Microsoft ends support for .NET 5.0

Support will end for Microsoft’s .NET 5.0 software platform on May 8, despite its being officially released fewer than 17 months ago.

Following the .NET May updates, Microsoft will no longer provide .NET 5.0 servicing updates, including security fixes and technical support, the company said in a bulletin published March 24.

Microsoft noted that .NET 5.0, introduced in November 2020, was not a long-term support (LTS) release and thus was due to be supported for only 18 months or six months after the subsequent release. To continue receiving updates, developers will need to update to a supported version of .NET, such as .NET Core 3.1 or NET 6.0, which is an LTS release, before the expiration date. .NET 6.0 was released in November 2021.

Applications using .NET 5.0 will continue to run following the end of support, but may potentially become insecure without security updates. Microsoft also warned: “Additionally, if you run into any issues and need technical support, we may not be able to help you.”

Developers and software vendors using .NET 5.0 are advised to migrate applications to .NET 6.0, which can be downloaded from the dotnet website. Microsoft recommends that users reach out to the vendors managing their software to confirm if an updated version of the software is needed and available.

Microsoft .NET 5.0 was introduced as the beginning of a unification of .NET technologies. .NET 5.0 was to provide a single .NET runtime and framework and be the next step forward following open source, cross platform .NET Core. .NET 6 followed with the promise of a unified platform across cloud, desktop, IoT, and mobile, using the same .NET libraries and sharing code.

Microsoft’s Visual Studio IDE also will be impacted by the .NET 5.0 plans. Beginning with the June 2022 servicing update for Visual Studio 2019 versions 16.11 and 16.9, the .NET 5.0 component will be changed to out of support and optional. .NET 5.0 SDK versions will continue to be supported in Visual Studio 16.11 until December 2022, when .NET Core 3.1 goes out of support.