Django 5.1 End of Life: Security Support Ends December 31, 2025

Django 5.1 reaches end of life (EOL) on December 31, 2025. After that date, it no longer receives security fixes or bug patches from the Django project.

As of January 2026, Django 5.1 is unsupported software.

If your application is still running on Django 5.1, this is no longer a future concern. The support window has closed.

‍

The Django 5.1 Timeline

Based on Django’s official release and support policy:

• Initial release: August 7, 2024
  
  
• Active support ended: April 2, 2025
  
  
• Security support ended: December 31, 2025
  
  
• Status today: End of life
  
  

Django 5.1 followed the standard short-term support (STS) lifecycle, receiving security fixes only through the end of the 2025 calendar year.

‍

What Django 5.1 End of Life Means

Once a Django release reaches EOL:

• No security patches, including for critical vulnerabilities
• No bug fixes or maintenance releases
• No backported fixes from newer Django versions
• No upstream support from the Django project
  
  

Any vulnerability discovered in Django 5.1 after December 31, 2025 will remain unpatched unless you take action outside the upstream project.

‍

Why Running Django 5.1 in 2026 Is Risky

Security Exposure

Django continues to publish security advisories across supported releases. With 5.1 now EOL, new vulnerabilities affecting this version will not be fixed upstream.

Compliance and Audit Risk

Unsupported frameworks are increasingly flagged during SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, and HIPAA audits. An EOL framework often becomes a formal audit finding.

Ecosystem Pressure

Third-party Django packages align their support with Django’s lifecycle. As dependencies drop Django 5.1 support, updating safely becomes harder over time.

Upgrade Debt Grows Quickly

The longer you remain on an EOL Django version, the more breaking changes accumulate. What could have been a routine upgrade turns into a higher-risk migration.

‍

Your Options After Django 5.1 EOL

There are three realistic paths forward.

Upgrade to a Supported Django Version

Upgrade to the latest version of Django. This is the cleanest and most defensible option.

Accept the Risk

Some teams continue running Django 5.1 without upstream support. This typically fails under security review, procurement scrutiny, or during incident response.

Use Extended Security Support

If upgrading immediately is not feasible, extended support can provide continued security patches for Django 5.1, buying time without leaving known risks unaddressed.

‍

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Django 5.1 still supported?

No. Django 5.1 reached end of life on December 31, 2025. As of January 2026, it no longer receives security updates or bug fixes from the Django project.

What type of Django release was 5.1?

Django 5.1 was a short-term support (STS) release. STS releases receive a shorter support window compared to long-term support (LTS) versions.

What is the difference between active support and security support?

Active support includes bug fixes and maintenance releases. Security support is limited to security patches only. Django 5.1 lost active support in April 2025 and security support at the end of 2025.

What happens if a vulnerability is discovered in Django 5.1 now?

It will not be fixed by the Django project. Any new security issues affecting Django 5.1 after December 31, 2025 remain unpatched unless addressed through third-party or extended support.

Is running Django 5.1 a compliance risk?

Yes, in many environments. Unsupported frameworks are commonly flagged during SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, and HIPAA audits unless compensating controls or extended support are documented.

Do I need to upgrade immediately?

Running Django 5.1 without a plan introduces ongoing security and audit risk. Teams should either upgrade to a supported version or put alternative security measures in place.

‍