SQL Server End-of-Support Checklist, 2014 to 2025

Ardentech Solutions Inc. · ardentechsolutions.com · Last reviewed October 25, 2026

Support dates for SQL Server 2014 through 2025, and a checklist to work through before yours runs out.

When support ends

Each SQL Server version gets five years of mainstream support (fixes and updates) followed by five years of extended support (security updates only). After that, Microsoft stops servicing it.

SQL Server support end dates, SQL Server 2014 to 2025
Version	Mainstream support ends	Extended support ends	Where it stands
SQL Server 2014	July 9, 2019	July 9, 2024	Out of support. Paid Extended Security Updates run through July 2027.
SQL Server 2016	July 13, 2021	July 14, 2026	Out of support since July 14, 2026. Paid Extended Security Updates are available for up to three years.
SQL Server 2017	October 11, 2022	October 12, 2027	Extended support (security updates only).
SQL Server 2019	February 28, 2025	January 8, 2030	Extended support (security updates only).
SQL Server 2022	January 11, 2028	January 11, 2033	Mainstream support.
SQL Server 2025	January 2031	January 2036	Current release. Generally available November 18, 2025.

SQL Server 2012 and earlier are already past extended support. Dates are as published on Microsoft's lifecycle pages, in Pacific time. If anything differs, Microsoft's page is the authority.

The checklist

Work through this for each SQL Server instance, or at least for each application. Tick items as you go, or print it and use a pen.

1. Find every instance

List every SQL Server instance, including test, development, departmental, and vendor-installed ones.
Record the version, edition, and update level (service pack or cumulative update) of each.
Note the Windows Server version underneath each one. The operating system has its own end-of-support date.
Record where each runs: a physical server, a virtual machine, or the cloud.
Name a business owner for each instance and rate how critical it is.

2. Map what depends on each one

List the applications, reports, and integration jobs that use each instance.
Check whether each application vendor supports a newer SQL Server version.
Note linked servers, SQL Server Agent jobs, SSIS packages, SSRS reports, and SSAS cubes in use.
Write down the current high availability and disaster recovery setup.

3. Compare against the dates

Check each version against the table above.
Mark instances that are already out of support, and those that will be within the next 24 months.
Ask whether auditors, customers, or security reviews will expect supported software.

4. Choose a path for each instance

Upgrade to a current SQL Server version on your own servers.
Or move to Azure SQL Managed Instance, SQL Server on an Azure virtual machine, or Azure SQL Database.
Or, as a bridge, subscribe to Extended Security Updates while you prepare.
Check the fit: features you use, OS-level access you need, database size limits, downtime you can accept, and what your licensing allows.

5. Test before you move

Run Microsoft's assessment tools to find compatibility problems, such as the migration component in SQL Server Management Studio, or Azure Migrate for a move to Azure.
Keep each database's compatibility level the same as today at first, to limit changes in behavior and performance. Raise it later, on purpose.
Restore a recent backup to a test server and confirm it works.
Capture performance baselines (typical query times, CPU, storage) so you can compare afterward.
Have the application owners test against the new environment.

6. Plan the cutover

Agree a downtime window and who signs off.
Write a rollback plan and decide the point of no return.
Confirm fresh, verified backups before you start.
Tell users and vendors what is changing and when.

7. After the move

Check jobs, alerts, backups, and monitoring on the new environment.
Set a regular patching routine (cumulative updates) for the new version.
Review access and security settings.
Shut down and securely retire the old servers.
If you subscribed to Extended Security Updates, confirm the subscription has been cancelled.

If you need more time: Extended Security Updates

What Extended Security Updates are

Security updates rated Critical, and nothing else, for up to three years after extended support ends. They exist for SQL Server 2014 and SQL Server 2016.
They are released only when Microsoft rates a vulnerability Critical, so there is no regular schedule.
They do not include new features, improvements, or other fixes. Support is limited to problems installing or activating the updates.
They are available for instances connected to Azure Arc (with Software Assurance under qualifying agreements, or on a pay-as-you-go basis) and for SQL Server on Azure virtual machines.
If you have only applied general distribution release (GDR) updates, Microsoft advises installing and checking the latest cumulative update when you subscribe, instead of waiting for the first ESU.
Moving SQL Server 2014 to an Azure virtual machine gets ESUs free. SQL Server 2016 does not get that benefit.

Treat ESUs as a bridge, not a destination: when you subscribe, decide when you will leave.

Your best next step depends on how many instances you have and how critical they are. Our guide to the options compares upgrading, moving to Azure, and buying ESUs.

SQL Server end-of-support checklist