Kubernetes Lifecycle Intelligence

Kubernetes End of Life & Support Options —
What To Do When Kubernetes Patches Stop, Every Version's Date

By Scott Bissett Updated September 5, 2026 · endoflife.ai · 9 min read

Kubernetes releases a new minor version approximately every four months — and each version is supported for roughly 14 months after release. That means if you're not actively upgrading, you're falling behind faster than with almost any other infrastructure component in your stack.

Kubernetes 1.32 reached end of life on February 28, 2026. Kubernetes 1.33 followed on June 28, 2026. If you're running either of these in production, you have an active EOL exposure with no upstream security patches.

This page is the single authoritative reference for Kubernetes end-of-life dates across every version — with EOL Risk Scores™, managed service support windows for EKS, GKE, and AKS, and plain-English migration guidance.

Quick answer: Kubernetes 1.37 is supported until October 28, 2027, its end-of-support date. Active support for Kubernetes 1.37 ends on August 28, 2027; security fixes continue until that end-of-life date. The next Kubernetes version to reach end of life is 1.34, on October 27, 2026. 18 of 22 tracked Kubernetes versions are past end of life; the most recent to reach it, 1.33, did so on June 28, 2026. Every Kubernetes version's release and end-of-support date is on the Kubernetes lifecycle page.

Key Dates at a Glance

In this article
  1. Complete Kubernetes EOL schedule — all versions
  2. Every Kubernetes version, one line each
  3. Kubernetes 1.33 — EOL June 28, 2026
  4. Kubernetes 1.32 — EOL February 28, 2026
  5. Kubernetes 1.31 — EOL November 11, 2025
  6. Kubernetes 1.34 — maintenance mode, EOL October 27, 2026
  7. Kubernetes 1.35 — current supported
  8. EKS, GKE, and AKS support windows
  9. Understanding the release cadence
  10. How to upgrade safely

Complete Kubernetes EOL Schedule

Kubernetes supports the three most recent minor versions at any given time. Each minor version receives patch releases for approximately 14 months — covering bug fixes and security patches. Once a version reaches end of life, no further patches are issued by the upstream Kubernetes project.

Version Release Date Maintenance mode from End of Life Status EOL Risk Score™
Kubernetes 1.26 Dec 9, 2022 Dec 28, 2023 Feb 28, 2024 EOL 70
Kubernetes 1.27 Apr 11, 2023 Apr 28, 2024 Jul 16, 2024 EOL 70
Kubernetes 1.28 Aug 15, 2023 Aug 28, 2024 Oct 22, 2024 EOL 65
Kubernetes 1.29 Dec 13, 2023 Dec 28, 2024 Feb 28, 2025 EOL 65
Kubernetes 1.30 Apr 17, 2024 Apr 28, 2025 Jul 15, 2025 EOL 65
Kubernetes 1.31 Aug 13, 2024 Aug 28, 2025 Nov 11, 2025 EOL 60
Kubernetes 1.32 Dec 11, 2024 Dec 28, 2025 Feb 28, 2026 EOL 60
Kubernetes 1.33 Apr 23, 2025 Apr 28, 2026 Jun 28, 2026 EOL 55
Kubernetes 1.34 Aug 27, 2025 Aug 27, 2026 Oct 27, 2026 Approaching 45
Kubernetes 1.35 Dec 17, 2025 Dec 28, 2026 Feb 28, 2027 Approaching 38
Kubernetes 1.36 Apr 22, 2026 Apr 28, 2027 Jun 28, 2027 Approaching 30
Kubernetes 1.37 Aug 26, 2026 Aug 28, 2027 Oct 28, 2027 Supported 30
Kubernetes 1.33 reached EOL June 28, 2026 That deadline has passed. If you're still running 1.33, upgrade to 1.35 or 1.36 now — since June 28, nothing is backported at all, not even critical security patches.
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Every Kubernetes version, one line each

The same schedule as plain statements, one per minor, for anyone who needs a single date rather than a table. Every date is bound to the same data as the Kubernetes product page, checked against the project's patch releases page (which states the roughly fourteen-month support period), and re-verified at each build. Maintenance mode is the final two months, in which only critical and security fixes ship.

Kubernetes 1.33 — EOL June 28, 2026

Kubernetes 1.33
Released Apr 23, 2025 · EOL Jun 28, 2026 · Past end of life
55
EOL Risk Score™

Kubernetes 1.33 entered maintenance mode on April 28, 2026 and reached full end of life on June 28, 2026. Since that date, nothing is backported at all — no security patches, no bug fixes, no hardening.

If you're running 1.33 in managed services: GKE, EKS, and AKS all have their own extended support windows that may push past the upstream EOL date, but at additional cost. Check your managed service provider's documentation for specific dates.

Target version: Upgrade to Kubernetes 1.35 or 1.36. Both are actively supported through at least February 2027.

Kubernetes 1.32 — EOL February 28, 2026

Kubernetes 1.32
Released Dec 11, 2024 · EOL Feb 28, 2026 · Past end of life
60
EOL Risk Score™

Kubernetes 1.32 reached end of life on February 28, 2026. It is no longer receiving any patches from the upstream Kubernetes project. Any CVEs discovered in 1.32 after that date will not be fixed at the community level.

Running 1.32 today means you are accumulating unpatched vulnerabilities with no remediation path except upgrading. The longer you stay on 1.32, the wider that gap grows.

Target version: Upgrade to 1.35 or 1.36. Skip 1.33 — it is already past EOL.

Kubernetes 1.31 — EOL November 11, 2025

Kubernetes 1.31
Released Aug 13, 2024 · EOL Nov 11, 2025 · Past end of life
60
EOL Risk Score™

Kubernetes 1.31 has been end of life since November 11, 2025. If you're still running 1.31, you're three minor versions behind the oldest supported release. Kubernetes moves fast, and every month of unpatched CVEs in a cluster orchestration platform since that date is a meaningful security gap.

Target version: Upgrade directly to 1.35 or 1.36. At two versions behind, plan for potential API deprecation issues and test thoroughly in a staging environment first.

Kubernetes 1.34 — Supported Until October 27, 2026

Kubernetes 1.34
Released Aug 27, 2025 · EOL Oct 27, 2026 · Maintenance mode
45
EOL Risk Score™

Kubernetes 1.34's standard support window closed on August 27, 2026 — it is now in its two-month maintenance tail, receiving only critical and security fixes, until end of life on October 27, 2026. If you're on 1.34, the comfortable window is over: plan the move to 1.36 or 1.37 now rather than in October.

Kubernetes 1.35 — Supported Until February 28, 2027

Kubernetes 1.35
Released Dec 17, 2025 · EOL Feb 28, 2027 · Actively supported
38
EOL Risk Score™

Kubernetes 1.35 is one of the three currently supported versions (1.35, 1.36, 1.37) and a solid upgrade target for most teams. Support runs through February 28, 2027. 1.36 and 1.37 are also available if you want a longer runway.

Kubernetes 1.36 — Supported Until June 28, 2027

Kubernetes 1.36
Released Apr 22, 2026 · EOL Jun 28, 2027 · Actively supported
30
EOL Risk Score™

Kubernetes 1.36 has standard support to April 28, 2027 and end of life on June 28, 2027 — a mature, widely supported target one step behind the newest release. If you are upgrading off 1.32 or 1.33 anyway, 1.36 or 1.37 is the move; 1.37 buys the most time before the next forced upgrade.

Kubernetes 1.37 — Supported Until October 28, 2027

Kubernetes 1.37
Released Aug 26, 2026 · EOL Oct 28, 2027 · Newest release
30
EOL Risk Score™

Kubernetes 1.37 shipped on August 26, 2026 and is the newest release, with standard support to August 28, 2027 and end of life on October 28, 2027 — the longest runway available. Its arrival started 1.34's final maintenance window: the supported trio is now 1.35, 1.36 and 1.37, and it moves again roughly every four months.

EKS, GKE, and AKS Support Windows

Managed Kubernetes services extend support beyond upstream EOL dates — but at a cost, and with important caveats. (Upstream Kubernetes has no LTS at all; the managed clouds are where long-term support actually exists — see our guide to what Kubernetes LTS really means.) The upstream Kubernetes project stopping patches doesn't mean your cloud provider stops patching immediately, but it does mean the security burden shifts to them, and eventually to you through extended support pricing.

Amazon EKS
14 months standard + 12 months extended
EKS provides 14 months of standard support per version, then 12 months of extended support (additional cost). Extended support covers AWS-published AMIs but shifts full security responsibility. K8s 1.31 standard support ended November 26, 2025; extended support ends November 26, 2026.
Google GKE
Extended support available per version
GKE offers maintenance windows and extended support beyond upstream EOL. GKE's release schedule is updated monthly. Always check the GKE release schedule directly — GKE's EOL dates often trail upstream by weeks to months depending on release channel.
Azure AKS
LTS versions with 2-year support
AKS designates certain versions as Long-Term Support (LTS) with up to two years of support. Non-LTS versions follow standard upstream-aligned support windows. Check the AKS release calendar for which versions carry LTS status.
Managed service support ≠ zero risk Extended support from EKS, GKE, or AKS means your cloud provider continues patching known CVEs — but only the ones they prioritize. The upstream community's collective security research stops at EOL. You're relying on a single vendor's security team rather than the full Kubernetes community. Longer you stay on EOL versions, the narrower that coverage gets.

Understanding the Kubernetes Release Cadence

Kubernetes follows a predictable schedule that makes planning straightforward — if you're paying attention.

Three releases per year. Kubernetes releases a new minor version approximately every four months — roughly in April, August, and December. Each release introduces new features, API changes, and deprecations.

Three versions supported at once. At any point, only the three most recent minor versions receive upstream patches. When 1.36 shipped, 1.33 entered its final maintenance window. This is the version skew window — and it moves every four months.

14-month support window. Each version is supported for approximately 14 months from its release date. The final two months are "maintenance mode" — only critical security fixes are backported, not general bug fixes.

The math: if you skip one upgrade cycle, you're in trouble. Miss two consecutive releases (roughly 8 months of inaction) and your version falls off supported status. In practice, most teams that fall behind do so because infrastructure upgrades are deprioritized — until an audit, incident, or compliance review forces the issue.

What to do about it

Kubernetes currently carries an EOL Risk Score™ of 55/100 — Grade C, elevated risk, recalculated at every site build from EOL recency, attack surface, CISA KEV exposure, and extended-support availability. Per-version scores and dates are on the Kubernetes lifecycle page.

The right response comes down to one question: how many more years does this system need to run? Under a year, extended support (where it exists) is usually cheaper than an emergency migration. One to three years, migrate — support fees paid repeatedly cost more than doing the project once. Indefinitely, migrate now and plan the next one before it surprises you. Extended support is often the more expensive choice over a multi-year horizon — a bridge, not a destination. And if this deadline feels like vendor caprice, it isn’t — why end of life is inevitable for every version, with the receipts.

How to Upgrade Safely

Frequently Asked Questions

When does Kubernetes 1.34 reach end of life?

October 27, 2026. Kubernetes 1.34 was released August 27, 2025, left standard support on August 27, 2026 and is in its two-month maintenance mode, receiving only critical and security fixes until the end-of-life date. Clusters on 1.34 should be planning the move to 1.35 or later now.

Is Kubernetes 1.33 still supported?

No. Kubernetes 1.33 reached end of life on June 28, 2026, 1.32 on February 28, 2026 and 1.31 on November 11, 2025. None of them receives upstream patches; the managed clouds run their own longer clocks for those versions, described below, usually at a price.

Is there extended support for Kubernetes after end of life?

Not upstream: the project's support ends on the end-of-life date and there is no upstream LTS. The managed services sell it — Amazon EKS extended support and Azure AKS long-term support carry a version well past the upstream date, billed per cluster-hour — and third-party vendors sell patched builds for self-managed clusters. Each is a bridge; the destination is a supported minor, because Kubernetes only lets the control plane skip one minor at a time.

Which Kubernetes versions are supported right now?

Kubernetes 1.37 (released August 26, 2026, supported until October 28, 2027), 1.36 (until June 28, 2027) and 1.35 (until February 28, 2027). Kubernetes 1.34 entered its maintenance tail on August 27, 2026 and reaches end of life October 27, 2026; 1.33 reached end of life June 28, 2026. Upstream supports the three most recent minors, roughly 14 months each.

How long is each Kubernetes version supported?

About 14 months: 12 months of active patch support after release, then a two-month maintenance-mode window in which only critical fixes ship, ending on the 28th of the month. Three minor releases ship a year, so three minors are supported at any time.

Do EKS, GKE and AKS follow the upstream Kubernetes dates?

No — each managed service has its own clock, usually longer. For Kubernetes 1.34: Amazon EKS standard support ends December 2, 2026 (then paid extended support to December 2, 2027); Google GKE standard support ends January 25, 2027 (extended support to November 25, 2027); Azure AKS community support ends November 30, 2026 (long-term support to November 30, 2027). Plan against your provider's date, and note that all three charge for the extended window and auto-upgrade clusters that fall off it.

What happens when my Kubernetes version reaches end of life?

The cluster keeps running, but no further security fixes ship for that minor, and control-plane CVEs — API server, kubelet, ingress and admission paths — stay open. Managed providers eventually force-upgrade or bill for extended support; upstream users have to move. Because Kubernetes supports skipping only one minor at a time on the control plane, being two or more minors behind means sequential upgrades under time pressure.

How do I check my Kubernetes version?

kubectl version reports the client and server versions; kubectl get nodes shows each node's kubelet version (nodes may lag the control plane by up to three minors, but should not). For managed clusters, the console or aws eks describe-cluster, gcloud container clusters describe and az aks show report the control-plane version and available upgrades.

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