live
On approval your Joomla 5 site goes live, with database synchronization if needed. We watch the site after the switch and fix any upgrade-related issue under the 60-day warranty.
Old site kept for 1 month
Your old Joomla 4 site stays accessible for 1 month and is blocked from search engines and a 60-day warranty covers any upgrade-related issue at no additional cost.
How to Get Started with a Quote
IDL Web Inc has helped businesses and brands across North America build, manage and upgrade their Joomla websites. To begin:
- Send us your site domain.
- We may require temporary admin login credentials.
- We provide a no-obligation free estimate.
- We issue a deposit invoice and get started and we keep you updated on every step of the upgrade.
- Completion time can be as little as 2 weeks.
- Every project comes with our standard 60-day warranty.
Want your Joomla 5 upgrade quote?
Send IDL Web Inc your site domain and we will send you a free estimate.
How IDL Web Inc Can Help
You can upgrade on your own, however, an upgrade that goes through a staging site and 3 rounds of checks avoids downtime and that is where IDL Web Inc helps. IDL Web Inc is a Canadian web design company that assists North American businesses with their website.
Upgrade audit
We check your extensions, templates and custom code, see our free audit.
Custom extensions
When an add-on is not Joomla 5-ready we build a replacement, see our Joomla development service.
Joomla maintenance
We keep Joomla and every extension updated, see our Joomla maintenance and support plans.
Don't forget
Remember that an unsupported website is an easy target for hacks, crashes and costly downtime, so do not wait to move to a supported Joomla version.
Leave your upgrade to the Joomla specialists at IDL Web Inc, ask for a FREE audit or a FREE quote and we will book your free Joomla 5 upgrade consultation. We assist North American businesses with their websites from our Toronto base. Keep up with us to know more of Joomla news/fixes!
Schedule Consultation with An Expert
IDL Web Inc can upgrade your Joomla 4 website to Joomla 5, ask for a FREE audit or a FREE quote and we will send you a no-obligation estimate.
