# Release Support Policy

This page explains Cockroach Labs' policy for supporting production releases of CockroachDB self-hosted. For clusters deployed in Cloud, refer to the CockroachDB Cloud Support and Upgrade Policy.

There are two major release types: Regular and Innovation releases. Each offers a unique set of Support Types, which define the durations for each support phase.

## Support phases

- Maintenance Support: Begins for a CockroachDB major version upon its GA release. During this phase:
  - Cockroach Labs will produce regular patch releases that include critical security fixes and resolutions to problems identified by users.
  - Cockroach Labs may backport non-breaking enhancements produced for newer major versions.
  - Cockroach Labs may direct customers to workarounds or other fixes applicable to a reported case.
  - Cockroach Labs may recommend that customers upgrade to a later version of the product to resolve or further troubleshoot an issue.
- Assistance Support: Immediately follows the Maintenance Support phase for Regular releases. Innovation releases do not have an Assistance Support phase. During this phase:
  - Feature enhancements will no longer be made available to the major release.
  - Cockroach Labs will continue to add critical security fixes to the major release in the form of patch releases.
  - Patch releases for the purpose of resolving bugs or other errors may no longer be made to the major release.
  - Cockroach Labs may direct customers to workarounds or other fixes applicable to the reported case.
  - Cockroach Labs may direct customers to upgrade to a later version of CockroachDB to resolve or further troubleshoot an issue.
- Unsupported: The day that a major version’s final support period ends is its unsupported date. After a version reaches end of life, Cockroach Labs provides no further support for the release.
  - A Regular release reaches unsupported at the Assistance Support phase's end date.
  - An Innovation release reaches unsupported at the Maintenance Support phase's end date.

## Support types

### Regular releases

Initially, a Regular release series has GA Support. After the series demonstrates a continuously high level of stability and performance, new patch releases are designated as LTS releases, which have an extended support window for each support phase: Maintenance Support, Assistance Support, and Unsupported versions.

- GA Support: The default support type for production releases, starting with the initial production release of a major version, followed by each subsequent patch release before LTS releases begin for that major version.
  - Maintenance support ends:
    - 365 days after the day of the first production release of the major version (i.e. the ‘GA release,’ ending in .0).
  - Assistance support ends:
    - 180 days after the Maintenance Support end date of the release.
  - Major versions prior to v23.1 will not have LTS releases.
- LTS (Long-Term Support): Conferred to an initial LTS maintenance release of a given major version and its subsequent maintenance releases. LTS provides extended support windows while also indicating our highest level of expected release stability and performance.
  - Maintenance support ends:
    - 365 days after the day of the first LTS release of the major version.
  - Assistance support ends:
    - 365 days after the Maintenance Support end date of the release.

### Innovation releases

Innovation releases do not have LTS releases.

- Innovation Support:
  - Maintenance Support ends:
    - 180 days after the day of the first production release of the major version.

Innovation releases are not eligible for Assistance Support, and reach EOL at the end of Maintenance Support.

## Supported versions

Major Version | Patch Versions | Support Type | Initial Release | Maintenance Support ends | Assistance Support ends
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
v25.4 * | v25.4.0+ | GA | 2025-11-03 | 2026-11-03 | 2027-05-03
v25.3 ** | v25.3.0+ | Innovation | 2025-08-04 | 2026-02-04 | N/A
v25.2 * | v25.2.0+ | GA | 2025-05-09 | 2026-05-12 | 2026-11-12
v24.3 | 24.3.12+ | LTS | 2025-05-05 | 2026-05-05 | 2027-05-05
v24.3 | v24.3.0 - 24.3.11 | GA | 2024-11-18 | 2025-11-18 | 2026-05-18
v24.1 | 24.1.6+ | LTS | 2024-10-21 | 2025-10-21 | 2026-10-21
v23.2 | 23.2.7+ | LTS | 2024-07-08 | 2025-07-08 | 2026-07-08

* : This major version will receive LTS patch releases, which will be listed on an additional row, upon their availability.
** : This major version is an optional innovation release and will not receive receive LTS patch releases. Innovation releases are EOL when Maintenance Support ends.

## Unsupported versions

The following versions of CockroachDB are no longer supported.

Note:

Once a major version is older than four years from its GA release date, the links to its binaries and corresponding Docker images will be unpublished.

Major Version | Patch Versions | Support Type | Initial Release | Maintenance Support ended | Assistance Support ended
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
v25.1 * | v25.1.0+ | Innovation | 2025-02-18 | 2025-08-18 | N/A
v24.2 * | v24.2.0+ | Innovation | 2024-08-12 | 2025-02-12 | N/A
v24.1 | v24.1.0 - 24.1.5 | GA | 2024-05-20 | 2025-05-20 | 2025-11-20
v23.2 | v23.2.0 - 23.2.6 | GA | 2024-02-05 | 2025-02-05 | 2025-08-05
v23.1 | 23.1.12+ | LTS | 2023-11-13 | 2024-11-13 | 2025-11-13
v23.1 | v23.1.0 - 23.1.11 | GA | 2023-05-15 | 2024-05-15 | 2024-11-15
v22.2 | v22.2.0+ | GA | 2022-12-05 | 2023-12-05 | 2024-06-05
v22.1 | v22.1.0+ | GA | 2022-05-24 | 2023-05-24 | 2023-11-24
v21.2 | v21.2.0+ | GA | 2021-11-16 | 2022-11-16 | 2023-05-16
v21.1 | v21.1.0+ | GA | 2021-05-18 | 2022-05-18 | 2022-11-18
v20.2 | v20.2.0+ | GA | 2020-11-10 | 2021-11-10 | 2022-05-10
v20.1 | v20.1.0+ | GA | 2020-05-12 | 2021-05-12 | 2021-11-12
v20.1 | v20.1.0+ | GA | 2019-11-12 | 2020-11-12 | 2021-05-12
v19.1 | v19.1.0+ | GA | 2019-04-30 | 2020-04-30 | 2020-10-30
v2.1 | v2.1.0+ | GA | 2018-10-30 | 2019-10-30 | 2020-04-30
v2.0 | v2.0.0+ | GA | 2018-04-04 | 2019-04-04 | 2019-10-04
v1.1 | v1.1.0+ | GA | 2017-10-12 | 2018-10-12 | 2019-04-12
v1.0 | v1.0.0+ | GA | 2017-05-10 | 2018-05-10 | 2018-11-10

* : This EOL major version is an optional innovation release. Innovation releases do not receive LTS releases and are EOL when Maintenance Support ends.