MySQL Lifecycle Intelligence

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

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

MySQL 8.0 reached end of life on April 30, 2026. That is the date that matters most right now, because 8.0 has been the default MySQL release since 2018 — the version sitting underneath an enormous share of the world's production databases. The moment it went unsupported, every one of those installs stopped receiving security patches from Oracle. If you are running mysql:8.0 anywhere, you are now on borrowed time.

MySQL 5.7 has been past EOL since October 2023 and is still everywhere. And the release model changed with the introduction of Innovation and LTS tracks — which is the single most misunderstood thing about MySQL versioning today, and the reason many teams are running a "newer" version that is actually less supported than the LTS they skipped.

This page is the single reference for MySQL end-of-life dates across every version — with EOL Risk Scores™, the Innovation vs LTS model explained, and a plain-English upgrade guide.

Quick answer: MySQL 9.7 is supported until April 21, 2034, its end-of-support date. Active support for MySQL 9.7 ends on April 30, 2031; security fixes continue until that end-of-life date. The next MySQL version to reach end of life is 8.4, on April 30, 2032. 14 of 16 tracked MySQL versions are past end of life; the most recent to reach it, 8.0, did so on April 30, 2026. Every MySQL version's release and end-of-support date is on the MySQL lifecycle page.

Key Dates at a Glance

In this article
  1. Complete MySQL EOL schedule — all versions
  2. Innovation vs LTS releases — what changed
  3. MySQL 8.0 — EOL April 30, 2026
  4. MySQL 5.7 — long past EOL, still everywhere
  5. MySQL 8.4 LTS — supported until 2032
  6. MySQL 9.x — Innovation releases, and the 9.7 LTS
  7. Managed MySQL — RDS and Azure run different clocks
  8. MySQL vs MariaDB — EOL implications
  9. How to upgrade safely
  10. How to check your MySQL version
  11. Your options when a version reaches EOL
  12. Frequently asked questions

Complete MySQL EOL Schedule

The versions below are the ones that actually appear in production. MySQL 8.0 and the 5.x series predate the current release model; MySQL 8.4 is the first LTS release under the new model and the recommended migration target for estates coming off 8.0 or 5.7; MySQL 9.7 LTS (April 2026) is the newest. The short-lived Innovation releases (8.1, 8.2, 8.3, and the 9.x series) are covered separately below.

Version Type Released Premier Support ends End of Life Status EOL Risk Score™
MySQL 5.5 Legacy Dec 3, 2010 Dec 31, 2015 Dec 31, 2018 EOL 70
MySQL 5.6 Legacy Feb 1, 2013 Feb 28, 2018 Feb 28, 2021 EOL 70
MySQL 5.7 Legacy Oct 9, 2015 Oct 31, 2020 Oct 31, 2023 EOL 70
MySQL 8.0 Series Apr 8, 2018 Apr 30, 2025 Apr 30, 2026 EOL 60
MySQL 8.4 LTS Apr 10, 2024 Apr 30, 2029 Apr 30, 2032 Supported 30
MySQL 9.7 LTS Apr 21, 2026 — Apr 21, 2034 Supported 30
MySQL 8.0 reached EOL April 30, 2026 8.0 has been the default MySQL for eight years — by far the most-deployed version in production today. Community 8.0 now receives no further security patches from Oracle. Every CVE disclosed from here on stays unpatched on 8.0 forever. If you are on 8.0, your migration target is MySQL 8.4 LTS, and the clock is already running.
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Every MySQL version, one line each

The same schedule as plain statements, one per release series, for anyone who needs a single date rather than a table. Every date is bound to the same data as the MySQL product page, which follows Oracle's Lifetime Support Policy dates, and is re-verified at each build. Series before MySQL 5.5 are not listed.

Innovation vs LTS Releases — What Changed

Starting in 2023, Oracle split MySQL into two release tracks, and understanding the difference is essential for EOL planning. The version number alone no longer tells you how long a release is supported.

LTS (Long-Term Support) releases — MySQL 8.4 (April 2024) and MySQL 9.7 (April 2026), with a new LTS roughly every two years — receive around eight years of support (premier plus extended). These are the versions you should run in production. MySQL 8.4, released April 2024, is supported through April 2032.

Innovation releases — MySQL 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, and 9.0 through 9.6 — ship on a quarterly cadence with new features, but each one is supported only until the next release arrives, a window of roughly three months. They are intended for teams that want early access to new functionality and are prepared to upgrade every quarter. Running an Innovation release in a database you don't upgrade quarterly is a trap: MySQL 9.2 looks newer than 8.4, but 8.4 is supported into 2032 while 9.2 went EOL within months of release.

Common mistake: assuming a higher version number means more support MySQL 9.0 reached EOL in October 2024. MySQL 8.4 LTS is supported until 2032. The 9.x release is "newer" by version number but had a support window measured in months. For any database you are not actively upgrading every quarter, the LTS release — currently 8.4 — is the only correct choice.

MySQL 8.0 — EOL April 30, 2026

MySQL 8.0
Released Apr 2018 · EOL Apr 30, 2026
60
EOL Risk Score™

MySQL 8.0 was released in April 2018 and became the defining MySQL release of the last decade — bringing the transactional data dictionary, common table expressions, window functions, instant DDL, and a long string of point releases through 8.0.46. It is the version most production MySQL workloads are running today.

Its support ended April 30, 2026. Oracle no longer issues community security patches for 8.0. Because 8.0 carried such a large installed base for so long, it is now the highest-impact database EOL event of 2026 — a single date that left a huge number of systems unsupported overnight.

Its EOL Risk Score™ (live value in the header above) reflects a recently-passed EOL date combined with MySQL's broad attack surface and its presence in the CISA KEV catalog, and it will keep climbing as the days-past-EOL factor grows.

Target version: Upgrade to MySQL 8.4 LTS (supported until April 2032). The 8.0 → 8.4 path is the supported, in-place upgrade route and the one Oracle designed for exactly this transition.

MySQL 5.7 — Long Past EOL, Still Everywhere

MySQL 5.7
Released Oct 2015 · EOL Oct 31, 2023
70
EOL Risk Score™

MySQL 5.7 reached end of life on October 31, 2023 — yet it remains one of the most common versions found in production scans, legacy hosting environments, and older managed-database instances. Its EOL Risk Score™ (live value in the header above) reflects years past EOL, a broad attack surface, and CISA KEV presence.

If you are still on 5.7, you have a larger jump than an 8.0 user. The 5.7 → 8.0 upgrade introduced meaningful changes — the data dictionary, authentication plugin defaults (caching_sha2_password), SQL mode changes, and removed features — and 8.0 is itself now EOL. The pragmatic path for most 5.7 systems is to plan a migration straight to MySQL 8.4 LTS, testing through 8.0 as an intermediate compatibility checkpoint rather than a destination.

Target version: MySQL 8.4 LTS. Treat this as a real upgrade project, not a point bump — schema, auth, and application query behavior all need validation.

MySQL 8.4 LTS — Supported Until 2032

MySQL 8.4 LTS
Released Apr 2024 · EOL Apr 30, 2032 · Actively supported
30
EOL Risk Score™

MySQL 8.4 is the first LTS release under MySQL's new model and the recommended target for essentially every production system today. Released April 2024, it carries premier and extended support through April 2032 — close to eight years of runway. It builds directly on the 8.0 feature set, so for teams on 8.0 it is the natural, supported next step.

Its EOL Risk Score™ (live value in the header above) is not about its support window — 8.4 is actively maintained — but reflects MySQL's inherent attack surface and CISA KEV presence as a class of software. The recency factor is zero because it is current. This is the safe place to be.

Good for: All production deployments. If you run MySQL and are not committed to upgrading every quarter, 8.4 LTS is the correct version, full stop.

MySQL 9.x — Innovation Releases, and the 9.7 LTS That Ended Them

MySQL 9.0 through 9.6 were the Innovation track: each shipped quarterly with new features and was supported only until the following release landed — a window of roughly three months. MySQL 9.0 reached EOL October 15, 2024; 9.1 through 9.6 followed in turn, each superseded by the next, and 9.6 died on April 21, 2026 — the day MySQL 9.7.0 LTS shipped. 9.7 is the second LTS under the new model (after 8.4) and follows Oracle's Lifetime Support Policy: five years of Premier plus three of Extended Support, to April 21, 2034. It is now the longest-runway MySQL you can deploy; 8.4 LTS remains fully supported to April 30, 2032 and is the lower-risk target for estates coming off 8.0 or 5.7, since 8.0 → 8.4 is the in-place path Oracle designed for that transition.

These releases exist so teams can preview where MySQL is heading and test upcoming features early. They are not meant for long-lived production databases. If you adopt an Innovation release, you are signing up to upgrade every quarter, indefinitely — the moment you stop, you are running unsupported software with a Critical-tier risk profile. Unless that quarterly cadence is genuinely part of your operating model, stay on 8.4 LTS and let the Innovation features arrive in the next LTS.

Running a 9.x release? Confirm it is 9.7. 9.0 through 9.6 are all end of life. Only 9.7 LTS is supported in the 9.x line — the Innovation cadence resumes with the releases after it. If you deployed any earlier 9.x, your version is already EOL. Check your exact version's status on the MySQL lifecycle page or with the EOL Checker.

MySQL vs MariaDB — EOL Implications

MariaDB began as a MySQL fork in 2009 after Oracle's acquisition of MySQL, and the two have diverged substantially since. Many teams run one on infrastructure originally provisioned for the other, so the MySQL vs MariaDB EOL question comes up constantly in upgrade planning. See the full MariaDB EOL guide for that side of the picture.

They are not interchangeable at EOL. A MySQL 8.0 EOL date tells you nothing about MariaDB 10.6, and vice versa. Different release schedules, different LTS policies, different vendor support structures. If your documentation says "MySQL compatible" but you are actually running MariaDB, you need to track MariaDB dates specifically — and the reverse.

Switching engines at EOL is a migration, not an upgrade. Treating a MySQL-to-MariaDB swap (or the reverse) as a quick fix for an EOL deadline is high risk. Authentication plugins, JSON handling, system tables, replication formats, and optimizer behavior all differ in ways that surface under production load. Plan it as a full database migration project with its own testing cycle.

Managed MySQL has its own EOL schedule. Amazon RDS for MySQL, Aurora MySQL, Azure Database for MySQL, and Google Cloud SQL each track community EOL dates differently — some extend support past Oracle's community dates, some don't. If you run managed MySQL, confirm your provider's specific dates with the EOL Checker rather than assuming they match Oracle's.

What to do about it

MySQL currently carries an EOL Risk Score™ of 60/100 — 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 MySQL 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.

Managed MySQL — RDS and Azure Run Different Clocks

The community date is not always your date. Amazon RDS for MySQL 8.0 left standard support on July 31, 2026 — three months after Oracle's date — and every 8.0 instance still running was moved into RDS Extended Support automatically, billed per vCPU-hour, for up to three years (to July 31, 2029). RDS for MySQL 8.4 is in standard support to July 31, 2029 (Extended to July 31, 2032). Azure Database for MySQL Flexible Server retires 8.0 on January 31, 2027, with paid extended support to May 31, 2029; Azure's 5.7 line ended July 31, 2026. If your MySQL is managed, plan against the row below, not the community table.

ServiceMySQL 5.7MySQL 8.0MySQL 8.4
Community (Oracle)Oct 31, 2023Apr 30, 2026Apr 30, 2032
Amazon RDS for MySQL
standard / Extended Support end		Feb 29, 2024 / Jun 30, 2029Jul 31, 2026 / Jul 31, 2029Jul 31, 2029 / Jul 31, 2032
Azure Database for MySQL
standard / extended support end		Jul 31, 2026 / Mar 31, 2029Dec 31, 2026 / May 31, 2029Not yet published

The RDS pattern is worth stating plainly: a MySQL 8.0 instance on RDS kept working after April 30, kept working after July 31 — and has been billing Extended Support since August 1, 2026 without any action on your part. Our RDS MySQL Extended Support guide covers the charges and the upgrade path; Extended Support is a bridge priced to encourage the upgrade, not a place to live.

How to Upgrade Safely

How to Check Your MySQL Version

The first two numbers (5.7, 8.0, 8.4, 9.7) are the release series that decides your end-of-life date. Fleet-wide, the EOL Checker takes a version and returns status and date; the Stack Scanner flags MySQL alongside the OS and application runtimes that each have their own clock.

Your Options When a MySQL Version Reaches EOL

Frequently Asked Questions

Is MySQL 8.0 still supported?

No. MySQL 8.0 reached end of life on April 30, 2026 (Premier Support ended April 30, 2025). Oracle no longer issues community security patches for 8.0; the final release was 8.0.46. On Amazon RDS, 8.0 left standard support July 31, 2026 and is in paid RDS Extended Support to July 31, 2029; Azure Database for MySQL retires 8.0 on January 31, 2027.

Is MySQL 9.7 an LTS release?

Yes. MySQL 9.7.0 LTS shipped April 21, 2026 and is the second Long-Term Support release under Oracle's model, after 8.4. It follows the Oracle Lifetime Support Policy — five years of Premier Support and three of Extended — to April 21, 2034. MySQL 9.0 through 9.6 were Innovation releases and are all end of life.

Should I upgrade MySQL 8.0 to 8.4 or 9.7?

For most estates, 8.4 LTS: it is the in-place upgrade path Oracle designed for 8.0, is supported to April 30, 2032, and has two years of production hardening. 9.7 LTS runs to April 21, 2034 and is the right target for new deployments or teams that want the longest runway; upgrading 8.0 → 8.4 → 9.7 is supported, and 8.4 → 9.7 can follow later without pressure.

How long is each MySQL LTS supported?

About eight years — five years of Premier Support and three years of Extended Support under Oracle's Lifetime Support Policy. MySQL 8.4 LTS (April 2024) runs to April 30, 2032; MySQL 9.7 LTS (April 2026) to April 21, 2034. Innovation releases are supported only until the next release ships, roughly three months.

Is MySQL 5.7 still supported?

No. MySQL 5.7 reached end of life on October 31, 2023 (final release 5.7.44). Amazon RDS for MySQL 5.7 left standard support February 29, 2024 and its RDS Extended Support ends June 30, 2029; Azure Database for MySQL 5.7 ended July 31, 2026. Third-party vendors sell security patches for 5.7 and 8.0 for estates that cannot upgrade yet.

Does Amazon RDS follow the community MySQL EOL date?

Not exactly. RDS for MySQL ends standard support for a major about three months after Oracle's date — MySQL 8.0 on July 31, 2026 — then automatically enrolls the instance in RDS Extended Support, billed per vCPU-hour, for up to three years (to July 31, 2029 for 8.0). RDS for MySQL 8.4 is in standard support to July 31, 2029.

How do I check my MySQL version?

Run SELECT VERSION(); in any client, or mysql --version and mysqld --version from the shell. The first two numbers (5.7, 8.0, 8.4, 9.7) are the release series that decides your end-of-life date. On managed services the engine version is on the instance page and in aws rds describe-db-instances or az mysql flexible-server show.

What happens if I keep running MySQL 8.0 after end of life?

The server keeps running, but every vulnerability fixed in 8.4 and 9.7 stays unfixed on 8.0 — and MySQL is a class of software that appears in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. Compliance frameworks treat an unsupported database as a control failure. If you genuinely cannot move by your deadline, third-party extended support and (on RDS/Azure) the paid extended-support tiers are bridges; the upgrade to 8.4 LTS is the destination.

When is MySQL 8.4 end of life?

MySQL 8.4 LTS, released April 10, 2024, leaves Premier Support on April 30, 2029 and reaches end of life when Extended Support ends on April 30, 2032. It is the in-place upgrade path from 8.0 and the LTS most estates are moving to.

Which MySQL versions are still supported?

Two: MySQL 8.4 LTS, supported to April 30, 2032, and MySQL 9.7 LTS, supported to April 21, 2034. MySQL 8.0 reached end of life on April 30, 2026, MySQL 5.7 on October 31, 2023, and every Innovation release from 8.1 to 9.6 ended the day its successor shipped, the last of them 9.6 on April 21, 2026.

Is there extended support for MySQL 8.0 or 5.7 after end of life?

Not for the community edition: Oracle's own Extended Support is what ends on the end-of-life date. Third-party vendors sell security patches for end-of-life MySQL series, usually priced per year, as a bridge for databases that cannot be upgraded by the deadline; managed services run their own paid extended-support tiers, described above. Whether a bridge beats an upgrade depends on how long the database has left to run; the form on this page matches options.

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