New Features in OJS 3.4 (and What OJS 3.5 Adds)

OJS 3.4 (June 2023) was a major update to Open Journal Systems. It’s since been followed by OJS 3.5, now the long-term support version, so this guide covers what 3.4 introduced and what 3.5 adds. If you’re deciding which version to run, start with the latest version of OJS.

What OJS 3.4 changed

For authors

• A rebuilt submission wizard, made more accessible and easier to use, that shows authors all their details and files for a final check before they submit.
• Authors can save a submission for later and get an email with a link to finish it.
• Titles can carry simple formatting (italics, bold, superscript and subscript), so species names and chemical formulas display properly.

For editors

• Editorial decisions made step by step, with emails you can preview, edit, attach files to and send in the language you choose.
• Several templates for the same email, so editors can load the wording that fits.
• A review round can be cancelled after it’s created, and a submission can be moved back out of review, copyediting or production.
• Reviewers can be notified of the decision on a submission they reviewed.
• A weekly email reminds editors of their pending tasks.

For journal managers

• DOIs built into OJS, with one page to manage them and see the deposit status of each item. See DOI options in OJS.
• Usage statistics that support COUNTER Release 5, with institutional and geographic statistics.
• Journal managers can control user enrolment in their own journal.
• An optional data availability statement in the submission metadata.

What OJS 3.5 adds

• Redesigned dashboard and workflow pages, with saved views of the submissions list, a summary panel, and review progress shown for each submission.
• An editorial history for each submission, and each editor’s workload shown when you assign one.
• A minimum number of reviews can be required for a submission.
• Invitations: journal managers invite people to take a role, and they accept by email.
• ORCID integration built into OJS, and several affiliations per author, linked to the ROR registry of research organisations.
• Authors can suggest reviewers when they submit, if the journal turns this on.
• An Editorial Masthead page listing the people in the roles you choose.
• Highlights on the journal homepage, each with an image and a button.
• Basic JATS XML support, and ALTCHA as a spam check for forms.
• Long-term support: PKP designated OJS 3.5.0-5 (June 2026) a long-term support release, so OJS 3.5 is the version PKP commits to maintaining for longer.

Should you upgrade?

If you’re on 3.4, yes: it never became a long-term support release, and 3.5 is. If you’re on 3.3, plan the move before its support ends (at least 1 January 2027). Either way, the upgrade should be rehearsed on a copy of the site, with the theme and plugins checked for 3.5.

Our OJS upgrade service covers the test run and the live upgrade; see the upgrade price in under a minute.

Menu names move a little between OJS 3.3, 3.4 and 3.5, and some themes and plugins add their own options. If a setting isn’t where this guide says, check PKP’s Learning OJS guide for your version. This guide is independent and not endorsed by PKP.

Questions

When was OJS 3.4 released?

The first OJS 3.4 release came out in June 2023. OJS 3.5 followed in June 2025, and its 3.5.0-5 build became the long-term support release in June 2026.

Is OJS 3.4 still supported?

It still gets maintenance builds (the latest is 3.4.0-11, September 2026), but it isn’t a long-term support release. 3.5 is, so 3.4 journals should plan to upgrade.

Do my plugins work after upgrading?

Not always. Plugins and themes need versions made for your new OJS version. Check each one before upgrading.