Freelance Joomla developers for hire will typically offer a fixed price to help you take advantage of the benefits of Joomla migration. The average cost is approximately $250 for a basic upgrade from version Joomla 3.x.
In this guide, we’ll explain the factors to consider when putting together a Joomla migration budget and why you might be able to reduce your expenses by picking the right developer.
What Are the Average Joomla Migration Costs?
Junior developers are often the least expensive professionals to use for migration. However, it may be worth opting for more skilled help to ensure your upgraded app or website performs flawlessly. Below is a list of the time required and ballpark costs involved in migrating from one version of Joomla to the next:
| Migration Project | Developer Time | Average Cost |
| Joomla 1.5 to 3.x | Five hours | $450 |
| Joomla 2.5 to 3.x | Three hours | $250 |
| Joomla 3.x to 4.x | Three hours | $250 |
These prices are based on straightforward migrations. A more complex job or project involving large, dynamic, interlinked website networks may cost considerably more. A lot depends on the volume of data and pages you have, as well as how many third-party extensions you have bolted onto your Joomla content management system (CMS).
How Can a Joomla Migration Save Money?
One consideration that might sway your decision-making is that many of the older extensions available for Joomla have become outdated and redundant with each new version release. If you’re using Joomla Premium or paying for extra functionality, there is a good chance that you will find those tools included for free with the next iteration of the CMS.
Make sure the developer builds this administrative work into their pricing. Extensions on old Joomla scripts that don’t have a comparable template on the new version can be a little tricky, as a developer will need to scout around for a suitable replacement.
What Does a Joomla 4.x Migration Offer?
The Joomla 4.x version was released in August 2021, quickly followed by a few bug fixes and security updates. New features available with migration to this new version include:
- A more powerful, cleaner codebase
- Accessible templates for front and backend applications
- Quicker installation processes
- New publishing tools, media manager, and web services
- A larger Command Line Interface
Although there are lots of advantages, properly managing your migration is important. A mistake could mean you lose some of your curated content or search engine optimization performance if assets are moved without proper preparation.
Most developers will test the migration first, identify potential issues, and address them before they go live with the new system. It’s also wise to run through a website audit and security scan before an upgrade to identify any stumbling blocks that need to be fixed before you can migrate successfully.
When Should I Migrate From Joomla 3.x to 4.x?
The previous Joomla CMS version isn’t being withdrawn, but it’s still advisable to migrate before August 2023 when Joomla may discontinue script support for the older version. Older websites hosted on a previous version will still operate, but they may lose some of their security protection against hackers.
As Joomla 4.x rolls out, more extension developers are focusing on creating Joomla 4 versions. This is a positive trend because more and more extensions will incorporate new functionality that doesn’t exist in Joomla 3 add-ons.
What Other Costs Are Associated With a Joomla 4.x Migration?
There are some potential additional costs to include in a migration budget, but these will usually only crop up if you attempt the migration without developer support and run into problems. Should that happen, you will need to hire a professional from Guru to restore your site or app assets from your most recent backup. The restoration process could also be more complex if you don’t have an appropriate backup. Therefore, it’s essential to ensure your developer is fully conversant in the migration process before work begins.
Another possible cost is training for your website management personnel. Even if your team is experienced in dealing with data, posts, and content on a Joomla 3.x CMS site, it is important they know how all the new 4.x features work and which older tools were retired. Joomla 4.x training courses can help site managers understand the orientation of the new software script and handle ongoing site administration tasks with confidence.
