There's more to consider. For that, read on.

• This is not new info
• After that date, no more updates, including security updates
• What about license "activation", which was new with CF2021?
• What if you have not yet bought CF2023, but aren't ready to go to CF2025?
• What if you are only now considering or performing migration to CF2023--or CF2025?

This is not new info

Even if this may be a surprise for you to read, it's not new information--some in the community have been heralding the news in recent months/weeks, and others (myself included) have been announcing it for months (including my post this past January, Beware that ColdFusion 2021 end-of-life (and end of updates) is coming Nov 2025, and your options.

And to be clear, it has been indicated on the Adobe site (that I point to in that post) for years, as are the end-of-life dates for CF2023 (in 2028) and CF2025 (in 2030), always 5 years after their initial release. See my post for more detail on end-of-life matters I shared then.

In this post I just want to reiterate a couple of key points, for those still on CF2021.

After that date, no more updates, including security updates

Again, after Monday (Nov 10, 2025) at a minimum we can no longer expect Adobe to offer updates, including security updates. (Sometimes they have graced us with one more, if perhaps they were still working to get it out when the date passed.)

But as I mentioned in my January post: NO, you cannot buy "extended support" to "get another year of updates". That's a common misconception. For more, see my January post, including quoted clarifications on this from Adobe.

What about license "activation", which was new with CF2021?

Here's something I did NOT think to cover in that past 10 months ago. I'm also not aware of anyone else having discussed it (I'm open to clarifications from anyone.)

We could reasonably wonder what this EOL means for those still running CF2021, with regard to their license ACTIVATION.

As some know, CF2021 was the first CF version where Adobe would require ACTIVATION of the license. And so this CF2021 EOL is also the first we have reached for such a CF version where license activation was/is being done. That remains true for CF2023 and 2025.

FWIW, CF2025 was the first version where Adobe went to subscription licensing. And even before CF2025, some folks bought CF versions as a "subscription"--such as an ETLA, or as an AMI. Such subscriptions understandably should be expected to remain active only as long as you continue to pay your subscription.

But what if you just paid once for your CF2021 license (as a "perpetual" one)? Just how "perpetual" is the activation for that license? Could there be some period of time after which they deactivate the license? In that case, it would revert to the free Developer edition.

I asked Adobe and the answer I've gotten so far is that no, those who licensed CF that way ("perpetually") will not experience any change in their license activation after that date. I've asked for any formal link I can offer to clarify, but as yet have been given none.

If I learn anything new, I will update this post, of course.

What if you have not yet bought CF2023, but aren't ready to go to CF2025?

Some of you may now think, "oh gosh we need to update. But let's go to 2023 as we're not ready for 2025". Well, you should know first that you can no longer buy a CF2023 license from Adobe.

But here's good news: you CAN buy a 2025 license, indicating at that time that you want to "backwards license it" for use with 2023.

For more on that, I think the most helpful resource is from the FusionReactor folks (who are also CF resellers, via their Navigating Adobe's New Licensing Model: How to Access Older ColdFusion Versions in 2025 via buy-adobe-software.com.

What if you are only now considering or performing migration to CF2023--or CF2025?

For those who might be moving only now to CF2023 (or 2025), I have a couple of pointers.

First, note that if you DO buy a CF license, you'll be given a link to download CF (even CF2023, if you backward license it.) But if you may only now be wanting to start TESTING against CF2023, note that while you can no longer obtain the CF2023 installer from Adobe's public site, you can find it still at the community-run cfmlrepo.com.

Next, as for migrating your apps (and settings) to CF2023, I have a presentation that covers that in considerable detail. See the preso (recorded and PDF), at Migrating apps to ColdFusion 2023 from earlier versions. And if you may be skipping to CF2023 from CF2018 or earlier, I cover that also in that talk. I also had previously offered (still available there) a talk on migrating to CF2021, and so on.

Note that I even have a talk specifically on migrating admin settings safely between CF versions! :-)

Finally, for those moving to CF2025, while I have not yet gotten to doing a migration talk on that (slacker!), I do intend to at some point...which I hope is before CF2026 comes out. Yep, Adobe will be going to ANNUAL releases. It remains to be seen whether those new annual releases will also have 5-year lifespans. Time will tell.)

But again if you may be moving to CF2025 from something older than CF2023, you'll still get value from looking at the talk on migrating to 2023, or the one to 2021 and so on.

And as always, I can help with installing, configuring, administering, and securing CF (and Lucee), including helping solve problems with migrating your apps, admin settings, and more. For more, see carehart.org/consulting

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