// SQL Server end of life
SQL Server end of life, version by version.
Upgrade, Extended Security Updates, Azure or PostgreSQL. The right one depends on the application.
SQL Server 2016 reached end of support on 14 July 2026. SQL Server 2019 left mainstream support on 28 February 2025, and its extended support ends on 8 January 2030. SQL Server 2014 is in the last year of its Extended Security Updates, and 2017 ends on 12 October 2027. For many teams the right answer is an upgrade to SQL Server 2022 or 2025, with ESUs as a bridge while the upgrade is planned. OSSeva does not support or patch SQL Server. Our part is the other route: moving SQL Server databases to PostgreSQL and supporting the PostgreSQL clusters afterwards, priced per cluster. That is a migration rather than an upgrade, and OSSeva sizes each one to the deployment after an assessment.
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What end of support changes for SQL Server
Microsoft gives each SQL Server version at least ten years: five of mainstream support and five of extended support. Each phase ends something different.
Mainstream end stops the non-security fixes
Mainstream support includes functional, performance, scalability and security updates. Extended support includes security updates only. SQL Server 2017 and 2019 are in extended support today, so a performance or functional bug found now gets no public fix.
End of support stops the security fixes
After the extended end date Microsoft ships no further updates for that version. A customer without ESUs cannot open a support ticket for it, even with a Microsoft support plan. SQL Server 2016 crossed that line on 14 July 2026.
ESUs are a bridge with conditions
ESUs cover SQL Server 2014 and 2016 for up to three years and include Critical security updates only, released when the Microsoft Security Response Center rates a vulnerability Critical. They need Software Assurance or subscription licences, or a pay-as-you-go subscription through Azure Arc. Express, Developer and Web editions cannot be enrolled, and a late start is back-billed to the end-of-support date.
No ESU programme is listed for 2017 or 2019
As of October 2026, Microsoft's ESU FAQ lists SQL Server 2014 and 2016 only. Until Microsoft says otherwise, treat 12 October 2027 for 2017 and 8 January 2030 for 2019 as the last dates for security updates.
The dates that matter
2019-07-09
SQL Server 2014 mainstream support ends.
2021-07-13
SQL Server 2016 mainstream support ends. Security updates only from here.
2022-10-11
SQL Server 2017 mainstream support ends.
2024-07-09
SQL Server 2014 end of support. ESU Year 1 starts the next day.
2025-02-28
SQL Server 2019 mainstream support ends.
2026-07-14
SQL Server 2016 end of support. ESUs for 2016 start the next day, and ESU Year 2 for 2014 ends.
2027-07-12
ESU Year 3 for SQL Server 2014 ends. No further 2014 updates.
2027-10-12
SQL Server 2017 end of support.
2028-01-11
SQL Server 2022 mainstream support ends.
2029-07-17
ESU Year 3 for SQL Server 2016 ends. No further 2016 updates.
2030-01-08
SQL Server 2019 end of support.
2033-01-11
SQL Server 2022 end of support.
What OSSeva delivers
An assessment per application
An inventory of SQL Server databases, T-SQL objects and every client that connects, with a recommendation for each application: stay on SQL Server, convert to native PostgreSQL, or test Babelfish. Where an upgrade to SQL Server 2022 or 2025 is the better answer, the written plan says so.
Conversion and data migration
pgloader discovers the SQL Server schema, including indexes and primary and foreign keys, and loads the data into PostgreSQL. T-SQL procedures and functions are rewritten in PL/pgSQL and reviewed. Applications and reports then run against both systems before a cutover with a rollback plan.
PostgreSQL support from cutover
The new clusters move straight into OSSeva PostgreSQL support for versions 11 to 18: signed builds, Patroni or repmgr, upgrade planning to 17 or 18 on Assure, and on OSSeva Operate 24/7 monitoring with a 15-minute P1 incident response SLA. OSSeva Operate patches Critical CVEs (CVSS ≥ 9.0) within 48 hours and High within 7 days.
Your options, compared
| Option | What you get | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Upgrade to SQL Server 2022 or 2025 | A supported version: mainstream support to 11 January 2028 for 2022 and to 6 January 2031 for 2025, extended to 2033 and 2036 | Licensing stays on Microsoft's cycle, and an unsupported Windows Server needs upgrading too. SQL Server 2025 upgrades in place from 2014 SP3, 2016 SP3, 2017, 2019 and 2022. For many teams this is the right answer. |
| Buy Extended Security Updates | Critical security updates with no code changes, for 2014 to 12 July 2027 or 2016 to 17 July 2029 | Paid, Critical fixes only, Enterprise and Standard editions only, and no general technical support. Microsoft calls it a temporary bridge, and it suits the months while an upgrade or migration is planned. |
| Azure SQL Managed Instance or Azure SQL Database | Managed services that Microsoft says never reach end of support | The databases move onto Microsoft's cloud service and its terms. |
| SQL Server on Azure VMs | Free ESUs for SQL Server 2014, on Azure VMs or Azure VMware Solution, to the end of its ESU period | SQL Server 2016 on Azure VMs can subscribe to ESUs but does not get them free. Either way it buys time and still ends in an upgrade or a migration. |
| Migrate to PostgreSQL with OSSeva support | PostgreSQL on your own servers, VMs, Kubernetes or cloud account, migrated and then supported by one team | A migration with T-SQL rewrites, sized to each deployment after an assessment, then a subscription priced per cluster. Self-managed Babelfish is not part of OSSeva support. |
| Stay on an unsupported version | Nothing | No security updates after the end date and no Microsoft support tickets for that version. |
Dates from Microsoft's lifecycle pages for SQL Server 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2022 and 2025 and its yearly end-of-support lists, in Pacific Time. ESU terms from Microsoft's SQL Server ESU FAQ and ESU documentation, and options from its SQL Server end of support page. All checked on 9 October 2026. OSSeva coverage from the OSSeva PostgreSQL technology page. OSSeva does not support SQL Server.
Frequently asked questions
When is SQL Server 2016 end of life?
SQL Server 2016 reached end of support on 14 July 2026, and mainstream support had ended on 13 July 2021. Extended Security Updates are available for up to three years, to 17 July 2029, and cover Critical security updates only.
When is SQL Server 2019 end of life?
Extended support ends on 8 January 2030. Mainstream support ended on 28 February 2025, so SQL Server 2019 now receives security updates only.
What was SQL Server 2016 extended support?
The second five years of the SQL Server 2016 lifecycle, from 13 July 2021 to 14 July 2026, with security updates only. It has ended. The paid continuation is Extended Security Updates, which Microsoft describes as a temporary bridge to a supported platform.
Which SQL Server versions are still supported?
As of October 2026, SQL Server 2017 is supported to 12 October 2027, 2019 to 8 January 2030, 2022 to 11 January 2033 and 2025 to 6 January 2036. SQL Server 2014 and 2016 are past end of support and get Critical security updates only through ESUs.
Are there Extended Security Updates for SQL Server 2017 or 2019?
Not as of October 2026. Microsoft's ESU FAQ lists SQL Server 2014 and 2016 only, and it has published no ESU dates for 2017 or 2019.
Can we get free ESUs by moving to Azure?
For SQL Server 2014, yes. Moved as-is to Azure VMs or Azure VMware Solution, it gets free ESUs until the end of the ESU period. From SQL Server 2016 that no longer applies: 2016 instances on Azure VMs can subscribe to ESUs, but they pay for them.
Should we move from SQL Server to PostgreSQL?
Only where it fits. If an application depends on SQL Server features, an upgrade to 2022 or 2025, with ESUs as a bridge, is usually less work. Moving to PostgreSQL is a migration with T-SQL rewrites, and OSSeva sizes each one to the deployment after an assessment.
Does OSSeva support SQL Server?
No. OSSeva does not patch or support SQL Server. We migrate SQL Server databases to PostgreSQL and support the PostgreSQL clusters afterwards, on versions 11 to 18, on your own servers, VMs, Kubernetes or cloud account.
How is it priced?
The migration is a services engagement, and PostgreSQL support afterwards is priced per cluster. Book a discovery call for a quote.
Choose the next step for each SQL Server database before its date.
Book a discovery call with your SQL Server versions and the applications on them. Where PostgreSQL fits, we send an assessment plan and a quote priced per cluster.