Rocket.Chat 8.3 and 8.4 End of Life: October 31, 2026
Rocket.Chat 8.3 and 8.4 both reach end of life on October 31, 2026. Rocket.Chat's Version Durability matrix gives the two lines the same end of life month, and the page sets the day: end of life "is the last day of the month when support for a version officially ends." Rocket.Chat 8.3 was released on April 7, 2026 and 8.4 on April 30, 2026, so two monthly releases from the same spring share one deadline. After it, neither line gets patch releases, and Rocket.Chat says its cloud services and official apps stop working with servers past end of life. That second part is what makes a Rocket.Chat deadline different from most: users notice it, not only the security team.
Rocket.Chat's support rule, in Rocket.Chat's words
Rocket.Chat's Release Life Cycle page sets two support windows. Standard releases, major or minor, receive support "for 6 months from the date they are released." LTS releases, starting with the 7.10 line, "are supported for 12 months from their release date," and receive security fixes and critical stability fixes only. Patch releases "do not create a new support window"; they inherit the window of their line. For exact days the page defers to the Version Durability matrix, which it calls "the authoritative source" for supported versions and end of support dates.
Rocket.Chat 8.3 and 8.4 are standard releases; neither carries the LTS tag in the matrix. Rocket.Chat ships a minor release roughly every month, so a standard line is always only a few months from its end, and several standard lines are supported at once alongside an LTS line.
The current 8.x lines
Dates from our data, checked against the Version Durability matrix on October 9, 2026. Each line links to its live status page here.
| Line | Released | End of life | Type | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rocket.Chat 8.6 | July 3, 2026 | January 31, 2027 | Standard | Approaching |
| Rocket.Chat 8.5 | June 10, 2026 | June 30, 2027 | LTS | Approaching |
| Rocket.Chat 8.4 | April 30, 2026 | October 31, 2026 | Standard | Approaching |
| Rocket.Chat 8.3 | April 7, 2026 | October 31, 2026 | Standard | Approaching |
| Rocket.Chat 8.2 | March 2, 2026 | September 30, 2026 | Standard | EOL |
Rocket.Chat 8.7 and 8.8 are newer standard releases; their dates are on the 8.7 and 8.8 pages. Every Rocket.Chat line back to 1.0 is on our Rocket.Chat lifecycle page.
Key dates
- April 7, 2026: Rocket.Chat 8.3.0 released.
- April 30, 2026: Rocket.Chat 8.4.0 released.
- June 10, 2026: Rocket.Chat 8.5.0 released, an LTS line with a twelve-month window.
- September 30, 2026: Rocket.Chat 8.2 reached end of life.
- October 31, 2026: end of life for Rocket.Chat 8.3 and 8.4. This page.
- January 31, 2027: Rocket.Chat 8.6 reaches end of life.
- June 30, 2027: Rocket.Chat 8.5 LTS reaches end of life.
What stops working after the date
Most software keeps working after end of life and simply stops getting fixes. Rocket.Chat's Release Life Cycle page lists more than that for a server past its window:
- No patch releases. The development team "no longer provides patch releases for bugs or security vulnerabilities on that version." Rocket.Chat backports security fixes to every supported line, so a vulnerability fixed after the date reaches 8.5 and the newer lines, and not 8.3 or 8.4.
- Cloud services switch off. The page names the Push Notification Gateway, the Marketplace and Omnichannel integrations as cloud-dependent services that "will cease to function" for a version past its end of life date. For most workspaces the first visible symptom is mobile push notifications going quiet.
- Official apps refuse the server. The official mobile and desktop clients enforce version checks, and Rocket.Chat says they will not connect to servers past end of life. The page adds that an already installed app may keep working until the app itself updates to a version that enforces the block.
- Support terms. The page says running versions past end of life "violates our support terms" and voids applicable warranties.
The Version Durability page summarises the same list in one sentence: after end of life a version gets no security or bug fix updates, cloud-dependent services stop working, and official mobile and desktop clients may lose the ability to connect.
How to check what you are running
In the web client, open the Workspace page: Administration > Workspace, reached from the Manage menu in current releases. Rocket.Chat's View Workspace Details page says it shows "your workspace plan, version number, registration status, and support window," and the Version field is the server's own version. A version starting 8.3. or 8.4. is on a line that ends October 31, 2026, whatever its patch number: patches inherit the line's window.
For self-managed installs, the version is also whatever image tag or package your deployment pins, for example in the compose and environment files of a Docker Compose install. Check those files rather than assuming the running server matches them: a deployment that was edited but never restarted is still on the old version. For an inventory of many servers, our EOL Checker and API take the product and version and return the dates above.
Upgrade path to a supported line
- Pick the target line. Rocket.Chat 8.5 is the LTS line and is supported until June 30, 2027; it suits teams that upgrade under change control and want security fixes without monthly feature changes. Standard releases (8.6, 8.7, 8.8) carry newer features but six-month windows; 8.6 ends January 31, 2027. Rocket.Chat adds a line about every month, so read the Version Durability matrix for anything newer before choosing.
- Go straight there. Rocket.Chat's Guidelines for Updating Rocket.Chat say major versions must be crossed one at a time, while minor and patch updates within the same major version "can be applied directly." Moving from 8.3 or 8.4 to any later 8.x line is one step.
- Back up MongoDB and check its version. The guidelines ask for a full backup of the database and custom configuration first, and say each release lists its minimum MongoDB version under Engine versions in its GitHub release notes. Upgrade MongoDB first if it is below that minimum.
- Read the release notes you cross. Read the notes for the target version and the versions in between for breaking changes, removed settings and manual steps.
- Update by deployment method, then confirm. Rocket.Chat publishes separate update steps for Docker, Kubernetes, Podman, Snaps and other methods. Afterwards, the guidelines say to return to Administration > Workspace to confirm the new version and its support window.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do Rocket.Chat 8.3 and 8.4 reach end of life?
Both reach end of life on October 31, 2026. Rocket.Chat's Version Durability matrix gives 8.3 and 8.4 the same end of life month, and the page defines end of life as the last day of that month. Both are standard releases, which Rocket.Chat supports for six months from release.
What happens to a Rocket.Chat 8.3 or 8.4 server after end of life?
The server keeps running, but Rocket.Chat stops issuing patch releases for it, including security fixes. Rocket.Chat's release life cycle page also says cloud-dependent services such as the Push Notification Gateway, the Marketplace and Omnichannel integrations stop working for versions past end of life, and that the official mobile and desktop apps enforce version checks and will not connect to servers past end of life.
Which Rocket.Chat version should I upgrade to?
Rocket.Chat 8.5 is an LTS release and is supported until June 30, 2027, which makes it the target with the longest runway on our data. Standard releases such as 8.6, 8.7 and 8.8 get six months each, so they need another upgrade sooner but carry newer features. Rocket.Chat adds a release about every month, so check the Version Durability matrix for any newer line before choosing.
Can I upgrade from Rocket.Chat 8.3 or 8.4 straight to a later 8.x release?
Yes. Rocket.Chat's update guidelines say minor and patch updates within the same major version can be applied directly; only major versions have to be crossed one at a time. Before updating, back up the MongoDB database and confirm your MongoDB version meets the minimum listed in the Engine versions section of the target release's notes on GitHub.
How do I check which Rocket.Chat version my server runs?
In the web client, open the Workspace page under Administration (the Manage menu in current releases). Rocket.Chat's documentation says the page shows the version number and the support window. Any version starting 8.3 or 8.4, whatever its patch number, is on one of the two lines this page covers, because patch releases inherit the window of their line.
Related
- Rocket.Chat 8.4 · Rocket.Chat 8.3 — the live status pages with their EOL Risk Scores
- Rocket.Chat — every line's dates
- Rocket.Chat 8.5 · Rocket.Chat 8.6 — upgrade targets
- MongoDB — the database every Rocket.Chat server runs on has its own end of life dates
- Mattermost end of life — how the other self-hosted team chat handles its support windows
- End of September cluster — the deadline Rocket.Chat 8.2 shared with other products
- 2026 EOL calendar — every dated end of support this year
- Rocket.Chat Version Durability — the vendor page these dates were read from
- How we verify our dates — the rules every number on this site is held to