Elasticsearch 8.x end of life
Elastic ends maintenance for Elasticsearch 8.x on 15 January 2027 and support on 15 July 2027. Maintenance means bug-fix and security releases, so 15 January 2027 is the date 8.x stops getting fixes. Only 8.19 is still maintained; the latest release is 8.19.22, from 23 September 2026. Upgrading to 9.x requires 8.19 first.
- End of life
- 15 July 2027
- Released
- Feb 2022
- Final release
- 8.19.22 (latest, 23 September 2026)
- Successor
- Elasticsearch 9.x, or OpenSearch
Date published by Elastic product end of life dates. We do not publish a lifecycle date we cannot source.
Last reviewed
What actually stops on 15 July 2027
- Maintenance releases on 15 January 2027. Elastic defines maintenance as releases that fix bugs, improve performance or patch security vulnerabilities.
- Elastic support for 8.x on 15 July 2027. Between the two dates, Elastic can still help but is not obliged to ship 8.x fixes.
- Older 8.x minors already. Elastic maintained 8.17 until 8.19 shipped and 8.18 until 9.2 shipped, so 8.19 is the only 8.x line still receiving releases.
What actually breaks in the upgrade
8.19 is a required stop
Elastic's upgrade guide says a major upgrade from 8.x must start from 8.19, whether by rolling upgrade or full cluster restart. Move to the latest 8.19 patch release first, then to 9.x.
7.x indices must go first
Indices created in 7.x or earlier must be reindexed, deleted or archived as read-only before the upgrade to 9.x. On large clusters, that reindexing is the longest part of the work, so start with an inventory of index creation versions.
9.x has its own clock
Elastic maintains 9.x until the later of 15 October 2027 and 18 months after 10.0 ships. Clusters that cannot take a major upgrade every couple of years should plan for that cadence, or look at OpenSearch.
Your options, costed honestly
Including the ones that do not involve buying anything from us.
| Option | What it is | Effort | Cost | Our view |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upgrade to 9.x via 8.19 | Latest 8.19 patch release, deal with 7.x indices, then the major upgrade. | Weeks to quarters | Engineering time plus licence review | The Elastic path, and the one to start before January 2027. |
| Migrate to OpenSearch | The Apache 2.0 project derived from Elasticsearch 7.10.2. | Weeks to quarters | Migration | The route when the licence or the upgrade cadence is the reason to leave. |
| OSSeva patched builds on 8.x | Backported fixes for self-managed 8.19 after Elastic maintenance ends. | Days | Subscription | For clusters that need more time for the reindex and the 9.x upgrade. |
| Stay on 8.19 without fixes | No Elastic releases after 15 January 2027. | None | Zero now | Search clusters often hold the most sensitive data in the estate. |
What OSSeva does for Elasticsearch 8.x
OSSeva patches this line
Elasticsearch 8.x is in OSSeva's Elasticsearch coverage on the Patch, Assure and Operate tiers. Until 15 January 2027 the fixes come from Elastic's 8.19 releases; after that date OSSeva backports security fixes to self-managed 8.19. OSSeva engineers also run the upgrade to 9.x or the migration to OpenSearch.
Elasticsearch extended supportWhat your auditor will say
The data store is a system component in its own right. An unsupported version with no patch source is a finding; a documented third-party patch stream is the usual remediation.
For EU financial entities, the ICT risk and third-party provisions apply when a critical service depends on software with no support arrangement in place.
Elasticsearch 8.x: common questions
When does Elasticsearch 8 reach end of life?
Elastic ends maintenance for 8.x on 15 January 2027 and support on 15 July 2027. Fixes stop at the first date.
Which Elasticsearch 8 versions are still maintained?
Only 8.19. Elastic maintained 8.17 until 8.19 was released and 8.18 until 9.2 was released.
Can I upgrade Elasticsearch 8.x straight to 9.x?
Only from 8.19. Earlier 8.x versions must move to 8.19 first, and indices created in 7.x or earlier must be reindexed, deleted or archived as read-only.
When does Elasticsearch 9 reach end of maintenance?
On the later of 15 October 2027 and 18 months after Elasticsearch 10.0 is released, according to Elastic's end-of-life page.
Can I keep Elasticsearch 8 patched after January 2027?
Yes. OSSeva backports security fixes to self-managed 8.19 on the Patch, Assure and Operate tiers.
Still running Elasticsearch 8.x?
Tell us the versions and the estate size. We will tell you honestly whether to upgrade or to buy cover — and we say 'upgrade' more often than you would expect.