How the SQL Server lifecycle works
Microsoft’s SQL Server documentation says each version comes with a minimum of 10 years of support: five years of mainstream support (functional, performance, scalability and security updates) followed by five years of extended support (security updates only). After that the version is out of support unless you buy Extended Security Updates (ESUs).
The table at the end lists every SQL Server version we track with its dates, all taken from Microsoft’s lifecycle pages for each version (including the end of each Extended Security Updates year). For example, extended support for SQL Server 2016 ended July 14, 2026, and ESU for SQL Server 2014 ends July 12, 2027.
Options Microsoft documents
- Upgrade on-premises to a current SQL Server version (and usually a current Windows Server). Most control and the most familiar environment, but you buy and run the hardware and software, and in-place upgrades carry downtime and risk.
- Move to Azure SQL Managed Instance — close to on-premises SQL Server, managed patching and backups, “versionless” if you use the always-up-to-date policy. Downsides Microsoft lists: can cost more than SQL Server on Azure VMs, some T-SQL and feature differences, 32 TB storage limit per instance, more complex networking.
- Move to SQL Server on Azure VMs, either upgrading during the move or moving as-is with ESUs.
- Azure SQL Database — fully managed, for workloads that can be modernised.
- Stay put with ESUs for up to three years while you plan.
Planning checklist
- Check the Windows Server underneath. Microsoft notes that if you are on an unsupported Windows Server version, you also need to upgrade the OS, and newer SQL Server versions might not support older Windows versions. In-place OS upgrades aren’t supported on failover cluster instances for Windows Server 2008/2008 R2; cluster OS rolling upgrades are available from Windows Server 2016.
- Check compatibility. Microsoft points to the SQL Server migration component in SQL Server Management Studio to detect compatibility problems, and to Query Tuning Assistant for workloads affected by a database compatibility level change. Keeping the database compatibility level the same as the old system protects applications from functional and performance changes.
- Check the application vendor. ERP and line-of-business vendors certify specific SQL Server versions; an unsupported combination can be a bigger problem than the SQL Server end date itself.
Extended Security Updates in short
ESUs cover up to three years after the end of extended support, are released only if a vulnerability is rated Critical, and include no new features or customer-requested fixes. SQL Server 2014 gets free ESUs when moved to Azure VMs; SQL Server 2016 does not. See the extended security updates guide.