CiviCRM 6: time to upgrade?

CiviCRM has just released version 6.0 — and you probably don't need it.

It's not a security release.
It doesn't fix any major bugs.

So what does it do?

• It does fix a lot of obscure bugs — ones you'll probably never encounter.

• It does make new installations look pretty darned beautiful (but makes no such changes when upgrading).

• It does add a few nice features to FormBuilder and SearchKit.

• It does have a few nice accessibility improvements for visually impaired users employing screen-reader software.

• It's the first official release of CiviCRM Standalone, for use without a CMS (Drupal, WordPress, etc.)

So yes, for geeks like me, it's pretty sweet.

But here’s the thing:

If you have better things to do than chase the latest technology — and I believe you do — I recommend letting this one go by, and upgrading only when you have a specific reason to do so.

As with anything, upgrading your software is an investment that comes with costs and risks, in addition to any benefits.

If you can quantify those costs, risks, and benefits, you'll know if it's worth the investment.

If it's not, it's perfectly fine to leave well enough alone.

All the best,
A.