How to Upgrade Magento 2.3 to 2.4?

How to Upgrade Magento 2.3 to 2.4?

Magento has released its latest version 2.4 for the Magento open source and product enterprise edition.

It offers 250 quality fixes and enhancements and support for PHP 8.1.

The Magento 2.3 is reaching its End-Of-Support in September 2022.

It is essential to upgrade your Magento system for the latest features.

We cover the steps on how to upgrade Magento 2.3 to 2.4.

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End of Support for Magento 2.3

The 2.3 Countdown: Zero Support, Zero Patches, Maximum Risk

Critical impacts of running Magento 2.3 after end-of-life

EXPIRED

End of Life Date

September 2022

Official termination of all support and security updates

CRITICAL

Security Patches Available

0 patches

No security fixes for newly discovered vulnerabilities

System vulnerable to all new exploits
UNAVAILABLE

Support Tickets

0 available

Cannot file any official support requests with Adobe

Requires costly external consultants
REMOVED

Official Documentation

Deleted

Adobe removes all 2.3 documentation from website

Knowledge vacuum for troubleshooting

Marketplace Abandonment in Progress

Extensions and integrations rapidly dropping 2.3 support

Declining

Compatible Extensions

PCI

Compliance Risk: PCI DSS Violation

Running unsupported software violates PCI DSS requirements for maintaining secure systems. This puts payment processing capabilities and merchant accounts at risk.

End of Support for Magento 2.3

1. Official Updates and Patches

Adobe will no longer offer support for Magento 2.3, which means that the platform will no longer receive updates and patches, including bug fixes and compliance updates. This is why it's crucial to update your Magento 2 installation to the latest version, using the web setup wizard and updating via composer to ensure that your store is secure and stable. It's essential to opt for Magento 2 upgrades, especially if you are looking for the best way to upgrade Magento.

During the EOL phase, the Magento 2.3 version is at risk of vulnerabilities and bugs, making the system more prone to security attacks or leaks due to a lack of patches. To mitigate these risks, it's essential to actualizar Magento and update your extensions via composer to ensure your store is secure. The system will be more prone to security attacks or leaks due to a lack of patches.

2. Compatibility with Magento Marketplace

The vendors and developers of Magento marketplace usually prioritize compatibility with the latest versions. Magento 2.4 will be at the center of adding features, fixing bugs, and enhancing stability. This is why knowing how to install Magento 2.3.4 is essential.

With Magento 2.3, you may notice that many essential plugins are no longer compatible. In the coming months, the version compatibility for 2.3 will be removed, making it even more important to update your installation to the latest version. This will ensure that your Magento modules function well and are compatible with other plugins. Magento 2 upgrade firms can help facilitate this process for you.

In the coming months, the version compatibility is removed for version 2.3. The Magento modules won’t function well on outdated versions.

3. Lack of Technical Support

You won’t be able to file support tickets for Magento 2.3. If there is an issue with the system, you may have to solve it yourself or get external assistance. Magento 2.2 support may also become limited, making it crucial to stay up-to-date with the latest version.

4. Documentation

It will be harder to fix the Magento 2.3 issues after the EOL in September 2022.

After a Magento version has become deprecated, Adobe Commerce removes developer docs from the website, making it harder to find the proper documents to manage and run the old version of Magento. Make sure to refer to the Magento 2.3 user guide and update it as necessary, as well as exploring other resources such as online forums and external assistance.

How to Upgrade Magento 2.3 to 2.4

7-Step Journey from Vulnerable 2.3 to Secure 2.4

Your Magento Upgrade Roadmap

CRITICAL: Magento 2.3 reached EOL in September 2022

1

Enable Maintenance Mode

Protect your live site during upgrade

php bin/magento maintenance:enable
2

Backup composer.json

Safeguard your current configuration

cp composer.json composer.json.bak
3

Install Composer Update Plugin

Essential for smooth version transition

composer require magento/composer-root-update-plugin
4

Update composer.json to 2.4.2

Target the stable version

composer require magento/product-community-edition=2.4.2
5

Run Composer Update

Execute the core upgrade process

composer update
6

Clear Cache & Regenerate Code

6 critical commands for system refresh

php bin/magento setup:upgrade
php bin/magento setup:di:compile
php bin/magento setup:static-content:deploy -f
php bin/magento cache:flush
7

Disable Maintenance Mode

Bring your upgraded site back online

php bin/magento maintenance:disable

What You Gain with Magento 2.4

SECURITY
Active patches & updates
PERFORMANCE
PHP 8.1 support
FEATURES
PWA & B2B capabilities
SUPPORT
Active Adobe support

Prepare the Site for Upgrade

Infrastructure Evolution: The Hidden Requirements Leap

Technical requirements comparison between Magento 2.3 and 2.4 versions

MAGENTO 2.3
PHP VERSION
7.3
Older PHP lacking modern optimizations
ELASTICSEARCH
Optional
Could use MySQL search instead
MYSQL
5.7
Standard database version
COMPOSER
1.x Compatible
Slower dependency resolution
Recommended
MAGENTO 2.4
PHP VERSION
7.4+ / 8.1
JIT compilation, 30% memory reduction
ELASTICSEARCH
Required 7.9.x
Enterprise-grade search capabilities
MYSQL
8.0
Recommended for performance
COMPOSER
2.x Required
2-3x faster dependency resolution

Key Infrastructure Improvements in 2.4

Performance Boost
PHP 7.4 JIT compilation delivers up to 30% better performance
Superior Search
Elasticsearch handles catalogs over 10,000 SKUs efficiently
Enhanced Security
Argon2id password hashing and consistent type handling
Future Ready
PHP 8.1 support prevents obsolescence crisis
VERIFICATION COMMANDS
$ php -v // Check PHP version
$ curl -XGET localhost:9200 // Verify Elasticsearch
$ composer -vvv about // Check Composer version

Before initiating a Magento 2.0 upgrade to the latest version, ensure that your server works with PHP 7.4, as this is the only version supported by the latest release. Use the following command to check your PHP version:

php -v 

Next, ensure that your composer is working with the correct PHP version. Use the following command to verify your composer's PHP version:

composer -vvv about

The Magento 2.4 release notes recommend using Elasticsearch 7.9.x.

Use the following command to verify your version of Elasticsearch.

curl -XGET 'http://localhost:9200'
curl -XGET 'http://YOURDOMAIN:9200'

Before upgrading the Magento version, ensure that you back up the database and code.

Steps to Upgrade Magento 2.3 to 2.4

1. Change Site to Maintainance Mode

Turn your site into maintenance mode with the following command -

php bin/magento maintenance:enable

You can skip this step if upgrading Magento 2.4.2 into your local system.

2. Backup composer.json

The following command is to get back up composer.json.

cp composer.json composer.json.bak

3. Install the Composer update plugin.

Use the command to install the composer update

composer require magento/composer-root-update-plugin=~1.0 --no-update
composer update

4. Update the composer.json

You can now update the composer.json to the latest version.

We are using Magento Version 2.4.2. Navigate to the Magento 2 installation root path and use the command below -

composer require magento/product-community-edition=2.4.2 --no-update

5. Composer update

The following command will update Composer and download all the required packages. It is used to upgrade your Magento version from 2.3.x to 2.4.2.

composer update

6. Clear Cache

You can add the next set of commands to clear the cache and regenerate the code.

php bin/magento cache:clean
 
rm -rf var/cache/*
 
rm -rf var/page_cache/*
 
rm -rf generated/code/*
 
php bin/magento setup:upgrade
 
php bin/magento setup:di:compile
 
php bin/magento setup:static-content:deploy -f

7. Disable Maintainance Mode

You can now disable the maintenance mode and check the system.

php bin/magento maintenance:disable

EndNote

Beyond Security: The Game-Changing Features You're Missing on 2.3

Magento 2.4 delivers transformative capabilities that drive revenue growth and operational efficiency

New in 2.4 MOBILE FIRST

PWA Studio

Progressive Web App capabilities enabling app-like shopping experiences with offline functionality

Mobile Conversion Boost 20-40%
Enhanced ENTERPRISE

B2B Capabilities

Company accounts, custom catalogs, and quote management for enterprise customers

Higher AOV vs B2C 2-3X
Future-Proof PERFORMANCE

PHP 8.1 Support

JIT compilation and modern language features for improved performance and code quality

Performance Improvement 30%
Continuous SECURITY

Security & Performance

Regular patches, enhanced authentication, and continuous platform improvements

Updates vs 2.3 Continuous

Innovation Platform vs Legacy System

Magento 2.4 is Adobe's flagship e-commerce platform with continuous enhancements.
Version 2.3 receives zero updates, creating an ever-widening capability gap.

50%
Mobile Traffic Share
12T
Global B2B Market
2.4.7
Latest Release

The Magneto 2.4 version has many security and performance improvements for the store.

Upgrading to Magento 2.4 will allow you to enhance store functions.

You get the new flagship features in PWA, B2B capabilities, and support for PHP 8.1.

To learn more about the latest features and enhancements in the Magento 2.4 release, check out the Magento 2.4 release highlights.

For the latest insights on the Magento platform, see the MGT Commerce Tutorials.

Nikita S.
Nikita S.
Lead Technical Writer

As a lead technical writer, Nikita S. is experienced in crafting well-researched articles that simplify complex information and promote technical communication. She has expertise in cloud computing and holds a specialization in SEO and digital marketing.


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