Ubuntu LTS: Release Schedule & Support Windows

This is the reference our Linux server support team uses when deciding which Ubuntu release a server should run. LTS stands for Long Term Support: a release published every two years with five years of standard security maintenance, extendable to ten years with Ubuntu Pro and beyond that with a Legacy add-on. This page covers the release cadence, the support tiers, the current status of each LTS release, and the upgrade path between them.

What Ubuntu LTS means

Canonical publishes a new Ubuntu version every six months. Every fourth release — every two years, in April of an even year — is designated LTS. The version number encodes the date: 24.04 means April 2024. The LTS line therefore runs 20.04, 22.04, 24.04, 26.04, and next 28.04 in April 2028. The full policy is documented on the Ubuntu release cycle page.

LTS releases are the production line. The three releases between each pair of LTS versions are interim releases, supported for nine months each, covered later in this page.

Support structure: 5 years standard, up to 15 with Ubuntu Pro

Each LTS release moves through defined maintenance phases:

Two details worth noting. First, ESM through Ubuntu Pro covers Universe packages during the standard phase as well, not only after year five — on a stock LTS without Pro, Universe packages receive only best-effort community updates. Second, the Legacy add-on originally extended coverage by two years (to 12 total) when announced; Canonical has since expanded it to five years, for 15 years total. Our Ubuntu Pro reference covers subscription mechanics, pricing tiers, and the pro attach command.

Current LTS releases and support status

Release and end-of-life dates for every version, including retired ones, are maintained on the Ubuntu Releases wiki page. A version-by-version history is in our Ubuntu versions reference.

Interim releases: 9 months of support

The releases between LTS versions — 25.10, 26.10, 27.04, and so on — are interim releases. Each receives nine months of security maintenance and then reaches end of life; there is no ESM option for interim releases. They exist to ship new kernels, toolchains, and desktop features on a fast cadence, and the work lands in the next LTS.

Interim releases suit developers who want the newest packages and users testing what the next LTS will contain. They do not suit servers: a nine-month window forces an upgrade roughly every six months, and skipping an interim release is not supported by the upgrader, so a machine on 25.10 must pass through 26.04 rather than jumping ahead.

Upgrade path between LTS releases

Ubuntu upgrades in place with the release upgrader. The command, run over SSH or a console session, is sudo do-release-upgrade. Behavior for LTS systems, per the official upgrade documentation:

• LTS to next LTS only. With the default Prompt=lts setting in /etc/update-manager/release-upgrades, an LTS system is offered only the next LTS. Releases cannot be skipped: 20.04 upgrades to 22.04, then 22.04 to 24.04, in sequence.
• Gated on the first point release. The upgrade path to a new LTS opens only after its .1 point release ships — 22.04 systems were not offered 24.04 until 24.04.1 arrived. The -d flag bypasses the gate but is not recommended for production.
• No reinstall required. The upgrader replaces package sources, upgrades all packages, and removes obsolete ones. Backups and a maintenance window are still standard practice, since third-party repositories are disabled during the upgrade and application compatibility must be re-verified.

Server and desktop follow the same schedule

Ubuntu Server and Ubuntu Desktop are built from the same archive and share release dates and support windows. The historical difference — five years of maintenance for server, three for desktop — ended with 16.04; since then both editions of an LTS receive the full five years of standard support and the same ESM extension. The difference is the installed package set (no graphical stack on server) and the installer, not the lifecycle.

Kernel options: GA and HWE stacks

An LTS release offers two kernel tracks. The GA (general availability) kernel is the one the release shipped with — 24.04 shipped with kernel 6.8 — and it is maintained for the life of the release. The HWE (Hardware Enablement) stack rolls the kernel forward to the versions shipped by later interim releases, so a 24.04 machine on HWE picks up newer kernels roughly every six months until the next LTS kernel becomes the final HWE version. Desktop installs default to HWE; Ubuntu Server defaults to the GA kernel, with HWE available via the linux-generic-hwe metapackage. The mapping of kernels to releases is documented on the Ubuntu kernel lifecycle page. The GA kernel is the conservative choice for servers; HWE matters when hardware newer than the release date needs driver support.

Choosing an LTS for servers

• New deployments in August 2026: 24.04 LTS. It has three years of standard support remaining and every major configuration-management and container ecosystem supports it. 26.04 becomes the standard choice once 26.04.1 ships and third-party repositories catch up.
• Existing 22.04 servers: plan the 24.04 upgrade before May 2027, or attach Ubuntu Pro to extend 22.04 coverage to 2032.
• Existing 20.04 servers: already out of standard support. Attach Ubuntu Pro immediately if the machine cannot be upgraded, then schedule the two-step upgrade through 22.04.
• Interim releases: not for servers. The nine-month window is shorter than most deployment lifetimes.

FAQ

How often does an Ubuntu LTS come out?

Every two years, in April of even-numbered years: 20.04, 22.04, 24.04, 26.04, with 28.04 due April 2028.

How long is Ubuntu LTS supported?

Five years of free standard security maintenance. Ubuntu Pro extends that to ten years via ESM, and the Legacy add-on extends it further to fifteen.

Is Ubuntu 20.04 still supported?

Standard support ended in May 2025. It remains supported through April 2030 only for systems attached to Ubuntu Pro.

Can I upgrade directly from 20.04 to 24.04?

No. LTS upgrades are sequential: 20.04 to 22.04, then 22.04 to 24.04, each run with do-release-upgrade.

Should a server run an interim release?

No. Interim releases get nine months of updates and have no ESM option. Servers belong on the LTS line.