Mythbusting: Why You Should NOT Skip STS Releases!
There is an ongoing conversation in the community about the release cycle of modern .NET.
We get a short-term support (STS) release every other year, and a long-term support (LTS) release every other year.
For even years like 2024, we get an STS release, such as .NET 9, and for 2023, we did get an LTS release, such as .NET 8.
In 2025, we will get the next LTS release, .NET 10.
Read more about the official support policy.
Myth #1: Only LTS Releases are Stable
One of the biggest misunderstandings in the .NET community is that STS releases aren’t of less quality or stability than LTS releases.
Both release types are stable and production-ready. They have the same quality gates, and they offer the same support.
The only difference is how long those releases are supported. LTS releases are supported for 18 months, while LTS releases are supported for 36 months.
It means that you have more time to upgrade to the next version - that’s it. Nothing more, nothing less.
Myth #2: STS releases are Experimental or Beta Versions
It is similar to the first myth but slightly from a different angle and wrong.
.NET 9, for example, contains new features, bug fixes, and performance improvements similar to LTS releases such as .NET 8, or .NET 10.
The lesser-known preview versions are less stable, contain experimental features, and can be seen as beta versions. They also often contain breaking changes between preview versions, which isn’t true for the stable releases.
Usually, only developers working on cutting-edge technology or content creators look into those versions and help with bug fixes before they hit the masses.
Myth 3: LTS Releases Lack New Features Compared to STS
Both LTS and STS releases get new features. There is no difference in what kind of release is on the horizon.
If the .NET team decides they have new production-ready features, they will find their way into the upcoming version.
Myth: 4 Releases End Support as Soon as the Next Release Drops
We get a new .NET version every year in November. With a support window of 18 months, we still have 6 months to upgrade to the next LTS version.
There is plenty of time to upgrade existing applications.
Myth 5: It’s Much More Work to Upgrade to a New Version Every Year
In most cases, this should not be true.
If you work on an application, it means development continues, and there are customers for your software. You or your company can make money by running and improving the software.
If you always use LTS versions and skip an STS release, it means you don’t have to spend that time on the migration now, but you will when upgrading to the next LTS release.
.NET goes forward, and every version builds upon previous versions. If at all, jumping from LTS to LTS increases the migration work required because the distance between the two releases is two instead of one year.
Conclusion
I’m all for gradual migrations and step-by-step improvements. Therefore, I want to stay current with my production applications and benefit from the regular performance improvements we get with every release.
As you can tell, I migrate from every major .NET release to the next.
However, I don’t migrate everything on day one. Some applications take more work, and I take my time. But I will make sure to upgrade before the support runs out.
If you want to learn about what’s new in .NET 9, watch this video.
This week, there was more text and fewer links or videos. I hope you still got something out of it. I really wanted to bust the myths about the .NET release schedule.
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