Moodle 5.0 stopped receiving security fixes on October 5, 2026. If your site runs 5.0, upgrade to a supported release now: Moodle 5.3, released the same day, is a long-term support release with security fixes until October 2029. If you run Moodle 4.5 LTS, you have more time, with security fixes until October 2027.
How Moodle support works
Moodle publishes a major release about every six months. Standard releases get general bug fixes for a year and security fixes for eighteen months. Long-term support (LTS) releases, such as 4.5 and 5.3, get security fixes for longer. Once a version stops receiving security fixes, new vulnerabilities in it are no longer patched.
- Moodle 5.0: security support ended October 5, 2026
- Moodle 5.1: security support until April 19, 2027
- Moodle 4.5 LTS: security support until October 2027
- Moodle 5.2: security support until October 4, 2027
- Moodle 5.3 LTS: security support until October 1, 2029
Step 1: audit before you touch anything
List your Moodle version, every installed plugin and its version, your theme and your server’s PHP and database versions. Then check each plugin in the Moodle plugins directory for a release that supports your target version. This is where most upgrades go wrong: one unmaintained plugin can block the whole upgrade.
Step 2: check the server requirements
Newer Moodle versions need newer PHP. Moodle 5.1 and 5.2 support PHP 8.2 to 8.4, so a server still on PHP 8.1 has to be upgraded first. Older sites may also need to upgrade in steps, because each Moodle release sets a minimum version you must be on before upgrading to it.
Step 3: rehearse on a staging copy
Copy the live site, including its database and files, to a staging server and run the full upgrade there. Fix what breaks, test the courses, grades, enrolments and custom plugins that matter most, and note how long the upgrade takes. That timing tells you how long the live maintenance window needs to be.
Step 4: upgrade the live site with a rollback plan
- Schedule the upgrade when learners are least active, never during exams
- Take a full backup of the database and files immediately before you start
- Put the site in maintenance mode and tell users in advance
- Run the upgrade, then check courses, grades and plugins before reopening
Moving to 5.x from 4.x
Most 4.x sites can move to 5.x once their plugins and theme are compatible and the server meets the PHP requirement. Custom themes built as children of Moodle’s core Boost theme usually need only small changes; heavily customized themes need more work, which the staging rehearsal will show.
Our dedicated Moodle team runs this process for institutions including INISEG in Spain, whose platform runs on Moodle 5.2. If you would like us to audit your site and plan the upgrade, send us your version and plugin list and we will reply with a written quote.
Related serviceMoodle UpgradesMoodle 5.x upgrades, rehearsed on staging first.
Written byMuhammad AhmadFounder & Software Engineer at StackStead Solutions. Building for the web since 2020.Ask a question
