Effective April 11, 2023, SharePoint Server 2013 is in the End of Support category. Let’s talk about Microsoft support for a minute; they provide two phases; mainstream support which is phase one and provides support including security updates, bug fixes, and new features. Then phase two, called extended support, Microsoft doesn’t provide any new features, but will provide paid support, and security updates with the exception of bug fixes and patches to the product.
What does this mean for those of you who are running SharePoint Server 2013? It means Microsoft will no longer provide security updates, hotfixes, or technical support for this product which kinda/sorta makes the product obsolete. This does not mean it will stop working, but if there are issues with it, there will no longer be any free support available to you for this product, no additional software updates, and no more bug and security fixes.
So what do you do now? Well, it’s a gamble, if you stay on SharePoint Server 2013 you are more susceptible to security threats and exposing your users to malware and hackers, but as I mentioned it will continue to run as it has been.
If you don’t want to constantly worry about hackers and malware, then you have some options. The first, and most obvious, is to migrate your data to SharePoint Online which provides you with the latest features, security, and it comes with all the latest and greatest bells and whistles. But, if you have spent tens of thousands of dollars in customizations, and have dependable custom workflows that work on-premises that you need to continue to use, then this may not be the best option for you.
Currently there are three newer SharePoint Server options; 2016, 2019, and SharePoint Server Subscription Edition. Moving to SharePoint Server 2016, which is already in phase two of end of support, probably isn’t the best option, it’s an option but not a great one. SharePoint Server 2016 extended support is set for July 14, 2026, meaning Microsoft is already only focusing on security issues for SharePoint Server 2016.
SharePoint Server 2019 is probably your next step for an on-premises deployment. It includes lots of new features like modern team sites, modern list and libraries, site pages, and other features similar to SharePoint Online. A little gotcha though, you can’t upgrade directly to SharePoint Server 2019 from SharePoint Server 2013, so you will want to view my article on how to upgrade to SharePoint Server 2016 from SharePoint Server 2013, 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 are able to migrate to SharePoint Online.
The last piece of the SharePoint on-premises puzzle is the SharePoint Server Subscription Edition. Did you notice there isn’t a number associated with this server product? That’s because this is the last major release of SharePoint Server for on-premises installations. However, Microsoft will continue to provide updates containing new features, functionality, patches, and security updates so it will remain secure and not become stagnant. Similar to SharePoint Server 2019, you will have to perform the interim step to 2016 before upgrading to the SharePoint Server Subscription Edition. Use the following site; SharePoint Server Subscription products and visit my blog post on Upgrading to SharePoint Server 2016 on a single server for additional information.