Azure Kubernetes Service End of Life (EOL) Dates & Support Timeline
Complete end-of-life dates, support windows, and security status for all Azure Kubernetes Service versions. Data sourced from endoflife.date and official vendor documentation. Updated at every deploy.
Running an EOL version? Get matched with support options — free ↓| Version | Latest Release | Release Date | EOL Date | Extended Support | Days | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.21 | — | Aug 18, 2021 | Jul 31, 2022 | — | 1470 days past EOL | EOL |
| 1.22 | — | Jan 10, 2022 | Dec 4, 2022 | — | 1344 days past EOL | EOL |
| 1.23 | — | Apr 26, 2022 | Apr 2, 2023 | — | 1225 days past EOL | EOL |
| 1.24 | — | Aug 17, 2022 | Jul 31, 2023 | — | 1105 days past EOL | EOL |
| 1.25 | — | Dec 14, 2022 | Jan 14, 2024 | — | 938 days past EOL | EOL |
| 1.26 | — | Apr 18, 2023 | Apr 11, 2024 | — | 850 days past EOL | EOL |
| 1.27 | — | Aug 16, 2023 | Jul 31, 2024 | Jul 31, 2025 AKS Long Term Support (ended) |
739 days past EOL | EOL |
| 1.28 | — | Nov 7, 2023 | Jan 31, 2025 | Feb 28, 2026 AKS Long Term Support (ended) |
555 days past EOL | EOL |
| 1.29 | — | Mar 18, 2024 | Mar 31, 2025 | Apr 30, 2026 AKS Long Term Support (ended) |
496 days past EOL | EOL |
| 1.30 | — | Aug 5, 2024 | Aug 22, 2025 | Jul 31, 2026 AKS Long Term Support (ended) |
352 days past EOL | EOL |
| 1.31 | — | Oct 25, 2024 | Nov 1, 2025 | Nov 30, 2026 AKS Long Term Support |
281 days past EOL | EOL |
| 1.32 | — | Apr 6, 2025 | Mar 31, 2026 | Mar 31, 2027 AKS Long Term Support |
131 days past EOL | EOL |
| 1.33 | — | Jun 17, 2025 | Jul 31, 2026 | Jul 31, 2027 AKS Long Term Support |
9 days past EOL | EOL |
| 1.34 | — | Jan 4, 2026 | Nov 30, 2026 | Nov 30, 2027 AKS Long Term Support |
113 days remaining | Warning |
| 1.35 | — | Mar 5, 2026 | Mar 31, 2027 | Mar 31, 2028 AKS Long Term Support |
234 days remaining | Active |
| 1.36 | — | Jun 30, 2026 | Jun 30, 2027 | Jun 30, 2028 AKS Long Term Support |
325 days remaining | Active |
Live EOL badge for your README — updates automatically at every build.
[](https://endoflife.ai/azure-kubernetes-service)
What does Azure Kubernetes Service end of life mean for your organization?
When a version of Azure Kubernetes Service reaches end of life, the maintainers stop issuing security patches. Vulnerabilities discovered after this date are publicly disclosed on the National Vulnerability Database, exploit code appears on GitHub, and your systems remain permanently exposed.
The CVE blind spot: Most vulnerability scanners check for known CVEs but do not flag the accumulation of unpatched vulnerabilities in EOL software. With a zero-day, nobody knows about the vulnerability. With EOL software, the vulnerability is public — listed, rated, and often weaponized — but no patch will ever exist. This is the most dangerous gap in enterprise security posture.
Organizations running EOL Azure Kubernetes Service should treat it as a vulnerability class in their risk register, apply compensating controls (network segmentation, enhanced monitoring, access restriction), and prioritize migration to a supported version.
Your options when Azure Kubernetes Service reaches end of life
There are four realistic paths. Which one is right depends far more on how long the system needs to keep running than on the version you are on today.
| Option | Best when | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Move to a supported version | The system will outlive the current version's support window and you can schedule the work | Budget for compatibility testing, not just the upgrade itself — that is where the real cost sits |
| Replace the component | The project is unmaintained, or a better-supported alternative exists | The replacement has its own lifecycle and its own end-of-life date — you are changing vendors, not escaping the problem |
| Buy extended support | Migration is genuinely underway but cannot finish before the deadline, or the workload is frozen by certification or a third-party application | A bridge, not a destination — every year purchased is a year the migration still has to happen |
| Document accepted risk | The system is isolated, short-lived, or scheduled for retirement | Only defensible with real compensating controls and a written decision — auditors treat undocumented end-of-life software as a finding |
How to choose, in 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 purchased repeatedly costs more than doing the project once, and the project only gets harder as the version ages. Indefinitely, migrate now and plan the next migration before it surprises you.
Worth saying plainly, because vendors selling extended support rarely will: extended support is often the more expensive choice over a multi-year horizon. It is the right answer when a deadline is genuinely unreachable, not as a default. Compare the annual fee against the one-time cost of migrating before committing to either.
Extended Support Options
If you cannot migrate immediately, extended support vendors provide continued security patches for EOL Azure Kubernetes Service versions. This is a bridge, not a permanent solution — plan your migration in parallel.
Azure Kubernetes Service has 13 versions past end of life — security patches have stopped, but CVE disclosures haven't. The good news: extended support for Azure Kubernetes Service exists — vetted vendors ship security patches for years past the official date. Tell us where to reach you and we'll reply with matched options and pricing guidance.