Umbraco 7 End Of Life - what can you do?
On September 30, 2023, Umbraco 7 will reach End of Life (EOL). As such, there is nothing new and ground-breaking in it - every few years, Umbraco (and other CMS) release new core versions that offer new functions and options.
A CMS version reaching EOL means that the version is no longer supported. This means that errors are no longer fixed, there is no security updates anymore, and it is no longer possible to get official support. Therefore, we recommend that you regularly update your CMS version if you want to ensure that your website remains fully functional - and this is regardless of which CMS you use..
Do you have a website that currently is developed in Umbraco 7, we will make some suggestions on what you can do and what are the disadvantages of continuing with Umbraco 7 in this blog post .
Disadvantages of staying on Umbraco 7 after EOL
It can be tempting to continue with the website in Umbraco 7. Here and now it is also the cheapest solution, because you just continue as before. In the long term, however, it may risk becoming an expensive solution.
If you don't have a plan for what you will do by September 30, 2023, you can still make it. Even though Umbraco 7 reaches EOL, it doesn't mean your website will stop working overnight.
Some of the most significant disadvantages of continuing with Umbraco 7 are that you will no longer receive security updates, no official support or technical assistance will be offered, and there is a risk that Umbraco 7 will eventually become incompatible with modern technologies, browsers and third party applications.
Missing security updates
Since July 2021, Umbraco 7 has only received security updates and critical bug fixes. For over 2 years, no updates with minor bug fixes have been released. However, after September 30, 2023, these updates will end.
If you choose to continue with Umbraco 7, you also run a security risk. The website will be more vulnerable to security threats and potential other vulnerabilities. There will be an increased risk of hackers finding their way onto your website and your website risk being victim to malware and malicious attacks.
If your website is hit by a hacker attack, there is a risk of downtime - temporary or long-term. For some companies it will affect their businesses, they will lose customers and reputation. It may also have some legal consequences if personal data is processed on the website.
No support
When a CMS version reaches EOL, official support or technical assistance is no longer offered. Therefore, it will also become more challenging to solve errors and problems that may arise on the website.
It also leads on to the next point: Incompatibility.
Incompatibility
As technological development continues, you run the risk of your website becoming incompatible with, for example, third-party applications that are on the website. It may also be that the website becomes incompatible with the various browsers or other devices.
In other words, failure to update from Umbraco 7 may mean that your website does not work correctly, or may even stop working altogether.
Benefits of upgrading to a newer Umbraco version
The disadvantages of not upgrading to a newer Umbraco version are turned into advantages if you choose to upgrade. Then you will receive updates with bug fixes and updated security measures again, official support is offered, and you will get a website that is compatible with the latest technologies.
In addition, a number of additional benefits also follow. In fact, since version 7.15.11 there have been 568 new features, 43 breaking changes and 1,759 bug fixes until version 12.1.2.
Newer Umbraco versions typically have better performance and can therefore also provide better load times. New and improved functionality will also be added.
In the newer versions of Umbraco, it is easier to handle large amounts of data and content, it has become more user-friendly and intuitive to use, and you will experience improved stability.
In addition, there has also been a switch in the newer versions to .NET 7 (in Umbraco 12). .NET 7 includes a number of security features as well as new features and better scalability that help strengthen your website.
Finally, in version 10, Umbraco has also introduced a headless Content Delivery API (CDA), which helps make Umbraco a more versatile CMS. Using CDA, you can deliver Umbraco content to any device or platform.
How do we upgrade Umbraco?
If you would like to have your Umbraco 7 upgraded to a newer version, it requires careful planning and implementation. At itpilot, we are used to working in a targeted and structured way with upgrades of different CMS, so we know what needs to be done when you want to upgrade to a newer Umbraco version.
Because there have been so many changes from Umbraco 7 to Umbraco 12, it requires a new setup of your Umbraco website. Basically, the newer versions of Umbraco are built on a newer .NET framework. In other words, it is a significantly different code language in which the newer versions of Umbraco are developed, and therefore there is no simple solution to update your website either.
Which version?
When we upgrade your website to a newer Umbraco version, it must of course be agreed which version to upgrade to. The latest version (12) was released in June, but reaches EOL in June next year. If you choose Umbraco 8 or 10 instead, the EOL will not be until 2025. Read more about the versions in the section "Future prospects for Umbraco".
Investigation of extensions and adaptations
Before we can start the upgrade, it is important that we examine which adaptations and extensions your current website has. This is important knowledge so that we can ensure that your upgraded website has the same functions as your current one - unless you wish for some of these functions to be removed again.
Based on our investigation of your existing website, we can also come up with an estimate of what the upgrade will cost. The price for an upgrade varies from website to website, depending on how many and which functions and integrations must be taken into account.
Upgrade in our test environment
When we are ready to begin the upgrade, it will be in our test environment. That way, you still have an active website while the upgrade is underway. Thus, the upgrade will not be a nuisance for your visitors, and there is plenty of opportunity to test the website's functions before it is launched on your domain.
Future prospects for Umbraco
On Umbraco's website you can see all Umbraco's active and upcoming releases. Here you also get an overview of what type of update it is and when the version reaches EOL.
Here you can also see that Umbraco 13, the next LTS (Long Term Support) version, will be released on December 14, 2023, and this version will support .NET 8 LTS, where Umbraco 10 supports .NET 6 LTS.
Umbraco itself writes that every fourth major version is an LTS version, and these versions are thus adapted to Microsoft's LTS versions of their .NET framework. The latest Umbraco LTS version is thus Umbraco 10, which reaches EOL June 16, 2025.
Regardless of which Umbraco version you upgrade to, you must be aware that a version typically has only a few years of life before it reaches EOL. However, not all Umbraco versions require as extensive an upgrade process as an upgrade from Umbraco 7. This is because there have been a lot of technological developments since Umbraco 7 was released in 2013.
Alternatives to Umbraco
It may be that you do not want to continue with Umbraco as your CMS. In that case, there are fortunately good alternative CMSs that you can switch to. Financially, it can also be a good solution, since even an upgrade of Umbraco can be considered as development of a new website.
Which CMS you should choose instead of Umbraco largely depends on your requirements for the website. What functions should it have? Should it be integrated with other systems? Is there anything that needs to be specially developed for the website?
Some of the most popular CMS that you can possibly switch to are WordPress or Joomla. If you need a shop module on your website, it may be that Prestashop, WordPress/WooCommerce or Magento is the right solution for you.
If you would like to hear more about your options - regardless of whether it is for an upgrade of Umbraco or if you want to switch to another CMS - you are welcome to contact us. Call us on +45 87 25 07 25 or fill in the form below. Please describe your considerations briefly and we will contact you as soon as possible.