End of Support for SharePoint Server 2013

Microsoft will move SharePoint Server 2013 to the End of Support category on April 11, 2023. The Microsoft end-of-support process provides two phases: Phase 1, mainstream support, which includes security updates, bug fixes, and new features; and Phase 2, extended support, which includes paid support and security updates, not including bug fixes and patches to the product, and, of course, no new features. 

For those of you running SharePoint Server 2013, it won’t stop working, but if there are issues with it, there won’t be any free support available for this product, no additional software updates, and no more bug and security fixes. The product will be obsolete. 

Even if there were support, it’s a gamble to stay on SharePoint Server 2013 because you’re more susceptible to security threats and exposing your users to malware and hackers, but it will continue to run. Is that enough for your business? What can you do to protect your data? 

If you don’t want to constantly worry about hackers and malware, you have some options. The first and most obvious is to migrate your data to SharePoint Online, which provides the latest features and security, and it comes with all the latest and greatest bells and whistles. Of course, if you’ve spent tens of thousands of dollars in customizations and have dependable custom workflows that work on-premises that you need to continue to use, this may not be the best option for you. 

There are three more recent SharePoint Server options: 2016, 2019, and SharePoint Server Subscription Edition. SharePoint Server 2016, already in Phase 2 of End of Support, probably isn’t the best option because you’ll have to do all of this over again in 2026. That means that Microsoft is already only focusing on security issues.

If you aren't concerned about another end of support situation, you can safely upgrade to SharePoint Server 2019. It includes lots of new features like modern team sites, modern lists and libraries, site pages, and other features similar to SharePoint Online. There’s a little gotcha though: You can’t upgrade directly to SharePoint Server 2019 from SharePoint Server 2013. You have to perform an interim upgrade to SharePoint Server 2016 and then upgrade to SharePoint Server 2019. Use this link for information on New and Improved Features in SharePoint Server 2019. You can also use this link for information on What’s deprecated or removed from SharePoint Server 2019. This is a nice stepping stone if you need to stay on-premises until you’re able to migrate to SharePoint Online. Especially if it’s going to take months to do because you have a lot of content. 

The third SharePoint on-premises option is the SharePoint Server Subscription Edition. There’s no number associated with this server product because this is the last major release of SharePoint Server for on-premises installations. Microsoft will continue to provide updates containing new features, functionality, patches, and security updates, so it will remain secure and not become stagnant. Like upgrading to SharePoint Server 2019 from SharePoint Server 2013, you’ll also have to perform the interim step to 2016 before upgrading to the SharePoint Server Subscription Edition. Use this site for additional information on SharePoint Server Subscription products. For information on upgrading to SharePoint Server 2016, visit my article: Getting to SharePoint 2016 Single Server from SharePoint Server 2013.

Visit Learn about SharePoint Server for more information about the different SharePoint Server offerings and how to plan, deploy, and manage these different editions. The SharePoint Online vs. SharePoint Server On-premises  page may be helpful when deciding which option is best for your organization.