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Apache Cassandra Releases

Track every Apache Cassandra release from latest stable to end-of-life. Version timelines, Java compatibility, upgrade paths, and cloud alternatives.

Official Site Documentation

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Total Versions

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Supported

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Latest

Version Timeline

All tracked releases with lifecycle status and EOL dates.

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Lifecycle Timeline

Visual overview of active support and maintenance windows.

3.11
4.0
4.1
5.0
2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029
Active
Maint
Active
Maint
Active
Maint
Active
Maint
Active / LTS
Maintenance
Today

Upgrade Paths

Migration guidance between major versions — breaking changes, effort estimates, and tips.

3.11 4.0 High Difficulty
Est. 1-2 days for production clusters

Breaking Changes

  • Virtual tables introduced (system tables changed)
  • Audit logging added
  • Full query logging
  • Incremental repair becomes default
  • Removed deprecated thrift interface
  • SSTable format changes

Migration Notes

The thrift removal is the biggest breaking change. All clients must use CQL. Run nodetool upgradesstables after upgrading. Test all queries with EXPLAIN. This is a one-at-a-time rolling upgrade.

4.0/4.1 5.0 Medium Difficulty
Est. 1-2 days

Breaking Changes

  • Storage Attached Indexes (SAI) replace SASI
  • New Trie-based memtable and SSTable format
  • Unified Compaction Strategy (UCS) replaces STCS/LCS/TWCS
  • Java 17 supported (Java 8 deprecated)
  • Vector search capabilities added
  • Transactional cluster metadata

Migration Notes

Upgrade from 4.1 to 5.0 (cannot skip 4.0→5.0 if on 4.0). The new storage format is opt-in initially. Existing SSTables are read in the old format. Run upgradesstables to convert. SAI migration from SASI requires reindexing.

Version Risk Assessment

Evaluate risk factors before choosing a version for production.

Version EOL Risk CVE Risk Ecosystem Cloud Support Overall Recommended Action
Apache Cassandra 3.11 and below Critical High EOL Dropped Critical Past EOL — upgrade through 4.0→4.1→5.0
Apache Cassandra 4.0 High Low Maintenance Legacy High Security only — upgrade to 4.1, then 5.0
Apache Cassandra 4.1 Medium Low Active Full Medium Supported — plan upgrade to 5.0
Apache Cassandra 5.0 None Low Active Full Low Current — recommended for production

Risk combines EOL status, Java requirements, and operational tooling support. Assessed as of March 2026.

Major Version Feature Comparison

Side-by-side feature differences across major versions.

Feature 3.11 4.0 4.1 5.0
Java support 8 8, 11 8, 11 11, 17
Thrift interface Deprecated Removed Removed Removed
Virtual tables No Stable Stable Stable
SAI indexes No No No Stable
Vector search No No No Stable
Unified Compaction No No No Stable
Trie memtables No No No Stable
Audit logging No Stable Stable Stable
Incremental repair Optional Default Default Default

Embed Badges

Add live Apache Cassandra status badges to your README, docs, or dashboard.

Health Status

Overall support health

Apache Cassandra Health Status
![Apache Cassandra Health Status](https://img.releaserun.com/badge/health/apache-cassandra.svg)

EOL Countdown

Next end-of-life date

Apache Cassandra EOL Countdown
![Apache Cassandra EOL Countdown](https://img.releaserun.com/badge/eol/apache-cassandra.svg)

Latest Version

Current stable release

Apache Cassandra Latest Version
![Apache Cassandra Latest Version](https://img.releaserun.com/badge/v/apache-cassandra.svg)

CVE Status

Known vulnerabilities

Apache Cassandra CVE Status
![Apache Cassandra CVE Status](https://img.releaserun.com/badge/cve/apache-cassandra.svg)

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Apache Cassandra releases and lifecycle.

How long are Cassandra versions supported?
Cassandra supports the latest release with bug and security fixes. Previous releases get critical security fixes only until the next release. There is no formal LTS policy, but major versions tend to get ~3 years of community support.
Which Java version does Cassandra require?
Cassandra 5.0 supports Java 11 and 17. Cassandra 4.1 supports Java 8 and 11. Cassandra 4.0 requires Java 8 or 11. Java 17 support was a major addition in 5.0. Check compatibility before upgrading Java or Cassandra independently.
Cassandra vs ScyllaDB: which should I choose?
ScyllaDB is a C++ rewrite of Cassandra that offers 10x better performance per node with CQL compatibility. Choose ScyllaDB for performance-critical workloads with fewer nodes. Choose Cassandra for its larger community, more tooling, and when you need Apache 2.0 licensing and ecosystem compatibility.
How hard is it to upgrade Cassandra?
Cassandra supports rolling upgrades within a cluster. Upgrade one node at a time (one rack at a time). You can only upgrade one major version at a time (4.0→4.1→5.0, not 4.0→5.0). Run nodetool upgradesstables after upgrading all nodes.
What is new in Cassandra 5.0?
Cassandra 5.0 is the biggest release in years: Storage Attached Indexes (SAI) replace secondary indexes, vector search for AI workloads, Trie-based memtables and SSTable format for better performance, unified compaction strategy, and Java 17 support. It is a significant upgrade from 4.x.

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