Windows Server End of Life Dates: Every Version Compared

In short

For Windows Server lifecycle planning, the date that matters most is the end of extended support, when normal security updates stop. The nearest LTSC deadline is Windows Server 2016 on January 12, 2027. Windows Server 2019 follows on January 9, 2029. Windows Server 2022 is not EOL in 2026: mainstream support ends in October 2026, while extended support continues until October 14, 2031. Windows Server 2025 is supported through November 14, 2034.

The most common end-of-life questions are:

• Windows Server 2016 EOL date: January 12, 2027.
• Windows Server 2019 EOL date: January 9, 2029.
• Windows Server 2022 EOL date: October 14, 2031. Its mainstream phase ends October 13, 2026.
• Windows Server 2025 EOL date: November 14, 2034.

Raff currently offers Windows Server 2019, 2022, and 2025. This guide uses the ISO dates in Microsoft's Windows Server release-information table for consistency; Microsoft Lifecycle pages can display an adjacent calendar date because those pages present support dates in Pacific Time.

The complete Windows Server end-of-life table

In this table, EOL means the end of extended support and the normal security-update stream. It does not mean the end of mainstream support. Older releases may have a separate paid Extended Security Updates (ESU) period after EOL.

Microsoft publishes lifecycle information in more than one view. The Windows Server release-information table uses ISO 8601 dates, while product Lifecycle pages state that dates are shown in Pacific Time. That can make an adjacent calendar date appear in another locale or view. For compliance records, cite the Microsoft page and date convention you used.

Windows Server support lifecycle: what mainstream and extended support mean

The two support phases are frequently confused, and the difference determines how urgent a migration really is:

• Mainstream support includes security updates, product fixes, and broader servicing under Microsoft's Fixed Lifecycle Policy.
• Extended support continues security updates after mainstream support ends. When extended support ends, the release no longer receives normal security updates.
• Extended Security Updates (ESU) are a paid, security-only bridge Microsoft may offer after extended support for eligible older versions. ESU should be treated as migration runway, not a long-term operating model.

So a search for "Windows Server 2022 end of life" needs a precise answer: Server 2022 is not at end of life in October 2026. It leaves mainstream support then and continues receiving extended-support security updates until October 14, 2031.

Check which version and phase you are on

Run this in PowerShell on each server:

Get-ComputerInfo | Select-Object OsName, OsVersion, OsBuildNumber

Then map the build number to the version and its deadline:

For a fleet, run the same check remotely with Invoke-Command -ComputerName SRV01,SRV02 { Get-ComputerInfo | Select-Object CsName, OsName, OsBuildNumber }. More fleet-audit commands are in our PowerShell reference for Windows VPS admins.

Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2 reach the end of ESU in October 2026

Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2 left extended support in October 2023. Microsoft's standard three-year ESU program reaches its final Year 3 cutoff on October 13, 2026. ESU provides critical and important security updates for eligible systems, but it does not restart the normal product lifecycle or add new features.

If you still run 2012-era servers, migration should already be in progress. Our local server to cloud migration guide covers file, application, and directory workloads.

Windows Server 2016 reaches end of extended support on January 12, 2027

Windows Server 2016 reaches end of support on January 12, 2027. Until then, it remains in extended support and continues receiving normal security updates under Microsoft's Fixed Lifecycle Policy.

Microsoft has also announced Extended Security Updates for eligible Windows Server 2016 Standard and Datacenter deployments after that date. Microsoft describes the ESU window as providing critical and important security updates for up to three years, through 2030. Because the currently published documentation does not give this guide a final exact day in 2030, we do not invent one.

A related deadline can exist on the same machine: SQL Server 2016 left extended support on July 14, 2026, so an application stack may become unsupported before the Windows Server operating system does.

We cover the deadline, ESU choices, and migration options in the dedicated Windows Server 2016 end-of-life guide. For the migration path, see upgrade Windows Server 2016 to 2025.

Windows Server 2019 EOL date: is Server 2019 still supported?

Yes. Windows Server 2019 is still supported through January 9, 2029. It is already in extended support, which means security updates continue but the mainstream-support phase has ended.

If an application vendor still requires Server 2019, document that dependency and plan the replacement before the final support window. For a new deployment without a compatibility constraint, compare it with the newer releases rather than choosing 2019 only because an older application already uses it.

Windows Server 2022 end of support date and EOL date

Windows Server 2022 is not EOL in 2026. Microsoft's ISO release-information table lists mainstream support ending October 13, 2026 and extended support ending October 14, 2031. The product Lifecycle view may show the following calendar day depending on the time-zone presentation.

Existing healthy 2022 workloads therefore do not need an emergency migration simply because mainstream support ends in 2026. For new deployments, Server 2025 provides the longer current LTSC support runway when the full software stack is validated.

For the practical trade-offs, see our Windows Server 2022 vs 2025 comparison.

Windows Server 2025 is supported through November 2034

Windows Server 2025 is Microsoft's current Long-Term Servicing Channel release. Microsoft's ISO release-information table lists mainstream support through November 13, 2029 and extended support through November 14, 2034.

Raff licenses Windows Server Standard per instance under Microsoft SPLA; current compute and licence pricing is on the pricing page. Customers using their own eligible Microsoft licensing should verify the applicable outsourcing and Flexible Virtualization Benefit rights for the intended hosted deployment.

Windows Server 2026 release date: what comes after 2025

Microsoft has not announced a Windows Server 2026 LTSC release or a successor LTSC release date in its current Windows Server release information. Windows Server 2025 remains the current LTSC release. Microsoft also maintains an Annual Channel focused on container and microservice scenarios, with a shorter support cycle, but those releases are not the next general-purpose LTSC version.

For production planning, use Server 2025 as the current long-term baseline and treat future product names or dates as unconfirmed until Microsoft publishes them. See the Windows Server version comparison for the current deployment choices.

Database and mail server dates to track alongside

The OS is only one layer. Microsoft server applications have their own support schedules:

A fully patched Windows Server can still host an unsupported database or application. Audit both the OS and the workloads before deciding what migrates when.

Which version should you deploy today

If lifecycle planning also means moving the workload to new infrastructure, size and validate the destination before the cutover. Current Raff Windows VM plans support Windows Server 2019, 2022, and 2025, and the Windows Server licensing guide explains SPLA, BYOL, CAL, and RDS distinctions.

Common mistakes reading lifecycle dates

• Treating end of mainstream support as end of life. Server 2022 leaving mainstream support in October 2026 does not end security updates; extended support continues until 2031.
• Assuming ESU arrives automatically. ESU is an eligibility and licensing path, not an automatic grace period.
• Tracking only the OS date. SQL Server, Exchange, and line-of-business applications have separate lifecycles.
• Deploying new systems on older versions without a compatibility reason. A legacy version creates an earlier migration deadline.
• Planning to the exact deadline. Leave time for application validation, rollback testing, licensing, and cutover.

What's next

• Windows Server 2016 end of life: dates, ESU, and migration options
• Upgrade Windows Server 2016 to 2025
• Windows Server 2022 vs 2025
• Windows Server licensing: SPLA, BYOL, CALs and RDS
• Raff Windows VM

Sources

• Microsoft Learn: Windows Server release information
• Microsoft Lifecycle: Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2022, Windows Server 2025, Windows Server 2012 R2
• Microsoft Lifecycle: Extended Security Updates FAQ
• Microsoft Learn: Prepare Extended Security Updates for Windows Server through Azure Arc
• Microsoft Learn: Windows Server servicing channels
• Sources revalidated: 2026-09-17