Is .NET Framework Still Supported? End-of-Life Dates (2026)
Short answer
.NET Framework is supported, with no end date announced. CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog lists 4 vulnerabilities in .NET Framework.
.NET Framework 4.8 and 4.8.1 have no end date of their own: Microsoft supports them for as long as the Windows version they run on, so the date that matters is your Windows lifecycle, while 4.6.2 ends on 12 January 2027.
Legacy Technology Tracker · Status as of 16 Oct 2026. Data checked 7 Oct 2026; refreshed monthly, with quarterly snapshots kept unchanged.
Risk rating
Low: supported with no end date announced; no licence change recorded in the last 24 months; 4 vulnerabilities on CISA's KEV list (supported versions receive security fixes). How ratings work
Key facts
Every value links to its source and shows when we last checked or retrieved it. Data checked 7 Oct 2026; status as of 16 Oct 2026.
| Fact | Value | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Support status | Supported.NET Framework 1.x–4.8.1 (not .NET Core / .NET 5+). | ||
| Support end date | No end date announced | ||
| Known exploited vulnerabilities (CISA KEV) | 4 CVEs all time; 1 added in the last 24 monthsNewest added 4 Feb 2025Matched by vendor and product name in the KEV catalog. | ||
| Job postings and salaries | Not published: the job-posting source is on hold pending a data licence. | — | — |
Versions in scope
.NET Framework 1.x–4.8.1 (not .NET Core / .NET 5+). Dates per version, each with its source.
| Version | Status | Standard support ends | Extended support ends | Latest release | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5-sp1 | Supported | — | — | |||
| 4.0 | Unsupported | — | — | |||
| 4.5 | Unsupported | — | — | |||
| 4.5.1 | Unsupported | — | — | |||
| 4.5.2 | Unsupported | — | — | |||
| 4.6 | Unsupported | — | — | |||
| 4.6.1 | Unsupported | — | — | |||
| 4.6.2 | Supported | — | — | |||
| 4.7 | Supported | — | — | — | ||
| 4.7.1 | Supported | — | — | — | ||
| 4.7.2 | Supported | — | — | — | ||
| 4.8 | Supported | — | — | — | ||
| 4.8.1 | Supported | — | — | — |
If you still run .NET Framework
If you are on .NET Framework 4.5.2, 4.6 or 4.6.1, support already ended on 26 April 2022, and 4.0, 4.5 and 4.5.1 ended in January 2016. Version 4.6.2 ends on 12 January 2027. Versions 4.7 to 4.8.1 have no end date of their own; they follow your Windows version, so that Windows version's end of support is the deadline.
The realistic options:
- Update in place to 4.8.1 or 4.8. Microsoft says 4.6.2 and later are compatible in-place updates, and applications built on earlier 4.x versions are expected to keep running without a recompile. This is the quick fix for the 4.6.2 date. Validate in a pre-production environment first, as Microsoft advises.
- Keep the Windows version supported. Once you are on 4.8.x, supported Windows is what keeps the runtime supported. Plan Windows Server upgrades alongside application changes.
- Migrate to modern .NET. This removes the tie to Windows and allows Linux and containers, but WebForms, WCF and other Framework-only parts need rework. The .NET Framework to .NET guide covers scope, cost ranges and risks.
Legacy system modernization companies lists suppliers for .NET migrations, and modernization costs gives budget ranges.
Frequently asked questions
Is .NET Framework still supported?
Yes. Microsoft's lifecycle page lists no end date for .NET Framework 4.8.1, 4.8, 4.7.2, 4.7.1 or 4.7. From version 4.5.2 onward, .NET Framework is a component of Windows and follows the lifecycle of the Windows version it is installed on (Microsoft lifecycle FAQ).
When does .NET Framework 4.8 reach end of support?
It has no date of its own. It is supported while the Windows version it runs on is supported, so check that version's end date on Microsoft's Windows lifecycle FAQ.
Which .NET Framework versions are out of support?
Microsoft ended support for 4.0, 4.5 and 4.5.1 on 12 January 2016, and for 4.5.2, 4.6 and 4.6.1 on 26 April 2022. Version 4.6.2 ends on 12 January 2027. Microsoft says 4.6.2 and later are in-place updates over earlier 4.x versions, so most applications need no recompile to move up.
What can replace .NET Framework?
Teams move to modern .NET (formerly .NET Core), which also runs on Linux. The .NET Framework to .NET migration guide covers scope, cost ranges and risks.