Umbraco 13 reaches end of life in December 2026 - Here's what changes
Umbraco 13 stops being supported in December 2026. After that, no more security patches, no more bug fixes - any new vulnerability stays unpatched. We generally recommend upgrading to Umbraco 17 well before then.
Key dates:
Umbraco 13 support ends: December 2026
Umbraco 17 is supported until: November 2028
What you should do: plan the move to Umbraco 17 before the end of 2026
Why Umbraco 17:
Umbraco releases updates regularly, but only some versions are built to be supported for a long time. Umbraco 17 is one of those longer-term versions, meaning once you're on it, you won't need to think about upgrading again for a while.
What actually changes:
The parts of your website that visitors see won't be affected. The main change is behind the scenes, in the screen your content team uses to log in and update the website. That screen has been redesigned to be more modern and easier to use.
A few practical things to know:
Some of the older tools your team may have used to add content have been replaced with newer, simpler versions.
If your website has any custom-built tools or features (built specifically for you rather than off-the-shelf) these may need to be rebuilt to work with the new system.
Any add-on tools connected to your website will need to be checked and updated where needed.
If none of the above applies to your site, the move should be simple. If it does apply, it's worth flagging early so we can plan for it.
What you gain:
This isn't just about staying safe — the newer version also brings real benefits:
Built-in AI tools. Umbraco 17 comes with AI features that can help your team work faster, like automatically writing image descriptions. There's room to add more AI-powered shortcuts over time.
Better performance for busy sites. If your website gets a lot of visitors, the newer version handles that traffic more smoothly.
What happens if you don't upgrade:
Your website won't stop working the day support ends. It will keep running as normal. What changes is that if a security problem is ever found, it won't get fixed — leaving your site more exposed the longer you wait.
Next Step?
Get in touch with us and we'll help you plan the move from Umbraco 13 to Umbraco 17.
Dov Tombs
Managing Director – APAC
