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Managed Kubernetes

Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) Releases

Track AKS Kubernetes version support, node pool upgrade strategy, add-on compatibility, and comparison with EKS and GKE.

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.

1.27 (LTS)
1.28
1.29
1.30
1.31
1.32
2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028
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Maintenance
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Upgrade Paths

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

1.27/1.28 1.31+ Medium Difficulty
Est. 1-2 hours per version hop

Breaking Changes

  • One version at a time (3-4 hops)
  • Deprecated APIs removed at each version
  • Azure CNI Overlay changes between versions
  • Managed identity and Workload Identity updates
  • Node OS image updates (Ubuntu/Azure Linux)
  • KEDA and other add-on version requirements

Migration Notes

Use az aks upgrade for each hop. Enable max-surge on node pools for zero downtime. Check the AKS release notes for each version. The biggest gotcha is Azure-specific add-on compatibility (Azure Disk CSI, Azure CNI). Test with a staging cluster first. Windows node pools require separate upgrade commands.

Version Risk Assessment

Evaluate risk factors before choosing a version for production.

Version EOL Risk CVE Risk Ecosystem Cloud Support Overall Recommended Action
Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) 1.27 (no LTS) Critical High EOL None Critical Will be force-upgraded — plan your own upgrade
Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) 1.28 High Medium Maintenance Full High Nearing EOL — upgrade to 1.31+
Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) 1.29/1.30 Medium Low Active Full Medium Supported — upgrade when convenient
Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) 1.31/1.32 None Low Active Full Low Current — recommended

AKS supports 3 GA versions. Unsupported versions get auto-upgraded. LTS extends to 2 years for select versions. Assessed March 2026.

AKS Kubernetes Version Feature Comparison

Side-by-side feature differences across major versions.

Feature 1.28 1.29 1.30 1.31 1.32
Control plane cost Free Free Free Free Free
Gateway API Preview Preview GA GA GA
Windows nodes 2019/2022 2019/2022 2022 2022 2022
Azure Linux nodes GA GA GA GA GA
Workload Identity GA GA GA Enhanced Enhanced
KEDA add-on 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15
Istio add-on Preview GA GA GA GA
Auto-upgrade channels 4 options 4 options 5 options 5 options 5 options

Embed Badges

Add live Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) status badges to your README, docs, or dashboard.

Health Status

Overall support health

Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) Health Status
![Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) Health Status](https://img.releaserun.com/badge/health/azure-kubernetes-service.svg)

EOL Countdown

Next end-of-life date

Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) EOL Countdown
![Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) EOL Countdown](https://img.releaserun.com/badge/eol/azure-kubernetes-service.svg)

Latest Version

Current stable release

Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) Latest Version
![Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) Latest Version](https://img.releaserun.com/badge/v/azure-kubernetes-service.svg)

CVE Status

Known vulnerabilities

Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) CVE Status
![Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) CVE Status](https://img.releaserun.com/badge/cve/azure-kubernetes-service.svg)

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) releases and lifecycle.

How does AKS version support work?
AKS supports the latest 3 GA Kubernetes minor versions plus the newest preview version. Each version gets approximately 12 months of support. AKS adds new K8s versions within 1-2 months of upstream GA. When a version leaves support, AKS will auto-upgrade clusters to the oldest supported version (with 30 days notice).
What makes AKS different from EKS and GKE?
AKS has a free control plane (EKS charges $0.10/hr, GKE charges for Autopilot). AKS integrates tightly with Azure AD (Entra ID) for RBAC, Azure Monitor for observability, and Azure Policy for governance. AKS also supports Windows node pools natively, which is important for .NET workloads. The trade-off: AKS has historically lagged EKS/GKE in K8s version availability.
How do I upgrade AKS safely?
AKS upgrades are done via az aks upgrade. The control plane upgrades first, then node pools. Node pools support max-surge settings for zero-downtime rolling upgrades. Always upgrade one minor version at a time. Check for deprecated APIs using kubectl-convert or the AKS deprecation dashboard. System node pools must be upgraded before user node pools.
What is AKS automatic upgrade channel?
AKS supports automatic upgrade channels: none (manual), patch (auto-patch within minor), stable (auto-upgrade to N-1 stable), rapid (auto-upgrade to latest), and node-image (auto-update node OS images). For production, "stable" or "patch" channels are recommended. Automatic upgrades happen during your maintenance window.
Does AKS support Windows containers?
Yes, AKS has first-class Windows node pool support. You can run Windows Server 2019 and 2022 containers alongside Linux containers in the same cluster. Windows node pools have some limitations: no DaemonSets (use HostProcess containers instead), no Calico network policy on Windows, and Windows nodes cost more due to licensing. This is a significant advantage over GKE/EKS for .NET workloads.
What is the AKS long-term support (LTS)?
AKS LTS (launched 2024) extends support for select Kubernetes versions to 2 years (vs 12 months standard). The first LTS version is 1.27. LTS is available on the Premium tier. It provides security patches and bug fixes for 2 years, giving teams more time between upgrades. Useful for regulated industries with slow change approval processes.

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