Joomla 5.0.0 is here. This is the next major version of Joomla. However, the migration from Joomla 4 to 5 should not be too complex thanks to the backward compatibility plugin. This plugin is enabled by default for all websites that are upgraded from Joomla 4 to 5. We tested all our Joomla templates and extensions with Joomla 5.0.0 and confirmed that all of them are working properly with the new version.
We noticed some incompatibility with the Sparky Page Builder and released version 1.3.0 for Joomla 5. If you upgraded your website and experienced problems with the page builder, please download the version for Joomla 5 from our website and install it.
Our plan is to finish the development of the Sparky Framework 5.0 soon. Also, all extensions are already re-developed and new versions are released. The next versions will make all our templates and extensions independent from the backward compatibility plugin. This will also assure compatibility with the next major Joomla 6.0.0 (it won't have the backward compatibility plugin).
System Requirements
- PHP 8.1+: Make sure that your server runs at least PHP 8.1. Joomla 5 will not work on PHP 7 or earlier versions
- MySQL 8.0.13+, MariaDB 10.4+, or PostgreSQL 12+: We noticed that many web hosts don't meet the database requirement of Joomla 5. So, if you can't upgrade from Joomla 4 to 5 or if you can't install Joomla 5 on your server, the reason is probably a database software requirement.
New Features of Joomla 5
Dark Mode in Administrator
The dark mode is not available in the Joomla administrator panel. This feature will help you to work more easily with Joomla during the night and save your eyes.
Schema.org Integration
This is probably the most noticeable change in the Content component. You can now add Schema.org data to each article directly from Joomla, without any 3rd party extension. This feature is especially important for better SEO of your website.
PHP, Bootstrap, TinyMCE and Font Awesome Updates
Joomla finally has the full PHP 8+ compatibility. Bootstrap is also upgraded to version 5.3.2. TinyMCE (default Joomla editor) has been upgraded to version 6.7. Joomla 5 uses Font Awesome 6 icons (Joomla 4 was using Font Awesome 5).
Many more...
There are many more new features and enhancements. If you are interested in more details, please read this article from Joomla Community Magazine.