You cannot jump from Joomla 3 to Joomla 6. In 2026 the supported destination is Joomla 6.1.x (current: 6.1.3). The official path is still staged: Joomla 3.10 to 4.4, then 4.4 to 5.4, then 5.4 to 6. Each hop needs its own backup, Pre-Update Check, and extension pass. Stopping at Joomla 4 is no longer the finish line.
This URL still ranks for Joomla 3 to Joomla 4 because that hop is mandatory. The article is updated for people who think a Joomla 6 zip on a Joomla 3 tree is an upgrade. It is not. It is a broken site.
We have run this path on client sites at Infyways for years. The 2023 “ten tips for Joomla 4” list still matters. The target, PHP, and Backward Compatibility plugin rules have changed. Follow the current Joomla 3 to 4, 4 to 5, and 5 to 6 manuals for the button-by-button UI. Use this page for the decisions those manuals assume you already made.
What you will learn
- Why Joomla 3 to Joomla 6 is a chain, not a single update
- What still applies from the old Joomla 3 to 4 checklist
- PHP, MySQL, and Backward Compatibility plugin rules that stop a 5.4 to 6 upgrade
- Whether to land on 5.4.8 or go all the way to 6.1.3
The only upgrade path that works
| Stage | You must be on | You move to |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latest Joomla 3.10.x | Joomla 4.4.x |
| 2 | Joomla 4.4.x | Joomla 5.4.x |
| 3 | Joomla 5.4.x | Joomla 6.x (6.1.3 as of 18 August 2026) |
If the Update component does not offer the next major, your PHP/MySQL or extensions failed the Pre-Update Check. Forcing a package overwrite across majors is how sites go offline.
Joomla 5.x regular bugfix support ends 13 October 2026 (security-only until 12 October 2027). Joomla 6.x is supported into 2028 and 2029 on the project roadmap. A new project should not “finish” on 4.x. A Joomla 3 site in 2026 should budget for 6.x, with 5.4 as a holding pattern only if an extension is not ready.
Step 1: Put Joomla 6 on the requirements sheet first
Do not size the server for Joomla 4 and hope. Joomla 6’s documented floor includes PHP 8.3, MySQL 8.0.13 or MariaDB 10.6.x (PostgreSQL 14 if you use it). Joomla 4 to 5 already wants PHP 8.1 and MySQL 8.0.13. Joomla 3 often still sits on PHP 7.x. That is three hosting conversations, not one.
If the host cannot do PHP 8.3, you will stop on 5.4 and still have a clock. Change host or plan before you burn a weekend on 3 to 4.
Step 2: Backup with Akeeba, then prove the restore
Take a full Akeeba (or equivalent) backup before every hop, not once at the start. Restore that backup on staging at least once. An untested backup is not a rollback plan. Keep the Joomla 3 backup after you reach 4. You will want it if an extension vendor has no Joomla 6 build and you need original data.
Step 3: Inventory extensions for 4, 5, and 6, not only 4
The 2023 advice was: check Joomla 4 versions on the JED. In 2026, a Joomla 4-only extension is a trap. You will pay for that migration twice.
- Keep it if the vendor has a Joomla 5.4 and Joomla 6 package, or a clear 5.4 bridge
- Replace it before 3 to 4 if the vendor is dead. Dead on Joomla 4 is dead on Joomla 6
- Ask the developer in writing for the 6.x date. “Coming soon” is not a path
VirtueMart, K2, old page builders, and custom components are where this project actually lives. Core is the easy part. If you need the work done as a project, that is Joomla upgrade and extension development, not a checkbox.
Step 4: Treat the template as a rewrite, not a setting
A Joomla 3 template will not “mostly work” on 6. Bootstrap, Chrome, and module positions change at 4 and again later. Budget a Joomla 5/6 template or a rebuild. Cassiopeia is a landing pad, not a brand.
Step 5: Run the Pre-Update Check on 3.10 before you touch 4
On Joomla 3.10, point Joomla Update at the Joomla 4 channel and read the Pre-Update Check. Update what you are keeping. Uninstall what will not survive. Disable incompatible system plugins so they do not fatal the first administrator hit after 4. Then migrate 3 to 4 on staging using the official 3 to 4 guide. Live is last.
Step 6: Do not live on 4.4
Joomla 4.4 is a station. After the site is stable, update extensions for 5, uninstall leftover com_search if the 4 to 5 manual still requires it, fix reCAPTCHA as that guide says, then 4.4 to 5.4. Current 5.x at this writing is 5.4.8.
The Backward Compatibility plugin is enabled on the 4 to 5 hop so old extensions can breathe. That is not permission to skip testing.
Step 7: Disable the old Backward Compatibility plugin before Joomla 6
This is the step 2023 Joomla 4 articles never mention, and it is why 5.4 to 6 fails in silence.
The official 5 to 6 guide: you must be on Joomla 5.4.x. The Behaviour, Backward Compatibility plugin without a number in the name must be disabled before you go to 6. Extensions have to run on 5.4 without that plugin. Joomla 5.4 also ships Backward Compatibility 6 to ease 6.x. Do not mix those two plugins up.
Then set the update channel to Joomla Next, pass Required Settings, and go to 6.x. Current 6.x: 6.1.3.
Step 8: Test each hop like it is production
Checkout, login, multilingual, ACL, custom fields, cron, and the two templates you actually use. Then the next hop. One giant “we will test at the end” is how you discover a Joomla 3 module still running on 6 with a white screen.
Stop on 5.4 or go all the way to 6
| Land on 5.4.8 when | Go to 6.1.3 when |
|---|---|
| A paid extension has 5.x only | Vendors already ship Joomla 6 |
| You need weeks to rebuild a template | PHP 8.3 is live and staging is green |
| You need a freeze before a campaign | You want the line supported through 2028 and 2029 |
Do not stop on 5.4 forever. Regular 5.x support ends 13 October 2026. For why 6.x is the live major line, see the future of Joomla in 2026.
Key takeaways
- Joomla 3 to Joomla 6 is 3.10 to 4.4 to 5.4 to 6. No skip.
- Joomla 3 to 4 is still required. It is not the 2026 destination.
- Inventory extensions for Joomla 6 on day one, not after you reach 4.
- PHP 8.3 and the unnumbered Backward Compatibility plugin are the usual 5.4 to 6 blockers.
- Test and backup at every hop. Then go live.
Frequently asked questions
Can I upgrade Joomla 3 directly to Joomla 6?
No. There is no supported jump. Go 3.10 to 4.4, then 4.4 to 5.4, then 5.4 to 6.
Is a Joomla 3 to Joomla 4 upgrade enough in 2026?
No. Joomla 4 is a required station. Plan for 5.4 and 6.x unless you like another migration in a few months.
What is the current Joomla 6 version?
Joomla 6.1.3 as of 18 August 2026, with 5.4.8 still on the 5.x line. Check the roadmap before you freeze a package list.
Why does Joomla 6 not show in the Update component?
You are not on 5.4.x, PHP is below 8.3, or an extension/plugin (including the old Backward Compatibility plugin) failed the Pre-Update Check.
Do I still need Akeeba and a staging site?
Yes. More hops means more rollback points. Restore a backup on staging before every major jump.
Conclusion
Keep the Joomla 3 to 4 discipline: backup, extensions, template, Pre-Update Check, staging. Change the destination to Joomla 6. If that chain is more than you want to own, we still run it as an upgrade project and keep the site on support afterward.