Microsoft: Office 2013 will reach end of support in April 2023

Microsoft has reminded customers earlier this week that Microsoft Office 2013 is approaching its end of support next year, advising them to switch to a newer version to reduce their exposure to security risks.

"After five years of Mainstream Support, and five years of Extended Support, Office 2013 will reach the End of Extended Support on April 11, 2023. Per the Fixed Lifecycle Policy, after this date security updates for Office 2013 will no longer be available," Microsoft told customers.

"After Office 2013 reaches the end of support, Microsoft won't provide any new security updates, and the continued use of Office 2013 after April 2023 may increase your organization's exposure to security risks or impact your ability to meet compliance obligations."

Once the end of support is reached, Microsoft will stop providing several services to Office 2013 license owners, including technical support, bug fixes, and security patches for new issues.

Also, connecting Office 2013 clients to Microsoft 365 might lead to performance or reliability issues because Office 2013 is no longer a supported client since October 2020.

Upgrade options for Office 2013 users

Available upgrade options for Office 2013 are Microsoft 365 Apps, the subscription version of Office that comes with many Microsoft 365 and Office LTSC 2021.

Microsoft 365 Apps comes with many Microsoft 365 and Office 365 enterprise and business plans, and it allows endpoint users to install full versions of Office apps on multiple devices.

Office LTSC 2021 is sold as a one-time purchase via a volume license agreement and can only be installed on one computer per license.

The main difference between these two Office versions is that Microsoft 365 Apps is updated regularly with new features while Office LTSC 2021 has the same features it came with on its launch date, in September 2021.

"Please start upgrading to Microsoft 365 Apps, which is designed to receive regular updates, and will help you stay current by getting security updates and our latest features," Microsoft said.

"Alternatively, if your organization requires a static, unchanging product, consider moving to Office LTSC 2021."

Office 2013 upgrade plan

After exploring your options and deciding to switch to a newer version on compatible devices (system requirements for 365 Apps and LTSC 2021), you should prepare an upgrade plan (you can find more info on moving to Microsoft 365 here).

"Because Microsoft 365 Apps comes with many enterprise Microsoft 365 (and Office 365) plans, you should review the capabilities of your current plan as part of planning an upgrade to Microsoft 365 Apps," the company explains,

"Prior to deploying Microsoft 365 Apps, for example, you should ensure that all your users have accounts and licenses."

In related news, Microsoft also reminded customers that multiple editions of Windows 10 20H2 and Windows 10 1909 are reaching EOS in May 2022 and several .NET Framework versions on April 26.

Microsoft: Office 2013 will reach end of support in April 2023