# Kentico Xperience 13 reaches end of support on 31 December 2026: upgrade to Xperience by Kentico or move to Sanity?

Reviewed by Martin Dejnicki · facts verified 25 October 2026 · canonical: https://deploi.ca/sanity/migration/leaving-kentico

## Short answer

Kentico Xperience 13 owners pick between two migrations: Xperience by Kentico when marketers run contacts, automation and email inside Kentico, and Sanity for content-led sites. Both are migrations because Xperience by Kentico is "a brand new product" ([Kentico Docs](https://docs.kentico.com/modules/upgrade-overview/upgrade-from-kx13-overview), October 2026). Kentico Xperience 13 reaches end of support on 31 December 2026, with no security repairs afterward ([Kentico](https://kentico.com/services/support/support-lifecycle), October 2026).

- **Kentico Xperience 13 end of support:** 31 December 2026, 68 days from 24 October. Security hotfixes only through 2026; from 1 January 2027 no support or security repairs, and use is at your sole risk. The site keeps running. Days counted by Deploi arithmetic. ([Kentico, Product Support Lifecycle](https://kentico.com/services/support/support-lifecycle); [Kentico, End of Support, Not End of the Story](https://www.kentico.com/discover/blog/eos-not-eol))
- **Kentico's upgrade path:** Xperience by Kentico, a new product. The Kentico Migration Tool moves data and content from Refresh 5 (hotfix 13.0.64) or newer; code and customizations are transferred and adjusted by hand ([Kentico Docs, Upgrade overview](https://docs.kentico.com/modules/upgrade-overview/upgrade-from-kx13-overview); [Kentico Docs, Upgrade to Xperience by Kentico](https://docs.kentico.com/developers-and-admins/upgrade-from-kentico-xperience-13); [Kentico, Kentico Migration Tool repository](https://github.com/Kentico/xperience-by-kentico-kentico-migration-tool))
- **Xperience by Kentico release support:** 12 to 24 months per release. Kentico's support policy says each release is supported at least 12 months and at most 24, with refreshes planned monthly, so staying supported means updating, as of October 2026 ([Kentico Docs, Xperience by Kentico support policy](https://docs.kentico.com/developers-and-admins/installation/support-policy))
- **Sanity Growth plan:** $15 per seat a month, billed monthly. Enterprise is custom pricing as of October 2026. Sanity hosts the content, so you build and host a new front end ([Sanity, Plans that scale with you](https://www.sanity.io/pricing); [Sanity, Sanity for Startups](https://www.sanity.io/startups); [Sanity Docs, Hosting and deployment](https://www.sanity.io/docs/studio/deployment); [Sanity Docs, Studio development](https://www.sanity.io/docs/studio/development))

## Deploi's call

Treat 31 December 2026 as the start of a migration on either path, because Xperience by Kentico is a new product, not a version bump. Move to Xperience by Kentico when your marketers work in Kentico's contacts, automation and email every week. Move to Sanity when the site is content-led and feeds more than one channel. Don't plan to run Kentico Xperience 13 unsupported for more than a short, dated bridge to a launch.

**UPGRADE: Move to Xperience by Kentico when**

- Marketers run contacts, marketing automation, email or personalization inside Kentico, because Sanity's plans include none of those as of October 2026.
- Your developers are .NET (Microsoft's development framework) specialists who will own the code changes Kentico's upgrade guide lists, so their skills carry over.
- Page Builder pages carry most of the site, because the Kentico Migration Tool transfers Page Builder content and custom page templates to Xperience by Kentico ([Kentico Docs](https://docs.kentico.com/modules/upgrade-overview/plan-your-strategy-for-migrating-features), October 2026).
- You'll update to a supported release within 12 to 24 months, because Kentico's support policy says each release is supported for that long ([Kentico Docs](https://docs.kentico.com/developers-and-admins/installation/support-policy), October 2026).

**SANITY: Replatform to Sanity when**

- The site is content-led and Kentico's contact, automation and email features sit unused, so Xperience by Kentico's main advantage doesn't apply.
- The same content feeds several sites, apps or brands, and you'd otherwise need Kentico's Advanced tier for headless channels (as of October 2026).
- Your front end is moving to a JavaScript framework, so Kentico Xperience 13's live-site code is rewritten on either path.
- You accept Sanity hosting the content and charging per seat, $15 a month on Growth as of October 2026.

## What changes when Kentico Xperience 13 support ends on 31 December 2026?

Kentico stops all support for Kentico Xperience 13 after 31 December 2026, security repairs included, and the software keeps running. Through 2026 Kentico ships security hotfixes only; from 1 January 2027 it ceases all support, updates, hotfixes and "repairs (including security repairs)" ([Kentico support lifecycle](https://kentico.com/services/support/support-lifecycle), October 2026). Kentico calls this end of support, not end of life, because the site won't be switched off ([Kentico upgrade page](https://www.kentico.com/platform/upgrade); [Kentico blog](https://www.kentico.com/discover/blog/eos-not-eol), October 2026). What moves to you is the risk: Kentico says any use after that date is "at your sole risk" ([Kentico support lifecycle](https://kentico.com/services/support/support-lifecycle), October 2026). From 24 October 2026, that leaves 68 days (Deploi arithmetic from the date above). Kentico 12 and older are already unsupported ([Kentico support lifecycle](https://kentico.com/services/support/support-lifecycle), October 2026). The [2026 end-of-life calendar for other content management systems](https://deploi.ca/sanity/migration/leaving-a-legacy-cms/cms-end-of-life-calendar) lists the neighboring deadlines.

**Kentico Xperience 13 gets security hotfixes only in 2026 and nothing from 1 January 2027**

| Period | What Kentico provides for Kentico Xperience 13 |
| --- | --- |
| 1 January to 31 December 2026 | Remote technical support; releases only as security hotfixes |
| 31 December 2026 | Kentico's liability ends, to the extent the law permits |
| From 1 January 2027 | No support, updates, hotfixes or security repairs; use at your sole risk |

Sources: [Kentico, Product Support Lifecycle](https://kentico.com/services/support/support-lifecycle). As of 24 October 2026.

## What does moving from Kentico Xperience 13 to Xperience by Kentico involve?

Moving to Xperience by Kentico is a data migration plus code changes, because Kentico's docs call it "a brand new product, built from the ground up" ([Kentico Docs, Upgrade overview](https://docs.kentico.com/modules/upgrade-overview/upgrade-from-kx13-overview), October 2026). The page API (application programming interface) and data structure are "completely different", and Kentico Xperience 13 admin customizations are incompatible with the new React admin ([Kentico Docs, Upgrade to Xperience by Kentico](https://docs.kentico.com/developers-and-admins/upgrade-from-kentico-xperience-13), October 2026). Kentico says the new product keeps a large part of the Kentico Xperience 13 API and code patterns, including Page Builder components ([Kentico Docs](https://docs.kentico.com/developers-and-admins/upgrade-from-kentico-xperience-13), October 2026). Kentico offers the move "based on mutually agreed terms" and publishes no Xperience by Kentico prices ([Kentico support lifecycle](https://kentico.com/services/support/support-lifecycle); [Kentico licensing](https://www.kentico.com/platform/how-to-buy), October 2026).

**Kentico's upgrade path from Kentico Xperience 13**

1. **Create a boilerplate project.** Start a new Xperience by Kentico project and migrate into it ([Kentico Docs](https://docs.kentico.com/developers-and-admins/upgrade-from-kentico-xperience-13), October 2026).
1. **Migrate data with the Kentico Migration Tool.** The source must run Refresh 5 (hotfix 13.0.64) or newer, and the tool moves data models and content, not code ([Kentico Migration Tool](https://github.com/Kentico/xperience-by-kentico-kentico-migration-tool), October 2026).
1. **Change the code.** Move content queries to the new Content item API, rebuild custom module pages and switch live-site sign-in to members ([Kentico Docs, Upgrade overview](https://docs.kentico.com/modules/upgrade-overview/upgrade-from-kx13-overview), October 2026).
1. **Deploy.** Go to Kentico's SaaS (software as a service) environment or your own private cloud ([Kentico Docs](https://docs.kentico.com/developers-and-admins/upgrade-from-kentico-xperience-13), October 2026).

## Which Kentico features does the Xperience by Kentico upgrade rebuild?

Kentico's own feature guide rates marketing features as the hardest part of the upgrade. It grades each Kentico Xperience 13 feature low, medium or high effort, where high means your team "will need to rebuild this feature" ([Kentico Docs, Plan your strategy](https://docs.kentico.com/modules/upgrade-overview/plan-your-strategy-for-migrating-features), October 2026). Content and contacts move well; the contact groups, automation, personalization and email built on them don't. Kentico also says it isn't aiming for "exact feature parity".

**Kentico rates the marketing features of Kentico Xperience 13 as the hardest to carry over**

| Kentico Xperience 13 feature | Kentico's effort rating | What happens in the upgrade |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Page Builder | Low to medium | Content transfers; widget code needs minor changes |
| Custom tables | Medium | Data moves; developers build the editing screens |
| Search | Medium | Not built in; Lucene, Azure AI Search or Algolia |
| Contact groups | Medium to high | Not migrated by the tool; rebuilt |
| Marketing automation | High | Set up from scratch; needs the Advanced license |
| Content personalization | High | Does not migrate; reimplemented |
| Email marketing | High | Not transferred automatically |
| Personas and lead scoring | High | Not available; custom build |
| Digital commerce | Medium to high | New module; orders and customers can migrate |

Ranges read Kentico's paired effort labels as low to medium and medium to high. Sources: [Kentico Docs, Plan your strategy for migrating features](https://docs.kentico.com/modules/upgrade-overview/plan-your-strategy-for-migrating-features). As of 24 October 2026.

## When does replatforming from Kentico to Sanity win?

Replatforming to Sanity wins when the site is content-led, its content feeds more than one channel, and the front end is moving to a JavaScript framework anyway. Sanity hosts the content: Sanity Studio is an open-source React application that connects to the Content Lake through Sanity's hosted application programming interfaces (APIs) ([Sanity Docs, Hosting and deployment](https://www.sanity.io/docs/studio/deployment), October 2026). Sanity says your content "is never stored locally" ([Sanity Docs, Studio development](https://www.sanity.io/docs/studio/development), October 2026). Your developers build and host the front end, which replaces the Kentico Xperience 13 live-site code. With a JavaScript front end, the Xperience by Kentico path replaces that code too.

One set of documents then serves several sites, apps or brands, the pattern behind [running several sites from one content platform](https://deploi.ca/sanity/use-cases/cms-consolidation). Xperience by Kentico does the same through headless channels, each with its own GraphQL API, on its Advanced tier ([Kentico Docs, Headless channels](https://docs.kentico.com/documentation/developers-and-admins/configuration/headless-channel-management); [Kentico licensing](https://www.kentico.com/platform/how-to-buy), October 2026).

Sanity's re-platforming course says to model what something is, not what it looks like in the front end ([Sanity Learn](https://www.sanity.io/learn/course/re-platforming-to-sanity/re-modelling-your-existing-content), October 2026). So Page Builder pages become structured content that editors work on through [Sanity's Visual Editing](https://deploi.ca/sanity/features/visual-editing). Sanity's guided migration paths don't include Kentico ([Sanity blog](https://www.sanity.io/blog/sanity-remote-mcp-server-is-generally-available), October 2026), so you write the import yourself; the [Kentico to Sanity playbook](https://deploi.ca/sanity/migration/kentico-to-sanity) covers the move.

## Does Sanity replace Kentico's contacts, marketing automation and email?

Sanity doesn't replace them: it stores and edits the content, and contacts, automation and sending stay in other tools. Sanity's pricing page lists seats, roles, datasets, editing, AI and delivery features on its Free, Growth and Enterprise plans, and no contact management, marketing automation or email sending ([Sanity pricing](https://www.sanity.io/pricing), October 2026). Sanity's own patterns pair it with specialist tools. The @sanity/personalization-plugin stores A/B test variants on fields or pages and can pull experiments from services such as GrowthBook or LaunchDarkly ([Sanity plugin page](https://www.sanity.io/plugins/sanity-personalization-plugin), October 2026). Sanity's Klaviyo guide sends email campaigns written in Sanity Studio through Klaviyo, using Sanity Functions ([Sanity Docs, Klaviyo guide](https://www.sanity.io/docs/developer-guides/email-marketing-campaigns-powered-by-sanity-functions-and-klaviyo), October 2026).

Xperience by Kentico keeps those features in the product, on its Advanced tier. Kentico says marketing automation "is available with the Xperience by Kentico Advanced license" ([Kentico Docs, Plan your strategy](https://docs.kentico.com/modules/upgrade-overview/plan-your-strategy-for-migrating-features), October 2026), and its Standard tier supports neither main email channels nor advanced digital marketing ([Kentico licensing](https://www.kentico.com/platform/how-to-buy), October 2026). That's the deciding flip, in Deploi's judgment: if your marketers run campaigns inside Kentico today, Xperience by Kentico keeps that work in one product; if they don't, you lose nothing by leaving those features behind.

## Can you keep running Kentico Xperience 13 after 31 December 2026?

You can keep running Kentico Xperience 13 after 31 December 2026, because the software isn't switched off, but nobody at Kentico patches it and the risk is yours. Kentico's pages offer no extended support for Kentico Xperience 13 as of October 2026. Kentico's upgrade FAQ advises against delaying the migration past the date, and sends partners whose projects will run over to Kentico's Partnership Team "to minimize risk" ([Kentico upgrade FAQ](https://docs.kentico.com/guides/upgrade-to-xbyk/upgrade-from-kx13/upgrade-faq), October 2026). So waiting is a bridge, not a plan, in Deploi's judgment. It's tolerable only when three things are true:

- A move is funded, scheduled and close to launch, with a date you can name.
- Your security team accepts unpatched software and adds compensating controls in front of it.
- Your contracts and insurers accept use "at your sole risk", which is Kentico's wording for any use after the date ([Kentico support lifecycle](https://kentico.com/services/support/support-lifecycle), October 2026).

If any of the three fails, pick a path now and use the remaining weeks to plan it.

## When should you move to Xperience by Kentico, stay on Kentico Xperience 13 for now, or pick another CMS?

Move to Xperience by Kentico when marketing runs inside Kentico, to Sanity when the site is content-led, and to another content management system (CMS) when you want free, open-source .NET (Microsoft's development framework). Staying on Kentico Xperience 13 is the fourth answer, only as a dated bridge. Umbraco 17 is one example: a free and open source .NET CMS, in Umbraco's words ([Umbraco on GitHub](https://github.com/umbraco/Umbraco-CMS), October 2026), which Umbraco lists as security-only from 27 November 2027 and end of life 27 November 2028 ([Umbraco](https://umbraco.com/products/knowledge-center/long-term-support-and-end-of-life/), October 2026). [Leaving Umbraco](https://deploi.ca/sanity/migration/leaving-umbraco) weighs that platform on its own.

**Four answers to the Kentico Xperience 13 deadline, and when each one wins**

| Verdict | What you do | When it wins |
| --- | --- | --- |
| UPGRADE | Move to Xperience by Kentico | Marketing runs in Kentico; .NET developers own the changes |
| SANITY | Replatform to Sanity | Content-led site, several channels, JavaScript front end |
| ELSEWHERE | Move to another CMS, such as Umbraco 17 | You want free, open-source .NET that you run yourself |
| WAIT | Run Kentico Xperience 13 unsupported | Only as a dated bridge to a funded launch |

Sources: [Kentico, Product Support Lifecycle](https://kentico.com/services/support/support-lifecycle); [Kentico Docs, Upgrade: Frequently asked questions](https://docs.kentico.com/guides/upgrade-to-xbyk/upgrade-from-kx13/upgrade-faq); [Umbraco, Umbraco CMS repository](https://github.com/umbraco/Umbraco-CMS); [Umbraco, Long-term support and End-of-Life](https://umbraco.com/products/knowledge-center/long-term-support-and-end-of-life/); [Sanity Docs, Hosting and deployment](https://www.sanity.io/docs/studio/deployment). As of 24 October 2026.

> **When not to replatform to Sanity**
>
> - Your marketers build contact segments, automation and email campaigns in Kentico every week.
> - Policy says you host the content database yourself, because Sanity hosts it.

## How do you compare the cost of staying with Kentico with the cost of moving to Sanity?

Compare both paths as migrations over the same horizon, with the license model and the next forced event in each column. Kentico publishes no Xperience by Kentico prices: it licenses per channel and tier, "without restrictions on the number of admin users or website visitors" ([Kentico licensing](https://www.kentico.com/platform/how-to-buy), October 2026). Sanity's Growth plan costs $15 per seat a month, billed monthly, and Enterprise is custom pricing ([Sanity pricing](https://www.sanity.io/pricing); [Sanity for Startups](https://www.sanity.io/startups), October 2026), so twenty editors pay $300 a month (Deploi arithmetic from the figures above).

**Cost drivers for each path, with no published totals**

| Cost driver | Xperience by Kentico | Sanity |
| --- | --- | --- |
| One-time work | Data migration, code changes, rebuilt marketing features | Content model, import scripts, new front end |
| Software fees | Per channel and tier; no published prices | Per seat on Growth; custom on Enterprise |
| Marketing tools | Built in on the Advanced tier | Separate tools |
| Next forced event | A supported release within 12 to 24 months | Older API (application programming interface) versions retire with notice |

Sources: [Kentico Docs, Plan your strategy for migrating features](https://docs.kentico.com/modules/upgrade-overview/plan-your-strategy-for-migrating-features); [Kentico Docs, Xperience by Kentico support policy](https://docs.kentico.com/developers-and-admins/installation/support-policy); [Kentico, How to Buy Xperience by Kentico](https://www.kentico.com/platform/how-to-buy); [Sanity, Plans that scale with you](https://www.sanity.io/pricing); [Sanity Docs, Hosting and deployment](https://www.sanity.io/docs/studio/deployment); [Sanity Docs, API Versioning](https://www.sanity.io/docs/content-lake/api-versioning). As of 24 October 2026.

> **Why Deploi gives no totals for leaving Kentico**
>
> Kentico publishes no prices, and each line depends on your site. Price each line from your page types, widgets, custom tables and marketing features, and [contact us](https://deploi.ca/contact) for a scoped estimate.

## Deploi's point of view

**Where we disagree.** The common claim is that staying with Kentico is the low-effort path because it's called an upgrade. Kentico's own docs describe a new product: the page API and data structure change, admin customizations don't carry over, and personalization and marketing automation are set up again from scratch. Price it as a migration with code changes, not a version update, and put the alternatives next to it. The second claim to discount is that Xperience by Kentico has no end date. The product has none, but Kentico's support policy says each release is supported for 12 to 24 months, so you trade one large deadline for a standing duty to update.

**What we'd tell you to do first.** Before comparing platforms, list the Kentico marketing features your team used in the last year: contacts, contact groups, marketing automation, email, personalization, personas and A/B tests. Kentico rates most of them high effort to carry over, so that list sizes the Xperience by Kentico upgrade and tells you what Sanity would need from other tools.

**What we refuse to promise.** We won't quote hours or a timeline for leaving Kentico Xperience 13 from a call, because each estimate starts from your own page types, widgets and custom tables. Our view of Kentico rests on its documentation and public sources.

## When this answer changes

- Kentico announces extended or paid support for Kentico Xperience 13 after 31 December 2026
- Kentico changes the 12 to 24 month support window for Xperience by Kentico releases
- Kentico publishes Xperience by Kentico license prices
- Sanity publishes a Kentico migration guide, course or skill reference
- Sanity changes the Growth price of $15 per seat a month
- The Kentico Migration Tool starts migrating contact groups, personalization or email data

## Ready to choose between Xperience by Kentico and Sanity?

Contact us today to weigh both paths for your Kentico Xperience 13 site before 31 December 2026. [Contact us](https://deploi.ca/contact)

## Sources

1. [Kentico, Product Support Lifecycle](https://kentico.com/services/support/support-lifecycle), checked 24 October 2026
2. [Kentico, End of Support, Not End of the Story](https://www.kentico.com/discover/blog/eos-not-eol), checked 24 October 2026
3. [Kentico Docs, Upgrade overview](https://docs.kentico.com/modules/upgrade-overview/upgrade-from-kx13-overview), checked 24 October 2026
4. [Kentico Docs, Upgrade to Xperience by Kentico](https://docs.kentico.com/developers-and-admins/upgrade-from-kentico-xperience-13), checked 24 October 2026
5. [Kentico Docs, Plan your strategy for migrating features](https://docs.kentico.com/modules/upgrade-overview/plan-your-strategy-for-migrating-features), checked 24 October 2026
6. [Kentico Docs, Xperience by Kentico support policy](https://docs.kentico.com/developers-and-admins/installation/support-policy), checked 24 October 2026
7. [Kentico, How to Buy Xperience by Kentico](https://www.kentico.com/platform/how-to-buy), checked 24 October 2026
8. [Kentico, Upgrade](https://www.kentico.com/platform/upgrade), checked 24 October 2026
9. [Kentico Docs, Upgrade: Frequently asked questions](https://docs.kentico.com/guides/upgrade-to-xbyk/upgrade-from-kx13/upgrade-faq), checked 24 October 2026
10. [Kentico, Kentico Migration Tool repository](https://github.com/Kentico/xperience-by-kentico-kentico-migration-tool), checked 24 October 2026
11. [Kentico Docs, Headless channel management](https://docs.kentico.com/documentation/developers-and-admins/configuration/headless-channel-management), checked 24 October 2026
12. [Umbraco, Umbraco CMS repository](https://github.com/umbraco/Umbraco-CMS), checked 24 October 2026
13. [Umbraco, Long-term support and End-of-Life](https://umbraco.com/products/knowledge-center/long-term-support-and-end-of-life/), checked 24 October 2026
14. [Sanity, Plans that scale with you](https://www.sanity.io/pricing), checked 24 October 2026
15. [Sanity, Sanity for Startups](https://www.sanity.io/startups), checked 24 October 2026
16. [Sanity Docs, Hosting and deployment](https://www.sanity.io/docs/studio/deployment), checked 24 October 2026
17. [Sanity, @sanity/personalization-plugin](https://www.sanity.io/plugins/sanity-personalization-plugin), checked 24 October 2026
18. [Sanity Docs, Build email marketing campaigns with Sanity and Klaviyo](https://www.sanity.io/docs/developer-guides/email-marketing-campaigns-powered-by-sanity-functions-and-klaviyo), checked 24 October 2026
19. [Sanity Learn, Re-modelling your existing content](https://www.sanity.io/learn/course/re-platforming-to-sanity/re-modelling-your-existing-content), checked 24 October 2026
20. [Sanity, You'll need a CMS eventually. Let your agent set it up.](https://www.sanity.io/blog/sanity-remote-mcp-server-is-generally-available), checked 24 October 2026
21. [Sanity Docs, API Versioning](https://www.sanity.io/docs/content-lake/api-versioning), checked 24 October 2026
22. [Sanity Docs, Studio development](https://www.sanity.io/docs/studio/development), checked 24 October 2026