ExpressionEngine 6 End of Life Is Coming: Plan Your Upgrade Now!

If your site is still running ExpressionEngine 6, now is the time to start planning your move to ExpressionEngine 8. With EE6 reaching end of life on December 31, 2026, we strongly recommend starting the conversation with your developer now rather than waiting until the end of the year.

ExpressionEngine 6 entered legacy status at the beginning of 2026. On December 31, 2026, it will officially reach the end of its lifecycle. After that date, EE6 will no longer receive updates, bug fixes, or security patches of any kind.

At the same time, ExpressionEngine 8 is right around the corner and represents the path forward for sites still running EE6.

Security Is Becoming More Important

Keeping software current has always been an important part of maintaining a secure website, but the landscape is changing quickly.

AI and increasingly sophisticated automated tools are making it faster and easier to scan websites, identify the software they are running, and look for potential vulnerabilities in outdated applications.

That makes staying on a supported version more important than ever.

Moving to a current version of ExpressionEngine means continuing to receive security fixes as issues are identified, along with the ongoing security reviews, testing, and hardening we continue to build into ExpressionEngine itself.

But security is only part of what you gain by upgrading. Moving from EE6 to ExpressionEngine 8 also gives you access to everything introduced in the newer generations of ExpressionEngine, including new features, improvements to the Control Panel, performance and stability enhancements, developer improvements, and all of the work that has gone into ExpressionEngine since Version 6.

Once EE6 reaches end of life, it will receive no updates of any kind, including security updates.

The Upgrade to ExpressionEngine 8 Is Designed to Just Work

Upgrading from ExpressionEngine 6 to ExpressionEngine 8 is designed to be easy.

We are not aware of any breaking changes between EE6 and EE8 that should prevent the upgrade from just working. This has been an important goal throughout the development of ExpressionEngine 8.

Server requirements also remain accessible. ExpressionEngine 8 will continue to support PHP 7.4 and newer, which means many sites currently running EE6 will not need a major hosting change simply to upgrade.

And you do not need to upgrade through every major version individually. Any ExpressionEngine installation running EE 2.0.0 or newer can upgrade directly to ExpressionEngine 8.

As with any major update, we recommend testing the upgrade before deploying it to a production site.

Your Current Pro License Includes ExpressionEngine 8

For customers with a current ExpressionEngine Pro license, there is no additional upgrade cost to move to ExpressionEngine 8.

A valid, current ExpressionEngine Pro license includes access to the latest version of ExpressionEngine. There is no separate Version 8 upgrade fee.

If you are unsure about the status of your license, ExpressionEngine Support can help.

Start Planning Now

December may still feel a few months away, but there is little benefit in waiting until the deadline gets closer.

If your site is running ExpressionEngine 6, start the conversation with your developer now. Confirm your hosting environment, check your license, and begin planning the move to ExpressionEngine 8.

If you do not currently have a developer who can handle the upgrade, the ExpressionEngine Professionals in our Partner Network can help evaluate your site, plan the upgrade, and perform the work.

ExpressionEngine Support is also available to answer questions about the upgrade path, compatibility, or licensing.

If you’re running ExpressionEngine 6, now is the time to plan your upgrade to ExpressionEngine 8. Contact your developer or get in touch with an ExpressionEngine Professional in our Partner Network and start planning your move today.