Ubuntu Versions: Releases & End of Support Dates

This is a reference list of every Ubuntu version — the same table our Linux server support team works from when assessing a fleet. It covers releases from Ubuntu 14.04 through 26.04, with codenames, release dates, standard support end dates, and Expanded Security Maintenance (ESM) end dates. Dates are taken from Canonical's release cycle page and the Ubuntu Releases wiki.

Ubuntu versions list: all releases and support dates

LTS (Long Term Support) releases ship every two years in April and receive five years of standard security maintenance, extendable to ten years with Ubuntu Pro ESM. Interim releases ship every six months and receive nine months of support.

Interim releases between the LTS versions listed (for example 21.04, 21.10, 22.10, 23.04, 23.10) all reached end of life nine months after release and are omitted from day-to-day planning. The full historical list, including every interim release back to 4.10, is maintained on the Releases wiki page.

How Ubuntu version numbers work

Ubuntu version numbers encode the release date as YY.MM. Ubuntu 24.04 shipped in April 2024; Ubuntu 25.10 shipped in October 2025. There is no semantic meaning beyond the date — a higher number is simply a later release, not a bigger change. Codenames are an adjective plus an animal, assigned alphabetically (Focal Fossa, Jammy Jellyfish, Noble Numbat); the naming scheme is documented on Canonical's development codenames page.

The LTS label is the part that matters operationally. Even-year April releases (20.04, 22.04, 24.04, 26.04) are LTS and get five years of standard support. Everything else is an interim release with nine months of support, intended for developers who want the newest kernels and toolchains, not for servers.

Ubuntu 20.04 end of life

Ubuntu 20.04 LTS (Focal Fossa) reached the end of standard support on May 31, 2025. Since that date, the main repositories receive no security updates for 20.04 unless the machine is attached to Ubuntu Pro, which extends security maintenance through May 2030 under ESM.

A 20.04 server in 2026 is therefore in one of two states: covered by Ubuntu Pro and receiving ESM patches, or unpatched. There is no in-between. Ubuntu Pro is free for up to five machines for personal use and paid beyond that; the mechanics are covered in our Ubuntu Pro guide. The alternative is upgrading to 22.04, which remains in standard support until May 2027 and is a single do-release-upgrade hop away.

Ubuntu 22.04 end of life

Ubuntu 22.04 LTS (Jammy Jellyfish) is still in standard support. Standard security maintenance ends in May 2027, and ESM under Ubuntu Pro runs to May 2032.

That leaves under a year of standard support as of mid-2026. The practical planning sequence for a 22.04 estate: inventory now, test workloads on 24.04 in the second half of 2026, and complete upgrades before May 2027. 22.04 can upgrade directly to 24.04; waiting past the deadline means either paying for Ubuntu Pro or running unpatched during the migration.

Which Ubuntu version to install now

For new servers, Ubuntu 24.04 LTS is the default choice: released April 2024, supported to May 2029 standard and May 2034 with ESM, with two years of production hardening behind it. Ubuntu 26.04 LTS, released April 2026, is the newest LTS and runs to May 2031 standard support; it is the correct pick when you need its newer kernel or package versions and can accept a younger release. Both are available from the official server download page. The differences between LTS and interim tracks are covered in our Ubuntu LTS explainer.

Interim releases (25.10 and successors) are not appropriate for servers: nine months of support means a forced upgrade cycle three times as frequent as the LTS cadence.

How to check your Ubuntu version

Run either of the following on the machine:

lsb_release -a

The Description and Release lines show the version and point release, for example Ubuntu 22.04.5 LTS. If lsb_release is not installed, read the OS identification file directly:

cat /etc/os-release

The VERSION field includes the point release and codename. Point releases (24.04.1, 24.04.2) are rollups of accumulated updates plus newer hardware-enablement kernels; they do not change the support dates, which attach to the 24.04 series as a whole.

Upgrade paths

Ubuntu supports two upgrade paths: from one LTS to the next LTS, and from any release to the release immediately after it. LTS-to-LTS upgrades must be sequential — 18.04 to 20.04 to 22.04 to 24.04. There is no supported jump from 18.04 straight to 24.04; a machine that far behind is usually faster to rebuild than to upgrade three times.

The supported tool is do-release-upgrade, which handles source list migration, package resolution, and third-party repository disabling. LTS-to-LTS upgrades are not offered until the first point release of the target ships (24.04.1 before 22.04 machines were offered 24.04). The full procedure, including pre-upgrade checks and recovery steps, is in the official upgrade documentation.

Running an out-of-support Ubuntu version

An out-of-support Ubuntu machine keeps running; nothing switches off. The consequences are:

• No security patches. New kernel, OpenSSL, and userland vulnerabilities remain unpatched in the main repositories.
• Compliance failure. PCI DSS, HIPAA, SOC 2, and most cyber-insurance policies require supported operating systems. An end-of-life server is a standard audit finding.
• Repository archival. Packages for EOL releases move from the main archive to old-releases.ubuntu.com, so standard apt sources stop resolving until repointed.
• Software drop-off. Docker, database vendors, and language runtimes stop publishing packages for retired releases, which eventually forces the OS upgrade anyway.

There are two exits: upgrade along the sequential LTS path, or attach the machine to Ubuntu Pro for ESM coverage while the upgrade is scheduled. ESM extends security patching to ten years from release but is a bridge, not a destination — 16.04 and 14.04 have already aged out of it.

FAQ

What is the latest Ubuntu version?

Ubuntu 26.04 LTS (Resolute Raccoon), released April 2026, is the latest LTS release. The latest interim release is 25.10 (Questing Quokka), supported only until July 2026.

Is Ubuntu 20.04 still supported?

Standard support ended May 31, 2025. Security updates continue only through Ubuntu Pro ESM, which covers 20.04 until May 2030.

When does Ubuntu 22.04 reach end of life?

Standard support ends in May 2027. Ubuntu Pro ESM extends security maintenance to May 2032.

How long is an Ubuntu LTS version supported?

Five years of standard security maintenance, extendable to ten years with Ubuntu Pro ESM. Interim releases get nine months.