.NET 8 reaches end of support on 10 November 2026, according to Microsoft's .NET support policy. .NET 9 ends on the same day. The current long term support release is .NET 10, supported until 14 November 2028, so that is the natural place to move.
Why two versions end on one day
Microsoft supports long term support (LTS) releases for three years and standard term support (STS) releases for two. .NET 8 is LTS and was released in November 2023. .NET 9 is STS and arrived in November 2024. Microsoft's policy says end of support dates fall on Patch Tuesday, so both land on 10 November 2026.
| Release | Type | Released | End of support |
|---|---|---|---|
| .NET 8 | LTS | 14 Nov 2023 | 10 Nov 2026 |
| .NET 9 | STS | 12 Nov 2024 | 10 Nov 2026 |
| .NET 10 | LTS | 11 Nov 2025 | 14 Nov 2028 |
The policy also says the final six months of a release are a maintenance period, where only security vulnerabilities are mitigated. As of this review, .NET 8 is in that phase. That is only three weeks of fixes left.
What changes after the date
After 10 November, Microsoft stops shipping patches for those releases. Your apps still run. New runtime and framework vulnerabilities simply do not get a fix for 8 or 9. The policy also says you need the latest patch of your version to be considered supported, so check that you are not behind on 8.0.x today.
A short upgrade plan
- List every project's target framework. Search for
TargetFrameworkin csproj files and Directory.Build.props. - Change the target to net10.0 on a branch and build. Fix compile errors first.
- Read the breaking changes notes for each version you cross.
- Update NuGet packages. Many ship separate builds per framework, so older pins may block you.
- Update base images in Dockerfiles and the runtime in your hosting settings.
- Run the full test suite, then a canary deployment.
If you have dozens of services, move the shared libraries first so each service only changes its own target.
When 10 is not possible yet
If a blocker holds you on 8, record the owner, the reason and a review date. Limit network exposure for that service. Do not assume a vendor will extend support, since the policy above lists no such option for self-hosted apps.
Try it yourself
Click through the demo and watch how a pull request is checked against a rule before it can merge.
Click through it at your own pace, or open it full screen.
Quick check
Is .NET Framework 4.8 covered by this date?
No. This policy is for modern .NET. .NET Framework follows a different Microsoft lifecycle, so check its page separately.
Do I need to upgrade on exactly 10 November?
Nothing breaks that day. The risk grows over time as unpatched issues appear. Aim to finish the move shortly after, and sooner for internet facing apps.
Where Safeguard fits
Safeguard's SBOM and dependency scanning covers NuGet packages, so you can see which projects still pin older framework builds. Try the free scan.
Sources
Last reviewed: 19 October 2026.
