Mashable: Almost nine years after its release, Microsoft is preparing to end support for the Office 2013 app suite. Because of this, the company recently informed its customers that they will no longer be releasing security patches.

On April 11, 2023, according to the official documentation, Office 2013 will be out of support. Five years of general support and four years of additional support were provided for the app suite (security fixes and critical updates).

The official statement given by Microsoft to Bleeping Computer:

"After five years of Mainstream Support, and five years of Extended Support, Office 2013 will reach the End of Extended Support on April 11, 2023. Per the Fixed Lifecycle Policy, after this date security updates for Office 2013 will no longer be available.

After Office 2013 reaches the end of support, Microsoft won't provide any new security updates, and the continued use of Office 2013 after April 2023 may increase your organization's exposure to security risks or impact your ability to meet compliance obligations."

If support is terminated, it does not mean that the apps will no longer work. Even if customers choose to keep using Office 2013 after April 2023, they should be aware that the lack of support increases security risks. It's also possible that Microsoft 365 customers will encounter reliability issues when it's no longer supported by Microsoft after the end-of-life date is set.

The Office 365 subscription is an option for Office 2013 users who want to stay on top of their software updates and receive new features on a regular basis. An all time Office 2021 licenses are also available from Microsoft for those who prefer to make a single purchase.