Blog

March 20, 2026

Preparing for Spring Framework 6.2 EOL

Ovunc Asikoglu
Ovunc Asikoglu

Spring,

Security

The Spring Framework has long been a cornerstone of modern Java application development. Like all open source projects, however, each Spring release follows a defined support lifecycle. For organizations currently running Spring Framework 6.2, that lifecycle is approaching a critical milestone.

Community support for Spring 6.2 is scheduled to end in June 2026. That deadline may feel distant, but for teams managing complex Java applications, it arrives quickly. Whether you plan to upgrade soon or need additional time due to technical or business constraints, understanding your options early is the best way to reduce risk, control costs, and maintain security.

Table of Contents

  1. When Is Spring Framework 6.2 End of Life?
  2. What's New — and What's Required — in Spring Framework 7.0?
  3. How to Assess Your Spring Migration Readiness
  4. Planning Your Path Off Spring 6.2
  5. Final Thoughts
Back to top

When Is Spring Framework 6.2 End of Life?

The Spring community has announced that Spring Framework 6.2 reaches end of life in June 2026. After that date, Spring Framework 7.x becomes the latest community-supported major version.

Once Spring 6.2 reaches EOL, the community will no longer provide:

  • Security patches or vulnerability fixes
  • Bug fixes or maintenance updates
  • Feature enhancements or compatibility updates

Over time, running an unsupported Spring version increases both security exposure and compliance risk, particularly for organizations in regulated industries. With less than a year remaining, many teams are now operating on compressed timelines to assess impact, plan migrations, and execute changes safely in production.

Back to top

What's New — and What's Required — in Spring Framework 7.0?

Spring Framework 7.0 represents a major evolution of the platform, aligning Spring more closely with the modern Java and cloud-native ecosystem. It introduces new baselines and dependency upgrades that organizations must account for when planning a migration.

At a platform level, Spring 7.0:

  • Aligns with Java 25 as the latest long-term support (LTS) release, while maintaining a Java 17 baseline
  • Adopts Jakarta EE 11 APIs, including Servlet 6.1, JPA 3.2, and Bean Validation 3.1
  • Adds support for newer tooling and languages such as Jackson 3.0, Kotlin 2.2, and JUnit 6

Beyond baseline requirements, Spring 7.0 introduces improvements across testing, API design, and core infrastructure. Enhancements such as improved test context management, API versioning, declarative HTTP clients, resilience annotations, and stronger null-safety support reinforce Spring’s focus on modern development patterns.

Because of these changes, upgrading from Spring 6.2 to Spring 7.0 should be treated as a true major-version migration, not a routine patch or minor update.

Video 

The Spring Upgrade Dilemma: Move Fast or Stay Stable?

In this video, discover the pros and cons of always upgrading to the latest version of Spring and what to do if you can't migrate right away.

Back to top

How to Assess Your Spring Migration Readiness

Upgrading to Spring Framework 7.0 offers clear benefits, including access to the latest security fixes, improved performance, and long-term compatibility with the evolving Java ecosystem. Before migrating, however, teams running Spring 6.2 should take time to assess their readiness.
 
A strong readiness assessment typically focuses on a few core areas:
  • Jakarta EE 11 compatibility across the application stack, including servlet containers (such as Tomcat 11), ORM frameworks, and validation libraries
  • Legacy dependency usage, including javax.* namespaces, Spring JCL logging bridges, JUnit 4, and APIs that have been deprecated or removed
  • Third-party libraries that may lag behind Spring 7.0 or Jakarta EE 11 requirements
In practice, this assessment often involves auditing dependencies, reviewing Spring 6.2 deprecations, validating platform alignment, and estimating the development effort required for migration. Completing this work early helps teams avoid surprises, reduce downtime, and set realistic timelines.
 
In this video from a recent webinar, OpenLogic experts discuss the steps leading up to Spring migration:
 
Back to top

Planning Your Path Off Spring 6.2

Organizations operating on Spring 6.2 must select a migration strategy that aligns with their operational capacity, risk tolerance, and business objectives.

Option 1: Direct Migration

This is the best fit for teams with modern, actively maintained codebases and sufficient runway before June 2026. This approach focuses on updating Jakarta EE dependencies, addressing breaking API changes, and performing comprehensive testing. While it requires concentrated effort, it allows teams to fully realign with community-supported Spring releases.

Option 2: Incremental Updates

For organizations with larger or more tightly coupled applications, incremental modernization may be a safer approach. Teams can first upgrade Java and Jakarta EE foundations, then migrate applications or modules in stages. This phased strategy reduces operational risk, maintains service continuity, and allows teams to validate stability at each step.

Option 3: Extended Runway with Long-Term Support (LTS)

For organizations facing complex technical debt, limited resources, or strict business deadlines, extending the lifespan of your current platform is a highly effective strategy. Vendors like OpenLogic who offer Spring Long-Term Support (LTS) provide secure, stable coverage for Spring Framework and Spring Boot applications after community support ends. This grants your enterprise the critical time needed to execute a seamless migration without compromising security or compliance.

The Risks of Staying on Spring 6.2 After EOL

Remaining on Spring 6.2 after end of life without additional support is the highest-risk option and is not recommended. Unsupported frameworks accumulate unpatched vulnerabilities, fall behind ecosystem changes, and increase long-term technical debt.

For regulated industries, these risks extend beyond security. Framework-level vulnerabilities can trigger compliance violations, audit failures, and operational disruptions. Even for unregulated organizations, the downstream costs of maintaining unsupported software often exceed the cost of proactive migration or extended support.

Extended support should be viewed as a bridge, not a destination. Migration remains inevitable —  the difference is gaining the time and flexibility to do it properly.
Back to top

Final Thoughts

Spring 6.2 end of life is approaching, but it doesn’t need to be disruptive. By understanding Spring 7.0 requirements, assessing your current environment, and selecting a migration path that fits your organization, you can reduce risk and maintain momentum. Whether you’re ready to upgrade immediately or need additional runway, the most important step is to start planning now if you have not already. Early action creates more options — and far fewer surprises —  as June 2026 approaches.

Expert Guidance 

Talk to a Spring Expert and Get Unbiased Guidance

OpenLogic Enterprise Architects all have at least 15 years of experience with working with enterprise environments. Whether you're looking for migration assistance, SLA-backed technical support, or LTS for Spring Boot or Spring Framework, we can help. 

Explore Spring Support and Services

Additional Resources

Back to top