With each new version Joomla is getting easier and easier to use, so if you are wondering if the upgrade is worth it, the answer is definitely a big YES, especially if you are still using oldies like 1.5 or 1.7. Those versions are no longer supported officially (no security patches or big fixes are issued), and while your site can still work perfectly if you are not adding any new functionalities to it and only adding text and images – any new feature added, as small as RSS or a photo gallery, and you run a security risk. Plus, many plugins and components no longer run on the old versions. So, again, if your site is very simple and you are not adding any features to it, you can run your Joomla 1.5. version indefinitely. But if you plan on adding something functional to it, then you are running the risk of seeing the teeth of software security and compatibility.

Read more on the release of Joomla 3.3.1

5 Things you need to know about the Joomla upgrade

1. Upgrading to a subversion of a major release is a relatively simple task that your website manager can do with a click of a button (well, almost always), but we advise “walking one step behind”. Do not rush to upgrade to the latest subversion, wait until it becomes mature. We prefer to stay on the last but one subversion.
2. Upgrading to a major version is never a simple DIY task. Do not attempt to click that “upgrade now” button. If you really can’t help it, at least make sure to backup the site first (use Akeeba backup ).
3. If your site is more than a restaurant menu, upgrading to a major version is always worth it. Every new version of Joomla makes things easier for end-users. There are more new bells and whistles that come with it that can enhance your site’s functionalities for free. Security is less of a threat as new versions always improve on previously found vulnerabilities.
4. Before the upgrade, check what components, modules and plugins your site is using, create an inventory and then to go here and verify that each of these extensions supports the new Joomla version. If you are hiring a web design agency, they would do it for you.
5. When asking for quotes from web design agencies, you are likely to see a much larger variance between different quotes. The price can range 400%. We do not have a scientifically proven answer for why this is the case, but our guess – as arrogant as it maybe – is this is because some agencies d not have the right expertise and take much longer to do what needs to be done. The other possible reason is because they know there are no “standards” for upgrade projects and no typical range of hours that can be estimated, so they can crank up the price as much as they want. What’s interesting is that consumers are “afraid” of the low price. Whereas the funny part is that – with the upgrade projects, as opposed to the new site development, the risks are much fewer. At the end of the project, your site is either working or not. So if your site, which will be sitting on a development server, is working, which you can test by clicking around, then whether you paid $2000 or $4000 for the update is pretty much circumstantial.