Let’s get one thing straight: no one loves the phrase "CMS upgrade." It’s not exactly the kind of thing that sparks joy over a Monday morning coffee. But if your site’s running on Umbraco CMS and you’ve seen whispers about version 17, you might be wondering:
- Do I need to do anything about it?
- Is it going to be expensive?
- Will it break everything?
- Can I just ignore it and hope it goes away?
The short answers:
Eventually, yes. Not necessarily. Probably not. Definitely don’t.
Now for the longer version...
Why is Umbraco 17 important?
Umbraco 17 is due out in November and will be the next Long-Term Support (LTS) version. LTS releases get three full years of support, performance improvements and security updates. That means they’re a stable base to build on and an important milestone in the Umbraco roadmap.
It also aligns with Microsoft technologies like .NET 8 and continues Umbraco’s shift towards modern ASP.NET Core architecture, bringing better scalability, speed and future-proofing for Content Management Systems.
Alongside these technical improvements, Umbraco 17 continues refining the editor experience and paves the way for easier future upgrades with more robust API support.
First, the big one: Do I have to upgrade?
If you’re on Umbraco 13 (the current LTS - Long-Term Support version), yes, you’ll need to upgrade before December 2026, when support officially ends. That means no more bug fixes, security patches or platform support from Umbraco HQ, and things get expensive, fast, if you try to keep running an unsupported version.
If you’re on Umbraco 14, 15 or 16, you're not off the hook either. These are Short-Term Support (STS) versions and will also fall out of support before or around the same time. Their place in the support lifecycle is much shorter than LTS releases, and they typically receive fewer product updates.
So the safest, smartest move is to get to version 17, ideally by the middle of 2026.
What happens if I stay on Umbraco 13 after support ends?
If you stay on an unsupported version of Umbraco after your support window ends, here’s what changes:
- You won’t get any more security patches or official bug fixes
- Hosting may become more expensive due to the extra overhead of supporting outdated software
- Our support fees may increase, as it takes more time and care to work on legacy versions
- You may need additional security protocols or compliance steps to keep your site protected
- Our developers will need to maintain workarounds to support your specific version, which adds time and complexity to any new feature or change
Basically, it becomes more expensive and less secure to maintain your website. And you miss out on new features, performance optimisations, and upgrades to the content management interface.
We’ll always do our best to support clients where they are - but we also have a responsibility to be honest. At some point, unsupported software becomes a liability. You don’t want to be on the wrong side of that line.
Will this be another massive rebuild?
Nope. If your site’s on Umbraco 9 or later, this is a true upgrade, not a rebuild. There’s no content migration, no full redesign needed (unless you want one), and no horror-show of starting from scratch.
We’re talking a few days of work, not months. Think of it like a car service, not replacing the whole vehicle.
Still on Umbraco 8 or below? Sorry, yes, that’s a rebuild. And you’ll likely need help managing changes to your data format, SQL Server setup, database schema and possibly project files. But chances are, if you're in that boat, we’ve already had several ‘let’s talk’ chats with you about this.
What’s actually new in Umbraco 17?
Let’s geek out for a second.
Here’s what you’re getting in 17:
- A completely rebuilt back office, moving away from AngularJS to modern web components - faster, more secure, and easier to maintain.
- A new rich text editor (Tiptap) - Bye TinyMCE, hello cleaner formatting, better stability, and more control for editors.
Back office UI refresh - Content editing just got smoother and more responsive. - Performance + stability upgrades - The under-the-bonnet stuff that keeps everything ticking over nicely.
Nothing overly flashy, but definitely things that’ll make everyday content management easier and more enjoyable. Plus, you’ll be on a version with three years of guaranteed support and full access to new features like the Block Editor, Media Picker, and upcoming Management API.
How is Gecko handling the upgrade?
We’re already on it.
We've been testing Umbraco 17 internally on a dev version of the Gecko site, checking compatibility with our most-used NuGet packages, tools and component libraries.
We’re also reviewing Umbraco release notes to track changes across patch releases and major builds, and adjusting our internal documentation and upgrade service accordingly.
Our upgrade process is:
- Documented
- Tested
- Ready to go
That said, we’ll be holding off on client upgrades until the first patch release - usually a few weeks post-launch - when the first round of bug fixes are in.
We’re also running internal site audits for every client we support (starting with our Go clients) to check for any affected packages, custom dashboards or property editors and to plan out your upgrade steps.
Will my site need big changes?
Not usually.
If your site is built on Umbraco 13 (or anything 9+), most upgrades will go smoothly. We’ll do a full audit first, checking things like:
- Plugin and package compatibility
- Custom functionality
- Accessibility tools
- Any code changes needed (e.g. for the new editor, partial views or content apps)
We’ll also review any website files or local machine environments to make sure everything runs cleanly in development and deployment pipelines.
For most marketing sites, the front end won’t change at all, and the back office will just feel cleaner, faster and easier to use.
What could break or need reworking?
Realistically? Not much.
The biggest potential gotchas are third-party packages that haven’t been updated for Umbraco 17 yet. But we’ve already got eyes on that, and we’ll always find alternative packages or solutions if needed.
If your site includes custom integrations or content structures built with things like Nested Content or earlier Block Grid setups, we’ll advise on the best route to upgrade cleanly.
Is now a good time to make other improvements?
Absolutely.
If you’ve been thinking:
- “We should really tidy up our content…”
- “It’s time for a redesign…”
- “Our site’s feeling a bit sluggish…”
- “Should we be doing more with accessibility?”
…an upgrade is the perfect time to take a step back and ask “what if?”
You’ll already have some dev time scheduled, so it’s a cost-effective moment to:
- Refresh your design or brand elements
- Improve user journeys
- Audit site speed, page load times or accessibility
- Add new features or API setups like payment gateways or content delivery APIs
- Revisit business needs and align the site accordingly
If you don’t need any extras, that’s fine too. But if you’ve got a wishlist, this is your chance to start checking things off.
How long does an upgrade take?
For most marketing sites on Umbraco 13, allow around a week.
That doesn’t mean five full days of development. It gives us space to:
- Do the upgrade
- Test everything
- Fix any issues
- Run quality checks
- Let your team do a pre-launch review
We check forms, Visual Studio builds, page layouts, logins, redirects, search - the lot - to make sure it all still works like clockwork.
One thing to plan for: Content freeze.
While the upgrade’s happening, your editors won’t be able to make updates. So pick a week that works - definitely not the same week as a campaign launch.
When should we budget and book this in?
Now.
We’re expecting a spike in demand in late 2025 and into 2026 as the Umbraco 13 end-of-life deadline creeps closer.
We’d love to avoid a mad dash (for your sake and ours). So if you’re on Umbraco 13, 14, 15 or 16 - now’s the sweet spot to book an audit.
We’ll review:
- What your upgrade involves
- What needs testing
- What your options are (timing, scope, budget)
- You’ll be ahead of the game and in a far stronger position.
Biggest misconceptions we hear about Umbraco upgrades?
“It’s basically a rebuild, isn’t it?”
Not anymore. If you’re on 9+, this is an upgrade, not a start-over.
“We’ll just wait and see.”
Unfortunately, waiting tends to mean higher costs, less flexibility, and missed opportunities to improve your digital presence while it’s already being worked on.
“We can just keep running 13, it’s fine.”
It’ll work, until something goes wrong. Then it gets expensive, quickly. Unsupported software becomes a risk to your site’s performance, compliance and long-term growth.
So… should we upgrade now or later?
The smartest move is to start planning now. Even if your upgrade doesn’t happen until next spring, getting the wheels in motion early means:
- You’re ahead of the queue
- You avoid pressure or disruption
- You’ve got time to explore improvements or added value
- You can match it to your budget cycle
Final word: Don’t leave it too late
If you take one thing away from this post, let it be this:
The Umbraco 17 upgrade is totally doable, but only if you give yourself the time to do it properly.
Wait until the end of 2026, and you risk:
- Stress
- Higher costs
- Disruption
- And us giving you that look
Let’s make a plan now, while everything’s still calm and manageable.
Let’s chat
Ready to book your Umbraco audit or just want to run your options past us?
Drop us a message and let’s get ahead of the curve, together.
