Why You Should Move to Craft CMS 5

Craft CMS 5 isn’t a flashy rebrand, it’s a smart, focused step forward. This release is about long-term thinking: performance, security, and platform stability for organisations that treat content as a serious operational asset.

Rather than chasing trends, Craft 5 focuses on future-proofing your platform and giving your team the tools to work faster, safer, and more efficiently. As someone now deep into migrating both client content and our own new build into Craft 5, I’ve seen how quickly these improvements start paying off. This isn’t just technical progress, it’s a better experience for the people using the content management system every day.

In this article, I’ll walk through the updates that stood out first — and why, if you’re still on Craft 3 or 4, now’s a very good time to make the switch. And if you're not using Craft at all? First of all: how dare you. Secondly, here’s our Craft CMS explainer if you want to know why we rate it so highly.

Why you should upgrade to Craft CMS 5 now

With growing pressure around data protection, consent, and platform security, running an outdated CMS isn’t just inefficient — it can expose your organisation to real risk.

In some sectors (especially public or financial), it can even create compliance issues or block procurement. By upgrading, your organisation stays aligned with current standards and avoids costly pitfalls.

Craft CMS 5 helps address these concerns directly,  with improved permissions, updated architecture, and a modern, well-supported development stack.

Craft CMS 5 Updates Your Team Will Notice First

These aren’t all the changes (far from it) but they’re the ones I noticed immediately, and your team probably will too. As someone who’s worked across multiple Craft versions, these updates quickly made the CMS feel more fluid and intentional. And there’s still more to discover as we keep moving clients and our own new site (yes this one) to Craft 5.

From cleaner authoring tools to subtle User Experience UX improvements that stop you making small (but frustrating) mistakes, this version isn’t just technically better, it’s easier to work in.

Faster Scanning with Card View

This is one of those small updates that feels like a big deal once you start using it.

It’s a simple UI shift, but if you’re working with a content-heavy site like case studies, event listings (like in the example above) it makes a huge difference.

In the card view, entries are easier to scan visually. You can spot what’s what at a glance, featured images, titles, content types,  without digging into every single entry. It’s cleaner, faster, and just more satisfying to work with.

If you’re someone who thinks and works visually, or if your content has visual hierarchy baked in (like events, products, or long-form editorial), this is the kind of tweak that speeds up your workflow in a way that feels really natural.

Draft Warnings

Here’s a detail that’s easy to miss, but once you spot it, you’ll appreciate how clever it is.

This is the kind of feature you only really notice when it saves your skin, which, in my case, it absolutely has.

I spend a lot of time helping clients shape SEO-optimised content. That means multiple rounds of feedback, amendments, and often a few drafts floating around at once. It’s way too easy to click into the wrong version and start editing something that isn’t live, or worse, overwrite something you shouldn’t have touched.

This warning icon is Craft saying: “Hey, don’t touch this, it’s read-only.” It gives you that crucial pause, that moment of clarity before you accidentally start tweaking a copy in a revision that’s weeks out of date.

It’s this kind of thoughtful UX that makes Craft CMS feel like it’s built by people who actually use it. Thanks Pixel & Tonic.

What is New Under the Hood

Not everything in Craft CMS 5 is immediately visible, but the technical improvements happening behind the scenes are a big part of what makes this upgrade feel faster, smoother, and more dependable.

Performance You’ll Actually Notice

Website performance matters. And this version runs faster — for both editors and visitors. Page loads are quicker, publishing is smoother, and even large content libraries feel lighter to work with.

Improved caching and smarter database handling mean fewer delays, fewer bottlenecks, and a noticeably more responsive interface.

Craft 5 has made improvements to caching and database handling, so whether you're running a high-traffic site or just managing a lot of content, things feel less heavy, and that translates into better experience across the board.

Built-In Security and Stability

Security is a major reason we’re recommending this upgrade. Craft 5 brings everything up to modern standards, with better control over who can access or edit what. That matters if you're handling sensitive data or need to meet GDPR or internal compliance policies,  but also just makes your site safer by default.

And with long-term support now included, this release gives you a stable foundation you can rely on well into the future.

Accessibility Considered by Design

Craft CMS 5 also builds on its strong accessibility foundation. From screen reader compatibility in the control panel to improved keyboard navigation and ARIA attributes, the authoring environment is more inclusive by default.

This matters, especially for teams that need to meet WCAG or public sector compliance. It’s not just about ticking a box; it’s about making sure everyone on your team can contribute, and everyone in your audience can engage.

Improvements Our Developers Appreciate

These updates mostly happen in the background,  but they benefit your whole team. Craft 5 is now easier to extend, customise, and maintain. That means less time fiddling with fixes and more time spent creating features that actually matter.

IS upgrading to Craft CMS 5 worth it?

If you're already on Craft 4, the move to version 5 is refreshingly straightforward. The official upgrade guide is clear, and if you're working with a Verified Craft Partner (like us), we can usually handle the whole thing with minimal disruption — often without your team even noticing beyond the improvements.

Is Craft CMS 5 Right for You?

If you care about performance, stability, and better content workflows. Whether you're a law firm managing sensitive copy, an arts venue with a packed schedule, or a brand that's growing fast — Craft 5 is a solid investment.

It’s not a radical change. It’s a well-considered, future-ready release that makes your CMS more secure, more scalable, and more enjoyable to work with every day.

We’re already moving clients over, and we’ve rebuilt our own site on it too.

Curious what Craft 5 could look like for your business?

Get in touch — we’re happy to talk through the upgrade path, or help you decide if it’s the right fit for your next website project.