magento-lts
OpenMage LTS is a community-maintained long-term support fork of Magento Community Edition, providing security patches and bug fixes for legacy Magento 1.x installations. It allows merchants to continue operating older Magento stores without upgrading to modern versions, with contributions driven by the community.
Key facts
Objective fields from the source. Values we can't verify are shown as “Unknown” rather than guessed.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Repository | OpenMage/magento-lts |
| Owner | OpenMage |
| Primary language | PHP |
| License | OSL-3.0 — Requires review (not clearly OSI) |
| Stars | 924 |
| Forks | 454 |
| Open issues | 277 |
| Latest release | v20.18.0 (2026-05-04) |
| Last updated | 2026-07-07 |
| Source | https://github.com/OpenMage/magento-lts |
What magento-lts is
PHP-based e-commerce platform (Magento 1.x fork) distributed via Composer, licensed under OSL-3.0 and AFL-3.0. The project maintains backwards compatibility with official Magento CE releases while integrating community security patches and performance improvements. Latest release v20.18.0 as of May 2026, with active CI/CD workflows for security and code quality checks.
Get the magento-lts source
Clone the repository and explore it locally.
git clone https://github.com/OpenMage/magento-lts.gitcd magento-lts# follow the project's README for install & configurationNeed it deployed, integrated, or customized instead? DEV.co ships production installs.
Best use cases
Implementation considerations
- Verify PHP version compatibility before deployment; confirm target version aligns with OpenMage LTS requirements and existing extensions.
- Audit all third-party extensions for compatibility; many legacy extensions may not be maintained or available for community LTS versions.
- Plan data migration and extension testing in staging environment; backwards compatibility is maintained but custom code review is essential.
- Establish contribution/patch review workflow; security patches come from community, requiring internal validation before production deployment.
- Schedule regular updates; latestPushed shows recent activity (2026-07-07), but maintenance is community-driven—allocate resources for ongoing monitoring.
When to avoid it — and what to weigh
- New Platform Selection — Building a new e-commerce system from scratch. OpenMage is strictly for legacy Magento 1.x environments; modern requirements should evaluate Magento 2, Shopify, WooCommerce, or cloud-native platforms.
- Large-Scale Enterprise — Enterprise deployments requiring formal SLA support, guaranteed response times, or certified security audits. OpenMage is community-driven with no commercial support guarantees.
- Modern Architecture Dependency — Projects requiring microservices, headless architecture, or modern API-first design patterns. Magento 1.x (including OpenMage LTS) has monolithic architecture incompatible with contemporary cloud-native practices.
- PHP Version Modernization — Environments mandating PHP 8.1+ or newer. OpenMage LTS targets PHP versions aligned with legacy Magento 1.x, limiting modern PHP adoption.
License & commercial use
Dual-licensed under OSL-3.0 (Open Software License 3.0) and AFL-3.0 (Academic Free License 3.0). Both are OSI-approved open-source licenses requiring derivative works to remain open-source. OSL-3.0 includes strong copyleft provisions; AFL-3.0 is more permissive. Review compliance requirements carefully for internal or commercial modifications.
Commercial use of unmodified OpenMage LTS is permitted under the dual OSL-3.0/AFL-3.0 licenses. However, any modifications, forks, or extensions created for your deployment must remain open-source under the same license terms. If you develop proprietary extensions or modifications, you must disclose source code—this is a significant constraint for commercial differentiation. Requires legal review before proceeding if custom development is planned.
DEV.co evaluation signals
Editorial assessment — not user reviews. Directional, with an explicit confidence level.
| Signal | Assessment |
|---|---|
| Maintenance | Active |
| Documentation | Adequate |
| License clarity | Clear |
| Deployment complexity | Moderate |
| DEV.co fit | Possible |
| Assessment confidence | Medium |
Security patches are integrated from community contributions and addressed via GitHub Actions workflows (security-php.yml badge present). However, security review quality depends on community vetting—no formal security audit or responsible disclosure program is mentioned. Evaluate patches carefully; do not assume equivalent rigor to vendor security teams. Older PHP versions associated with Magento 1.x may introduce inherited vulnerabilities. Regular monitoring of GitHub security advisories and community channels is essential.
Alternatives to consider
Magento 2 (Adobe Commerce)
Official, vendor-supported e-commerce platform with modern architecture, long-term support guarantees, security SLAs, and headless/API-first capabilities. Recommended for new projects or enterprises requiring formal support.
WooCommerce
Simpler, WordPress-based e-commerce solution with lower operational complexity, extensive plugin ecosystem, and lower cost of ownership. Better fit for small-medium retailers without enterprise requirements.
Shopify / Shopify Plus
Fully managed SaaS platform eliminating infrastructure and maintenance burden. Removes licensing concerns but introduces vendor lock-in and monthly recurring costs. Ideal for merchants prioritizing operational simplicity over customization.
Build on magento-lts with DEV.co software developers
Review https://docs.openmage.org/ and GitHub licensing details. Confirm PHP version compatibility and extension availability for your environment. For migration planning or enterprise support requirements, consult Devco's e-commerce and custom software services.
Talk to DEV.coRelated open-source tools
Surfaced by semantic similarity across the DEV.co open-source index.
Related on DEV.co
Explore the category and the services that help you build with it.
magento-lts FAQ
Is OpenMage LTS officially supported by Adobe/Magento?
Can I run OpenMage LTS on modern PHP (8.0+)?
What happens if I modify OpenMage LTS for my business?
How often are security patches released?
Software developers & web developers for hire
DEV.co is a software development agency delivering custom software development services to companies building on open source. Our software developers and web developers design, integrate, and ship production systems — spanning web development, APIs, AI, data, and cloud. If magento-lts is part of your open-source ecommerce roadmap, our team can implement, customize, migrate, and maintain it.
Evaluate OpenMage LTS for Your Legacy Magento Deployment
Review https://docs.openmage.org/ and GitHub licensing details. Confirm PHP version compatibility and extension availability for your environment. For migration planning or enterprise support requirements, consult Devco's e-commerce and custom software services.