Knock knock ... Contao 5.7 is just around the corner
Our plan was to make Isotope available for Contao 5.3 and newer. Many Contao agencies rely on the proven LTS versions to enable easy updates and maintenance. After the developer meeting in September 2025, we realized how much has happened to Contao since version 5.3, and how cumbersome some features would be if we had to support this - soon to be obsolete - version. That's why the team decided to move to the next LTS version of Contao.
The next major version of Isotope will be compatible with Contao 5.7, Symfony 7 and PHP 8.3 (and later). Instead of frontend modules, we'll build content elements, templates will be written exclusively in Twig.
It is a fact that the development of Isotope 3 not only rethinks the extension itself, but also has an impact on Contao 5.7 and new core features. Some ideas and improvements resulting from the work on Isotope are already being incorporated into the Contao core - more details will be provided in a future blog post.
The iron triangle of project management
By the end of November 2024, we reached the minimum fundraising target of €30,000. This minimum will allow us to recreate the basis of Isotope eCommerce.
Many people know the iron triangle of project management: it says that the quality of the work is determined by the budget, the time and the scope of the project. Changes to one factor also require changes to others to balance this out; otherwise quality suffers. Or to put it in simple terms: "Good, fast, cheap. Choose two."
We are certain: Isotope for Contao 5 should be high quality. The budget part was defined by the community, but after reaching the minimum target, the willingness to donate has decreased noticeably (if you want, you can of course continue to support). This leaves two variables: scope and time.
A bird's eye view
The core of the current Isotope version 2 include products, product collections (e.g. shopping cart & order), payment and shipping methods, various front-end modules and lots of interfaces to third-party systems. Much of this is repetitive; all payment and shipping methods work in a similar way, in addition to the shopping cart and order, there are also wish lists and favorites, there are several product filter modules and some special functions that have been added over the years.
As explained in the previous section, one factor that we can influence is the project scope: In the first development step, we reduced Isotope to its basics. No integration of payment providers, no favorites or wish lists, no special attributes and fewer front-end modules. Once the foundation has been laid, functions can be added at any time - the technology and knowledge are not lost.
Isotope 2 includes a wide range of features that have been developed over the last ten years, including for client projects. With many payment providers, we no longer even know whether they still work - we often lack test access and previous contacts no longer exist. This is why payment methods - and possibly other components - will be offered as independent extensions in future: some freely available, others via our Extension Store.
Paid extensions offer clear added value: they ensure active support, continuous development and reliable updates - including direct collaboration with third-party providers and access to test environments. This creates a more stable ecosystem that enables a better and predictable experience for everyone involved.
If you have participated in our fundraising, please let us know which features you currently use (not which you would like to have!). This will help us with scheduling.
Schedule
Now we come to the second of the two factors that we can influence: time.
As already explained, the next version of Isotope will only be compatible with Contao 5.7 (and newer). This theoretically gives us time until February 2026. Before then, we plan to include pilot projects from fundraising and maybe provide a beta version in advance that can be tested with the beta/RC of Contao 5.7.
When released in February 2026, Isotope 3 will not contain all of the previously available features - and that is deliberate. We are starting with a clear, modern foundation on which we can develop new features more quickly and flexibly. Functions such as payment providers or additional modules (e.g. wish lists) will be delivered later and benefit directly from this new architecture.
Whether a project can be updated immediately depends on which features are currently being used. The advantage: we can prioritize enhancements specifically where they create real added value - based on demand, feedback and specific requests from the community.
Isotope 3 is therefore not just an update, but the starting point for an active, continuous development process. Together with you, we are shaping a leaner, more powerful and more reliable e-commerce ecosystem for Contao - faster, more modern and ready for the next ten years.
