Upgrading from 1C-Bitrix Start to Standard Edition
Upgrading from 1C-Bitrix Start to Standard Edition
The "Start" edition is the entry point to the platform. It suits a simple brochure website or a small blog, but sooner or later it hits specific technical limits. This usually happens when a second infoblock is needed — but the license only allows one. Or when a full-featured search is required — and the search module in "Start" is restricted. Upgrading to "Standard" is the only way forward in such cases.
How "Standard" Differs from "Start"
The key differences that genuinely affect development:
Number of infoblocks. "Start" — 1 infoblock. "Standard" — unlimited. If the site needs news, a services catalog, portfolio, banners — "Standard" is essential.
Search module. "Standard" provides full-text search via search with morphology (the morphology module). In "Start" search is limited to basic functionality.
Web forms (form). In "Start" — only basic forms via bitrix:main.feedback. In "Standard" — a full form builder with multiple statuses, result exports, and notifications.
Import/export. The iblock module in "Standard" supports CSV/XML import. In "Start" this functionality is unavailable.
Multi-language. In "Standard" you can create multiple language sites under a single license. In "Start" — only one site.
The Upgrade Process
Changing the edition in 1C-Bitrix is not "press a button and it's done." Technically it is a license key update and a platform reinstallation with new parameters. The process:
1. Purchase the "Standard" license. Either pay the upgrade difference from the current "Start" license (price delta), or purchase a new license. The upgrade preserves the remaining support period.
2. Update the license key. In the admin panel: "Settings → License" — enter the new key. The platform core validates it against the 1C-Bitrix server.
3. Install additional modules. After the edition change, modules that were unavailable in "Start" become accessible. They are installed via "Marketplace → Installed Solutions" or via bitrix:setup.
4. Check dependencies. If the site was developed to work around "Start" limitations, verify: are there any components that bypassed missing modules in non-standard ways?
5. Testing. After the edition change — full functional testing: forms, search, infoblocks, authentication, caching.
Points to Watch
The upgrade does not require reinstalling the site. Data, content, templates — everything is preserved. Only the set of available modules changes.
Cache after edition change. After updating the key it is recommended to clear the cache (/bitrix/admin/cache.php or via "Performance → Clear Cache"), otherwise some pages may behave incorrectly.
Search reindexing. If full-text search is planned — after installing the search module, indexing must be initiated. On a large site this can take considerable time and load the server.
Case Study: Corporate Website for a Manufacturing Company
Client — a small plastics factory. Site on "Start": 10 pages, one "News" infoblock. Task: add a product catalog (second infoblock) and a multi-field order form with notifications to the manager.
Before contacting us the client had tried to work around the infoblock limit: the catalog was "built" as sections of the single news infoblock with custom fields. The form was implemented via a third-party JavaScript widget not integrated with the CMS.
Solution: upgrade to "Standard." After the edition change:
- Created a dedicated "Catalog" infoblock with the required properties
- Migrated products from the "news" infoblock to the proper one
- Configured a web form via the
formmodule with email notification to the manager and submission storage in the admin panel - Connected full-text search with morphology
Total effort: 3 business days. The bulk of it was data migration and testing; the edition change itself took 20 minutes.
Timeline
Key swap and basic verification — 1 business day. With setup of new capabilities (infoblocks, forms, search) and testing — 2–5 business days depending on the scope of work.