SharePoint Server 2013 / 2016 / 2019 Retirement Decision — Extended Support Timeline & Migration Path
2013 is out of support. 2016 and 2019 both retire July 14, 2026. If you are still on any of these versions, you need a formal migration plan — underway or scheduled to complete before that date. This is the EPC Group decision framework.
The retirement timeline
- SharePoint Server 2013 — mainstream support ended April 10, 2018. Extended support ended April 11, 2023. Running in production today is an active security exposure.
- SharePoint Server 2016 — mainstream support ended July 13, 2021. Extended support ends July 14, 2026.
- SharePoint Server 2019 — mainstream support ended January 9, 2024. Extended support ends July 14, 2026.
The four migration paths
1. SharePoint Online — Microsoft-recommended default (90% of buyers)
Cloud-hosted SaaS. Continuous updates. Native Copilot integration. See the 5-phase modernization playbook at /answers/sharepoint-on-premises-to-online-modernization.
2. SharePoint Server Subscription Edition (SE)
Microsoft's continuous-update on-premises option. Same underlying platform as SharePoint Online, but self-hosted. Right for regulatory workloads that cannot go to cloud. Requires Windows Server 2019+ and SQL Server 2019+.
3. Hybrid
SharePoint Online for collaboration + SharePoint SE for the regulated workload, bridged via cross-site coauthoring and hybrid search.
4. Exit
Migrate to a non-SharePoint destination (Box, Google Workspace, custom platform). Right when the SharePoint investment is no longer strategic. Rare in Microsoft-shop customers.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did / when do SharePoint Server 2013, 2016, and 2019 retire?
SharePoint Server 2013 mainstream support ended April 10, 2018; extended support ended April 11, 2023 — no further security updates. Running SP2013 in production today is an active security exposure. SharePoint Server 2016 mainstream support ended July 13, 2021; extended support ends July 14, 2026. SharePoint Server 2019 mainstream support ended January 9, 2024; extended support also ends July 14, 2026. After July 14, 2026, both 2016 and 2019 stop receiving security updates from Microsoft — organizations still running either need a migration plan before that date.
What are the four migration paths?
(1) SharePoint Online — Microsoft-recommended default for 90% of buyers. Cloud-hosted SaaS, continuous updates, native Copilot integration. Requires the 5-phase modernization playbook (see /answers/sharepoint-on-premises-to-online-modernization). (2) SharePoint Server Subscription Edition (SE) — Microsoft's continuous-update on-premises option. Same underlying platform as SPO, but you self-host. Right for regulatory workloads that cannot go to cloud. Requires Windows Server 2019+ and SQL Server 2019+. (3) Hybrid — SharePoint Online for collaboration + SharePoint SE for the regulated workload, bridged via cross-site coauthoring and hybrid search. Right for large enterprises with one specific regulated exception. (4) Exit — migrate to a non-SharePoint destination (Box, Google Workspace, custom platform). Right when the SharePoint investment is no longer strategic. Rare in Microsoft-shop customers, common in mixed-stack customers.
How long does the migration take?
Depends on path and scale. To SharePoint Online: mid-enterprise (2,000-10,000 users, 200-500 site collections) runs 6-9 months end-to-end. To Subscription Edition: 3-4 months for the in-place upgrade if the source is 2016 (SE is a direct successor) or 6-9 months if source is 2013 (needs 2016/2019 intermediate step first). Hybrid deployment: adds 4-6 weeks to whichever primary path is chosen. Exit to non-SharePoint: 12-24 months (larger effort because there is no continuity — every custom solution, workflow, and integration rebuilds).
What are the "gotchas" that make this timeline blow up?
(1) SharePoint Designer 2013 workflows — dead in SharePoint Online since April 2, 2026, must be rebuilt in Power Automate. See /answers/power-automate-rebuild-after-sp2013-workflow-retirement. (2) Full-trust farm solutions — do not exist in SharePoint Online, need SPFx or Power Platform rebuild. (3) InfoPath forms — deprecated, need PowerApps rebuild. (4) Custom timer jobs — need Azure Functions or Power Automate rebuild. (5) Legacy BCS external content types — replaced by Power Platform Dataverse virtual tables or Custom Connectors. Every migration surfaces these; the discovery phase (Weeks 1-4) inventories them and the rewrite backlog (Phase 2) triages them.
What happens if we do not migrate by July 14, 2026?
Running SharePoint 2016 or 2019 after that date is an active security exposure. Microsoft stops shipping patches — any CVE discovered post-retirement stays unpatched. For regulated organizations (HIPAA, GLBA, FINRA, SOC 2, PCI, FedRAMP), running unpatched software is typically a compliance violation and triggers audit findings. For non-regulated organizations, you're accepting the risk of a public exploit. EPC Group's guidance: if you are still on 2016 or 2019 as of July 2025 (12 months before retirement), a formal migration engagement should be underway or scheduled to complete before July 14, 2026. Migration engagements started later than 90 days pre-retirement will not finish in time.
Why work with EPC Group on this decision?
6,500+ SharePoint implementations across every version since Project Tahoe (2000). Errin O'Connor was on the original SharePoint Beta Team pre-2001 launch and has authored three Microsoft Press SharePoint books (2007, 2010, 2013 Field Guide). Every migration path — SPO, SE, hybrid, exit — has been delivered by EPC Group's senior architects. The senior-architect-led delivery model means the same person who scopes the engagement designs it and hands off to a lean implementation crew, not a partner-plus-analysts structure with an architect two levels removed.
Talk to a senior architect
Email contact@epcgroup.net or call 888-381-9725.
North America's oldest continuous Microsoft Gold Partner (2000 until Microsoft retired the program in 2022) — today holding all six Microsoft Solutions Partner Designations.