PostgreSQL 16 end of life
PostgreSQL 16 is supported by the PostgreSQL Global Development Group until 9 November 2028, five years after its first release on 14 September 2023. The current minor release is 16.15, from 13 August 2026, and minor releases continue until the end date. After it, the community publishes no more fixes for 16. PostgreSQL 17 is supported to November 2029 and 18 to November 2030.
- End of life
- 9 November 2028
- Released
- Sept 2023
- Final release
- 16.15 (current minor, 13 August 2026)
- Successor
- PostgreSQL 17 or 18
Date published by PostgreSQL versioning policy. We do not publish a lifecycle date we cannot source.
Last reviewed
What actually stops on 9 November 2028
- Minor releases on the 16.x line after 9 November 2028.
- Security fixes for the server, libpq and the bundled client tools.
- Fixes for data-corruption and crash bugs, which make up much of each minor release.
What actually breaks in the upgrade
Read the 16.15 notes before updating
16.15 fixed CVE-2026-6471 by adding output_plugin_libraries, which limits logical decoding to listed output plugins. By default only pgoutput and test_decoding are allowed, so change data capture that relies on another plugin stops until you add it. The notes also ask users of btree_gist or ltree to check whether indexes need rebuilding.
Pick the target by its date
The community supports PostgreSQL 17 until 8 November 2029 and 18 until 14 November 2030. A move from 16 to 17 buys one year; a move to 18 buys two.
PostgreSQL 18 turns checksums on by default
initdb in PostgreSQL 18 enables data checksums by default, and pg_upgrade requires matching checksum settings. A 16 cluster created without checksums needs the new cluster initialised with --no-data-checksums. pg_upgrade in 18 also keeps optimizer statistics across the upgrade.
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 PostgreSQL 18 | pg_upgrade or logical replication to the newest major. | Weeks | Engineering time | The longest runway, to November 2030. |
| Stay on 16 and take each minor | Community minor releases continue to 9 November 2028. | Hours per release | Engineering time | Fine for now. Apply the configuration changes each minor asks for. |
| OSSeva support on PostgreSQL 16 | Support and operations now, under one contract with the rest of the stack. | Days | Subscription | Puts the clusters under one supplier well before the date. |
What OSSeva does for PostgreSQL 16
OSSeva supports this line
PostgreSQL 16 is in OSSeva's PostgreSQL versions table as a current line, and OSSeva supports it today, with fixes from the community's minor releases until 9 November 2028. Assure adds major-version migration planning to 17 or 18; Operate adds 24/7 replication and failover monitoring, including Patroni and repmgr. OSSeva's patched builds cover 11, 12 and 13 today, and 14 from 12 November 2026.
PostgreSQL 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.
Auditors ask for evidence that production systems receive security fixes. A version past end of life fails that test unless another supplier ships the fixes and can show which CVEs they close.
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.
PostgreSQL 16: common questions
What is the PostgreSQL 16 end of life date?
9 November 2028, five years after its first release on 14 September 2023.
Is PostgreSQL 16 still supported?
Yes. The current minor release is 16.15, from 13 August 2026, and minor releases continue until 9 November 2028.
What should I upgrade PostgreSQL 16 to?
17 or 18. PostgreSQL 17 is supported until 8 November 2029 and 18 until 14 November 2030. pg_upgrade crosses several major versions in one step.
What changed in PostgreSQL 16.15?
Among other fixes, a new output_plugin_libraries setting limits which logical decoding plugins replication users can load. Plugins other than pgoutput and test_decoding must be added to it after updating.
Still running PostgreSQL 16?
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.