Ubuntu End of Life Dates 2026 — Which Vendors Offer Extended Security Support?
Ubuntu LTS releases come with 5 years of standard support from Canonical — but what happens after? This guide covers the EOL date for every Ubuntu LTS version, and which vendors (including Canonical itself) provide extended security patching for organizations that cannot immediately migrate.
Ubuntu EOL dates — all versions (2026)
| Version | Codename | Standard EOL | ESM / Extended | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | To be named | Apr 2031 | Apr 2036 | Future release |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | Noble Numbat | Apr 2029 | Apr 2034 | Active support |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | Jammy Jellyfish | Apr 2027 | Apr 2032 | Active support |
| Ubuntu 20.04 LTS | Focal Fossa | Apr 2025 | Apr 2030 | EOL — ESM available |
| Ubuntu 18.04 LTS | Bionic Beaver | Apr 2023 | Apr 2028 | EOL — 3rd party ELS |
| Ubuntu 16.04 LTS | Xenial Xerus | Apr 2021 | Apr 2026 | Fully EOL |
Ubuntu 20.04 is end of life as of April 2025. If you are running Ubuntu 20.04 in production, you are receiving zero free security patches. Every CVE disclosed against the Ubuntu 20.04 kernel, glibc, OpenSSL or any system package is now permanently unpatched unless you have paid ESM or commercial ELS.
Ubuntu 22.04: what happens in April 2027?
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS has standard support until April 2027. After that, Canonical stops providing free security updates for packages in the "main" repository. The server becomes exposed to any CVE disclosed against the 22.04 kernel or core packages.
Canonical's ESM program extends paid coverage through April 2032 — a 5-year extension covering the kernel, apt packages, and the universe repository. ESM is free for up to 5 machines per Ubuntu One account; enterprise-scale use requires an Ubuntu Pro subscription.
Ubuntu 22.04 is still safe today. You have until April 2027 to plan your migration or ESM enrollment. The time to act is now — not in March 2027.
Which vendors offer extended security support for Ubuntu after EOL?
Canonical ESM / Ubuntu Pro
OfficialCanonical's own Expanded Security Maintenance extends coverage 5 years past standard EOL. Free for up to 5 personal machines; paid via Ubuntu Pro for enterprise. Covers kernel, main, and universe packages.
Ubuntu EOL dates →Third-Party ELS Vendors
Extended Lifecycle SupportSpecialist ELS vendors provide kernel and userspace patching for EOL Ubuntu versions (18.04, 20.04), typically covering CVEs at CVSS 7+. Some offer live kernel patching — no reboots required for kernel security fixes.
View via endoflife.ai →ESM vs third-party ELS: which should you choose?
Canonical ESM is the natural default for most Ubuntu deployments — it extends the same trusted Ubuntu package infrastructure and patches the full stack including the kernel. If you already use Ubuntu Pro or have a Canonical support agreement, ESM is likely already included.
Third-party ELS vendors are worth evaluating when: you require live kernel patching (zero-reboot patching), you have mixed-OS environments where a single vendor covering multiple Linux distributions is more efficient, or you need extended support for software components beyond the OS layer (runtimes, languages, frameworks).
See Ubuntu EOL exposure alongside your full stack
Cross-reference Ubuntu versions with active CVEs from the CISA KEV catalog.
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