Sitecore 9.3 Extended Support Ending December 2025

Sitecore 9.3 approaches the end of its extended support period in December 2025, therefore, organisations still running this version should start preparing for a transition. With security risks, limited feature updates, and potential performance issues looming, it's critical to understand your options and take action well before the deadline.

When Sitecore versions, such as Sitecore 9.3, reach the end of their extended support period, this means that official updates, including security patches and bug fixes, will no longer be provided by Sitecore. Extended support typically follows mainstream support, offering organisations extra time to transition to newer versions. However, once this period ends, your Sitecore platform becomes more vulnerable to security risks and compatibility issues.

If an upgrade or rebuild isn't feasible in the short term, you can continue to run Sitecore 9.3 beyond the extended support period. However, this path comes with risks, such as security vulnerabilities and the rising cost of sustaining support.

Security attacks are becoming more prevalent and increasingly sophisticated. In 2024:

• 50% of UK businesses identified a cyber-attack.
• This disproportionately effects medium businesses (70%), large businesses (74%) and high-income charities with £500,000 or more in annual income (66%).

(Gov.UK, 2024, https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/cyber-security-breaches-survey-2024/cyber-security-breaches-survey-2024).

Sitecore’s lifecycle includes three key phases, understanding these phases is essential for planning platform upgrades and avoiding gaps in security and functionality:

• Mainstream Support: Full support for security updates, bug fixes, and new features, typically lasting three years.
• Extended Support: Lasts another three years, offering critical security patches but no new features.
• Sustaining Support: Up to two more years with limited assistance, no new updates, and potential costs for incident fixes.

For example, Sitecore 9.3 will be in Extended Support until December 2025, after which it moves to Sustaining Support.

More details are available in Sitecore's lifecycle documentation.

The decision to re-design your website depends on several factors. If you’re satisfied with the current design and don't plan to refresh it anytime soon, it may be feasible to upgrade your platform, while retaining your existing front-end design.

However, if a re-design is on the horizon within the next few years, it’s more efficient to align it with the rebuild. Delaying the re-design could result in having to re-integrate parts of your site, effectively paying twice for similar work. This could divert resources better spent on other areas, like digital marketing, where it can yield higher returns.

Strategic planning can save both time and money while ensuring your website remains modern and optimised.

If you're considering upgrading to Sitecore 10.4 or rebuilding with a new CMS, CSI Media are an experienced and competitive option to deliver your new solution.

Everything is done in-house by our team of digital specialists who will support you during the entire process, from the initial scoping to launch and beyond for support and maintenance. We will advise you on when you are required in the project lifecycle, for example, User Acceptance Testing, ensuring to give you plentiful notice to prepare. Find out more about our Web Development services.

If you are an existing client, please contact your Account Manager for further details and a quotation.