diff --git a/picard/__init__.py b/picard/__init__.py
index 93ce11c5a..38adc9ade 100644
--- a/picard/__init__.py
+++ b/picard/__init__.py
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ PICARD_BUILD_VERSION_STR = ""
 
 
 def version_to_string(version, short=False):
+    """Deprecated: Use picard.version.Version.to_string instead"""
     if len(version) != 5:
         raise VersionError("Length != 5")
     if not isinstance(version, Version):
diff --git a/picard/plugin.py b/picard/plugin.py
index f4724b79b..e06a7d80c 100644
--- a/picard/plugin.py
+++ b/picard/plugin.py
@@ -27,6 +27,10 @@ from picard import (
     log,
 )
 from picard.const import USER_PLUGIN_DIR
+from picard.version import (
+    Version,
+    VersionError,
+)
 
 
 _PLUGIN_MODULE_PREFIX = "picard.plugins."
@@ -129,9 +133,9 @@ class PluginWrapper(PluginShared):
     @property
     def version(self):
         try:
-            return self.data['PLUGIN_VERSION']
-        except KeyError:
-            return ""
+            return Version.from_string(self.data['PLUGIN_VERSION'])
+        except (KeyError, VersionError):
+            return Version(0, 0, 0)
 
     @property
     def api_versions(self):
@@ -186,6 +190,13 @@ class PluginData(PluginShared):
             log.debug('Attribute %r not found for plugin %r', name, self.module_name)
             return None
 
+    @property
+    def version(self):
+        try:
+            return Version.from_string(self.__dict__['version'])
+        except (KeyError, VersionError):
+            return Version(0, 0, 0)
+
     @property
     def files_list(self):
         return ", ".join(self.files.keys())
diff --git a/picard/pluginmanager.py b/picard/pluginmanager.py
index ff53bb1c3..800223dfc 100644
--- a/picard/pluginmanager.py
+++ b/picard/pluginmanager.py
@@ -31,11 +31,7 @@ import zipimport
 
 from PyQt5 import QtCore
 
-from picard import (
-    VersionError,
-    log,
-    version_to_string,
-)
+from picard import log
 from picard.const import (
     PLUGINS_API,
     USER_PLUGIN_DIR,
@@ -47,7 +43,10 @@ from picard.plugin import (
     _unregister_module_extensions,
 )
 import picard.plugins
-from picard.version import Version
+from picard.version import (
+    Version,
+    VersionError,
+)
 
 
 _SUFFIXES = tuple(importlib.machinery.all_suffixes())
@@ -272,7 +271,7 @@ class PluginManager(QtCore.QObject):
                 log.debug("Loading plugin %r version %s, compatible with API: %s",
                           plugin.name,
                           plugin.version,
-                          ", ".join([version_to_string(v, short=True) for v in
+                          ", ".join([v.to_string(short=True) for v in
                                      sorted(compatible_versions)]))
                 plugin.compatible = True
                 setattr(picard.plugins, name, plugin_module)
diff --git a/picard/ui/options/plugins.py b/picard/ui/options/plugins.py
index b4fe07c41..ba648b1f2 100644
--- a/picard/ui/options/plugins.py
+++ b/picard/ui/options/plugins.py
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ class PluginTreeWidgetItem(HashableTreeWidgetItem):
             button.hide()
         else:
             button.show()
-            button.setToolTip(_("Download and upgrade plugin to version %s") % self.new_version)
+            button.setToolTip(_("Download and upgrade plugin to version %s") % self.new_version.to_string(short=True))
             self.set_icon(button, 'SP_BrowserReload')
 
     def show_enable(self, button, mode):
@@ -319,7 +319,7 @@ class PluginsOptionsPage(OptionsPage):
             new_version = None
             if plugin.module_name in available_plugins:
                 latest = available_plugins[plugin.module_name]
-                if latest.split('.') > plugin.version.split('.'):
+                if latest > plugin.version:
                     new_version = latest
             self.update_plugin_item(None, plugin,
                                     enabled=self.is_plugin_enabled(plugin),
@@ -472,9 +472,10 @@ class PluginsOptionsPage(OptionsPage):
 
         def update_text():
             if item.new_version is not None:
-                version = "%s → %s" % (plugin.version, item.new_version)
+                version = "%s → %s" % (plugin.version.to_string(short=True),
+                                       item.new_version.to_string(short=True))
             else:
-                version = plugin.version
+                version = plugin.version.to_string(short=True)
 
             if item.installed_font is None:
                 item.installed_font = item.font(COLUMN_NAME)
@@ -561,7 +562,7 @@ class PluginsOptionsPage(OptionsPage):
                 return int(elem)
             except ValueError:
                 return 0
-        item.setSortData(COLUMN_VERSION, tuple(v2int(e) for e in plugin.version.split('.')))
+        item.setSortData(COLUMN_VERSION, plugin.version)
 
         return item
 
diff --git a/test/test_versions.py b/test/test_versions.py
index 5a043266c..c60cde7af 100644
--- a/test/test_versions.py
+++ b/test/test_versions.py
@@ -116,6 +116,10 @@ class VersionsTest(PicardTestCase):
         self.assertLess(v1, v2)
         self.assertFalse(v2 < v2)
 
+        v1 = Version(2, 3, 0, 'final', 1)
+        v2 = Version(2, 10, 0, 'final', 1)
+        self.assertLess(v1, v2)
+
     def test_le(self):
         v1 = Version(2, 3, 0, 'dev', 1)
         v2 = Version(2, 3, 0, 'alpha', 1)