What you need to know
PostgreSQL supports each major version for five years. Version 14’s final release is scheduled for November 12, 2026, version 13 is already unsupported, and moving to 15 through 18 needs a dump and reload or pg_upgrade rather than a simple minor update.
Potentially affected
Organizations and vendors running PostgreSQL 13 or 14, including databases embedded in video management, access control, monitoring and line-of-business applications.
DSE recommendation
DSE recommends identifying every PostgreSQL 13 and 14 instance and scheduling a tested major-version upgrade before November 12, 2026.
PostgreSQL supports each major version for five years. Version 14’s final release is scheduled for November 12, 2026, version 13 is already unsupported, and moving to 15 through 18 needs a dump and reload or pg_upgrade rather than a simple minor update.
Source facts
The PostgreSQL versioning policy says the project supports a major version for 5 years after its initial release, then issues a final minor version, after which it is unsupported. Its release table lists version 14 as supported with a final release of November 12, 2026, and version 13 as unsupported after November 13, 2025.
Supported versions 15, 16, 17 and 18 have final releases scheduled for November 11, 2027, November 9, 2028, November 8, 2029 and November 14, 2030. Minor releases with bug and security fixes come at least once every three months, and the project recommends always running the current minor release.
Major upgrades cannot keep the data directory backward compatible, so they require a dump and reload or pg_upgrade. Upgrades may skip intervening major versions, but the project recommends reading the release notes of every version in between. Minor upgrades only need the server stopped, binaries updated and the server restarted.
Applicability
Use this for self-managed PostgreSQL and for products that embed it. Hosted database services and appliance vendors may follow different schedules, so confirm their end-of-support dates for the version you run.
DSE recommendation
DSE recommends identifying every PostgreSQL 13 and 14 instance and scheduling a tested major-version upgrade before November 12, 2026. Restore a recent backup to a test server, run pg_upgrade or a dump and reload against it, and test the application, including vendor-supplied software, before upgrading production. Ask application vendors which PostgreSQL versions they certify before choosing a target.
Verification
Query each server’s version, record it with its owner and application, and confirm after the upgrade that the new version is current on its latest minor release. Keep the pre-upgrade backup until the application has run cleanly for an agreed period.
Official reference
PostgreSQL Global Development Group — Versioning Policy. Reviewed October 18, 2026.
Review the official source
PostgreSQL Global Development Group — Versioning Policy · Verified October 18, 2026
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