# Joomla Support UK

Source: https://dijitulsupport.co.uk/joomla-support/
Updated: 2026-10-10

> dijitul support maintains and fixes Joomla websites for UK businesses, including upgrades from end-of-life Joomla 3 and 4 to Joomla 5 or 6, extension compatibility problems, errors and hacked sites. Care plans start at £25 a month + VAT, one-off fixes are £45 an hour + VAT, and major version upgrades are quoted.

## Common symptoms

- Your site still runs Joomla 3 or Joomla 4 and no longer gets security fixes
- "0 - Class not found" or a 500 error after an update
- Extensions show as incompatible in the Pre-Update Check
- Template looks broken after moving to a newer Joomla version
- Admin login loops back to the login page
- Spam content or unknown Super Users appearing on the site

## Key facts

- Joomla 3 reached end of life in August 2023 and Joomla 4 on 14 October 2025
- Joomla 6.0.0 was released on 14 October 2025
- Upgrades planned with the Pre-Update Check, an extension audit and a staging copy
- Akeeba Backup, Admin Tools, template overrides and common extensions supported
- Hacked Joomla sites cleaned and hardened
- Plans from £25 a month + VAT; ad-hoc fixes £45 an hour + VAT; major upgrades quoted

## Where Joomla sites are in 2026

Joomla is a mature open source CMS with a loyal following, especially for membership, directory and multilingual sites. The version you are on matters a lot:

| Version | Status |

| Joomla 3.x | End of life since August 2023, no security fixes |

| Joomla 4.x | End of life since 14 October 2025, no security fixes |

| Joomla 5.x | Supported |

| Joomla 6.x | Current major release, 6.0.0 released 14 October 2025 |

If your site is on Joomla 3 or 4, any newly discovered vulnerability will stay open. That is the single biggest reason Joomla sites get hacked.

## Upgrading Joomla without losing the site

Joomla 3 to 4 was a big jump: a new admin template, Bootstrap 5, a rewritten codebase and removed legacy features. Many Joomla 3 extensions and templates were never updated. Moving from 4 to 5 and 5 to 6 is smoother, but each major version removes deprecated code, so old extensions still break.

Our upgrade process:

- Full backup, typically with Akeeba Backup, and a restore test on a staging copy.

- Run Joomla's Pre-Update Check to list incompatible extensions and PHP requirements.

- For each extension: update, replace with an alternative, or remove if no longer needed.

- Rebuild or update the template and any template overrides in */templates/your-template/html*.

- Upgrade the staging site, test forms, menus, logins and SEF URLs, then repeat on live.

A Joomla 3 site may need an upgrade or a rebuild, depending on how many extensions are dead. We quote major upgrades after the audit. Sometimes moving to WordPress is the better long-term choice, and we will tell you honestly if so. See [website migration support](https://dijitulsupport.co.uk/website-migration-support/).

## Common Joomla errors we fix

- **500 errors and class not found:** often a plugin that was not compatible with the new version, or a corrupted update. We use the error log and disable the plugin in the database if the admin is unreachable.

- **Admin login loop:** session handler, cookie domain or caching problems, sometimes a security extension blocking your IP.

- **Broken SEF URLs:** rewrite rules in *.htaccess* not enabled after a move, or the *htaccess.txt* never renamed.

- **Database schema mismatches:** fixed from System > Database once we know it is safe.

- **PHP version problems:** Joomla 5 and 6 require PHP 8, so a host PHP change can break an older site overnight. See [PHP version upgrade](https://dijitulsupport.co.uk/php-version-upgrade/).

## Security for Joomla sites

We keep Joomla core and extensions patched, check the Joomla Vulnerable Extensions List, remove unused extensions, enforce strong Super User passwords and two-factor authentication, and set correct file permissions. Admin Tools or similar can add a web application firewall layer.

If your site has already been compromised, see [hacked website repair](https://dijitulsupport.co.uk/hacked-website-repair/) and [malware removal](https://dijitulsupport.co.uk/malware-removal/).

## Extensions that cause the most trouble

On Joomla sites we take over, the same groups of extensions cause most upgrade and security work:

- **Page builders and template frameworks:** older versions of frameworks such as Gantry, T3 or Helix, and builders that never gained Joomla 4 or 5 support, can leave a site with no working template after an upgrade.

- **Form and content construction kits:** large extensions that store data in their own tables need their own upgrade path, and their data must survive the move.

- **Ecommerce:** VirtueMart and HikaShop versions are tied closely to particular Joomla versions, so the shop decides when the CMS can be upgraded.

- **Abandoned extensions:** anything from a developer who has stopped trading. These are the most common entry point for attackers.

Our audit lists every extension with its version, whether it is still maintained and what it would take to replace, so the upgrade quote is based on facts.

## Joomla support prices

**Essential, £25 a month + VAT:** core and extension updates applied and checked, daily backups, uptime and security monitoring. **Business, £50 a month + VAT:** adds an hour of fixes or changes each month and priority support. **Complete, £99 a month + VAT:** three hours a month plus IT and Microsoft 365 helpdesk.

One-off Joomla fixes are **£45 an hour + VAT**, 30-minute minimum. Major version upgrades are quoted after an audit. Compare options on our [pricing page](https://dijitulsupport.co.uk/pricing/), or read about [website maintenance](https://dijitulsupport.co.uk/website-maintenance/).

## FAQs

### Is Joomla 3 still safe to use?

No. Joomla 3 reached end of life in August 2023 and receives no security fixes, and Joomla 4 followed on 14 October 2025. Any new vulnerability stays open. dijitul can audit a Joomla 3 or 4 site and quote an upgrade or rebuild.

### Can I upgrade straight from Joomla 3 to Joomla 5 or 6?

Not in one step. Joomla expects you to move through each major version: 3.10 to 4.4, then to 5, then to 6. Each stage needs compatible extensions. dijitul plans and tests the whole path on a staging copy first.

### How much does a Joomla upgrade cost?

It depends on the number of extensions and how custom the template is, so dijitul quotes major upgrades after an audit. Small fixes are £45 an hour + VAT, and ongoing care plans start at £25 a month + VAT.

### Why does my Joomla site show a 500 error after an update?

Most often an extension that is incompatible with the new Joomla or PHP version. dijitul checks the server error log, disables the faulty extension, even directly in the database if needed, then updates or replaces it.

### Should I move from Joomla to WordPress?

Sometimes. If most of your extensions are abandoned, a rebuild may cost less than an upgrade, and WordPress has a larger plugin and developer pool. dijitul will give an honest view after looking at your site.

## Pricing and contact

Support plans from £25 a month + VAT, or £45 an hour + VAT for one-off fixes. Plans: Essential £25/month + VAT (Website software updates (core, plugins, themes) applied and checked, Daily backups, Uptime monitoring, Security monitoring); Business £50/month + VAT (Everything in Essential, 1 hour of fixes or changes every month, Priority support); Complete £99/month + VAT (Everything in Business, 3 hours of fixes or changes every month, IT and Microsoft 365 helpdesk for your team). Ad-hoc support is £45 an hour + VAT. The first 30 minutes are the minimum charge, then we bill in 15-minute blocks. Contact: 01623 650333, support@dijitul.uk, https://dijitulsupport.co.uk/contact/