As Atlassian moves toward the end of support for Connect (Q4 2026), Marketplace Partners are facing a critical decision:
How should we migrate our apps to Forge?
While Atlassian recommends moving to Forge, there’s no single migration path that fits all apps. In practice, partners are choosing between two main approaches:
A full rewrite to Forge
A hybrid approach using Connect On Forge
Let’s break down both options.
Option 1: Direct Migration to Forge
A direct migration means rebuilding your app entirely on Forge.
This approach replaces your existing Connect architecture with a fully serverless model hosted by Atlassian.
✅ Pros
Fully aligned with Atlassian’s future platform
No need to manage external infrastructure
Built-in security, auth, and compliance
Lower long-term maintenance cost
⚠️ Cons
Requires significant engineering effort
Some Connect capabilities may not yet exist in Forge
Higher short-term risk for complex apps
👉 Best suited for: Small-to-medium apps or teams ready to invest in long-term modernization.
Option 2: Connect-on-Forge (Hybrid)
Connect-on-Forge allows you to incrementally adopt Forge while keeping your existing Connect backend.
You can move specific modules to Forge while maintaining current functionality.
✅ Pros
Lower migration risk
Faster time-to-market
No need to rewrite everything at once
Keeps existing integrations intact
⚠️ Cons
More complex architecture (hybrid system)
Still requires maintaining external infrastructure
Not fully future-proof
👉 Best suited for: Large, complex apps or teams that need gradual migration.
Which Approach Should You Choose?
Choose Direct Forge if:
Your app is relatively simple
You don’t rely heavily on custom backend services
You want to reduce long-term technical debt
Choose Connect-on-Forge if:
Your app is large or deeply integrated
You need to migrate quickly without disruption
You want to spread effort across multiple phases
Recommended Strategy for 2025–2026
In reality, many partners are adopting a hybrid-first strategy:
Start with Connect On Forge for quick wins
Gradually move core modules to Forge
Phase out Connect dependencies over time
This allows you to balance speed, risk, and long-term scalability.
There’s no one-size-fits-all migration strategy.
The right choice depends on your app’s complexity, your team’s capacity, and your business priorities.
But one thing is clear:
Starting early is the biggest advantage you can have.
At DS Solution, we’ve helped multiple Marketplace Partners:
Migrate Connect apps to Forge
Design hybrid architectures
Pass security and compliance reviews
👉 Let’s talk: sales@dssolution.jp
