Magento 2.3 End of Life Extended to September 2022
Adobe has officially announced that Magento 2.3.x will be entering EOL (End Of Life).
The new Lifecycle Policy states support for Magento 2.3 will officially end on September 8, 2022.
At first, the end of support date was set on April 28, 2022. The date is extended to allow more time for customers to upgrade to the Magento 2.4.4, released on April 12, 2022.
Magento 2.4.0 was released in July of 2020. While it’s not new, many stores are still running Magento 2.3 releases.
Websites running on latest versions are best protected against security vulnerabilities. If your website is still running on Magento 2.3.x, it is time for you to upgrade.
New Security Patches for 2.3.7 and 2.4.3
To keep Magento 3.x secure during the extended support window, Adobe scheduled the release of of two new security patches. Patch 2.3.7-p4 and 2.4.3-p3 are expected to release in August 2022.
It will help merchants stay secure and maintain PCI (Payment Card Industry) compliance while they upgrade to 2.4.4.
Adobe will also be providing new paid extended support options for customers on 2.3.7 to give more time for upgrade.
What does Magento 2.3 End of Life Mean?
The Support Cliff: Magento 2.3 vs 2.4
How Magento 2.3 goes from full support to total abandonment at EOL
Magento 2.3
END OF LIFEMagento 2.4
FULLY SUPPORTEDRunning unsupported Magento software is costly and risky
Delaying the upgrade leads to security vulnerabilities, usability issues, and limitations that compromise store quality and business growth. The support cliff means overnight transition from fully supported to completely abandoned.
1. No Updates & Security Patches
Adobe does not provide any updates for its unsupported versions. The Magento platform won’t receive any official updates, patches, or software support. Such as security fixes, feature patches, PCI compliance updates.
This means your website becomes vulnerable to security breaches and risks customer’s data. You will be using Magento 2.3 at your own risk after it enters the EOL phase.
2. Limited Compatibility With Magento Marketplace Extensions
Vendors and developers of Magento extensions prioritize compatibility with the latest versions. New extensions will be built for Magento 2.4. This will leave you with with fewer options in the Magento marketplace.
Additionally, extensions that are only compatible with the unsupported version will be removed. You will be unable to use many of the essentials Magento extensions required for your store. This will limit your ability to take advantage of evolving ecommerce store solutions.
3. No Support
Adobe does not work on support tickets for unsupported versions of the Magento platform. This means you won’t be able to file support tickets for Magento 2.3.x.
If you start to experience technical errors while using Magento 2.3, you’ll be on your own.
4. No Dev Docs
DevDocs combines multiple API documentations in a fast, organized, and searchable interface. When there’s an issue with a piece of software, developers rely on DevDocs to resolve the problem.
With the end of support, the 2.3.x DevDocs will be removed from the Magento website. It will become difficult for developers to fix technical issues, troubleshoot errors, or add new features.
Why Upgrade To Magento 2.4?
Running an unsupported Magento software is costly and risky.
Mentioned above are few of the risks of using an unsupported version. Delaying the upgrade will lead to security and usability issues that will compromise the quality of your store.
Adobe highly recommends upgrading to the latest magento version to enhance store security and user experience.
The benefits of upgrading to Magento 2.4:
1. Platform Enhancements
Support for:
- PHP 8.1
- TinyMCE 5
- Elasticsearch 7.16
- OpenSearch 1.2.
2. Performance Improvements
Magento 2.4: Operating at 10x Scale
From Survival to Thrival in E-commerce Performance
Larger Catalog Handling
Supports complex product hierarchies and extensive SKU variations without performance degradation
Higher Transaction Volume
Enables Black Friday-level traffic handling without infrastructure changes
Fewer Outages
Reduces downtime-related revenue loss, critical for 24/7 e-commerce operations
Substantially Faster APIs
Improves third-party integrations and headless commerce implementations
Critical Impact: Staying on Magento 2.3 means operating at just 20% of potential capacity while risking revenue loss from outages and performance issues. The upgrade to 2.4 is not just an update—it's a transformation in platform capability.
- Handles 10 times larger and complex catalogs.
- Process 5 times higher transaction volumes per hour.
- 34% lower chance of site outages.
- Deliver substantially faster API response times.
3. Enhanced Security
4 Major Security Enhancements in Magento 2.4
ReCAPTCHA Protection
Coupon codes secured against automated abuse and fraud attempts
File Upload Security
Non-alphanumeric files blocked to prevent code injection
Token Encryption
OAuth and password tokens protected against database compromise
Enhanced Validation
Multi-layer input validation preventing various attack vectors
Adobe Recommendation: "Upgrade to the latest Magento version to enhance store security." Remaining on 2.3 after EOL equals operating with maximum risk.
- Vulnerability of CVSS score 9.1 is patched in Magento 2.4.4.
- Support for ReCAPTCHA has been added to coupon codes.
- Enhanced Validation to eliminate the upload of non-alphanumeric files.
- Encryption of OAuth access tokens and password reset tokens for database storage.
4. Features Enhancement
From Legacy to Leading Edge
5 Game-Changing Commerce Capabilities You're Missing on Magento 2.3
Headless Commerce & PWA
App-like experiences with offline functionality and lightning-fast performance
BOPIS Integration
Seamless online ordering with convenient in-store pickup options
Order Approval Workflows
Complex purchasing hierarchies for enterprise B2B operations
Seller-Assisted Shopping
Personal shopping experiences that boost conversion rates
Advanced Inventory Management
Multi-location inventory prevents overselling and enables sophisticated fulfillment strategies across warehouses
Technology Stack Modernization
CRITICAL: Stores on Magento 2.3 are missing fundamental capabilities needed for modern commerce. New extensions and features are exclusively built for 2.4+
- Headless Commerce and PWA Development
- Buy Online, Pick-Up in Store (BOPIS)
- Order Approval Workflows
- Seller-Assisted Shopping
- Inventory Management
Learn more about the Magento Open Source and Adobe Commerce 2.4.4.
How to Upgrade to Magento 2.4.4?
You can upgrade Magento application from the command line if you installed the software:
- Using the composer.
- Downloading a compressed archive.
Follow the tutorial on MGT-Commerce to upgrade Magento using Command line.
