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Managed Database

Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL Releases

Track Amazon RDS PostgreSQL version support, version lag vs upstream, major version upgrade paths, parameter group changes, and Multi-AZ considerations.

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.

PG 13
PG 14
PG 15
PG 16
PG 17
2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030
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Maintenance
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Upgrade Paths

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

PG 13/14 PG 16/17 Medium-High Difficulty
Est. 1-3 hours per major version hop

Breaking Changes

  • Must upgrade one major version at a time
  • Parameter group must be updated for each version
  • Extension version compatibility changes
  • pg_stat_statements schema changes between versions
  • Default authentication method changes (scram-sha-256)
  • Some deprecated functions removed

Migration Notes

Test each hop with a snapshot restore to a new instance. Run pg_upgrade checks (RDS does this automatically but test manually). Update parameter groups. Check extension compatibility. For large databases (500GB+), the in-place upgrade can take 1-2 hours. Use blue-green deployments for zero-downtime upgrades on RDS.

Version Risk Assessment

Evaluate risk factors before choosing a version for production.

Version EOL Risk CVE Risk Ecosystem Cloud Support Overall Recommended Action
Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL PG 12 and older Critical Critical Deprecated Auto-upgrade Critical AWS will force-upgrade — do it yourself first
Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL PG 13 High Medium EOL imminent Active High Community EOL Nov 2025 — upgrade to PG 16+
Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL PG 14 Medium Low Active Active Medium Supported until Nov 2026
Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL PG 15/16 Low Low Active Active Low Current — recommended
Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL PG 17 None Low Active Active Low Latest — recommended for new instances

RDS follows upstream PostgreSQL EOL. AWS auto-upgrades deprecated versions after a grace period. Assessed March 2026.

RDS PostgreSQL Version Feature Comparison

Side-by-side feature differences across major versions.

Feature PG 13 PG 14 PG 15 PG 16 PG 17
Parallel vacuum Stable Enhanced Enhanced Enhanced Enhanced
Logical replication Basic Improved Enhanced Enhanced Enhanced
MERGE statement No No Stable Enhanced Enhanced
JSON improvements Basic Improved Enhanced SQL/JSON SQL/JSON+
pgvector support 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8
Query parallelism Stable Enhanced Enhanced Enhanced Enhanced
Auth default md5 scram scram scram scram
Blue-green deploy Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

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Health Status

Overall support health

Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL Health Status
![Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL Health Status](https://img.releaserun.com/badge/health/amazon-rds-postgresql.svg)

EOL Countdown

Next end-of-life date

Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL EOL Countdown
![Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL EOL Countdown](https://img.releaserun.com/badge/eol/amazon-rds-postgresql.svg)

Latest Version

Current stable release

Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL Latest Version
![Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL Latest Version](https://img.releaserun.com/badge/v/amazon-rds-postgresql.svg)

CVE Status

Known vulnerabilities

Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL CVE Status
![Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL CVE Status](https://img.releaserun.com/badge/cve/amazon-rds-postgresql.svg)

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL releases and lifecycle.

How far behind upstream PostgreSQL is RDS?
RDS typically supports a new PostgreSQL major version 1-3 months after upstream GA. Minor versions (security patches) land on RDS within 1-4 weeks of upstream release. AWS runs additional testing against RDS-specific features (Multi-AZ, read replicas, backups). RDS supports 4-5 PostgreSQL major versions simultaneously.
How do I perform a major version upgrade on RDS PostgreSQL?
Use the Modify DB Instance operation with the new engine version. RDS performs an in-place upgrade using pg_upgrade. The instance is unavailable during the upgrade (typically 10-30 minutes for small databases, longer for large ones). You cannot skip major versions: 13→14→15→16, not 13→16. Always test with a snapshot restore first. Multi-AZ instances take longer (both instances upgrade).
What is the difference between RDS PostgreSQL and Aurora PostgreSQL?
RDS PostgreSQL is standard PostgreSQL on managed EC2 instances. Aurora PostgreSQL is a rewritten storage engine that is PostgreSQL-compatible: it offers 5x throughput, automatic storage scaling (up to 128TB), up to 15 read replicas, and faster failover (<30s). Aurora costs ~20% more. Choose RDS for small-to-medium workloads and budget sensitivity. Choose Aurora for high availability, read-heavy workloads, and enterprise scale.
What happens when my RDS PostgreSQL version reaches EOL?
AWS follows the upstream PostgreSQL community EOL schedule. When a major version reaches EOL, AWS deprecates it on RDS (with 6+ months notice), then eventually auto-upgrades remaining instances to the next major version. Auto-upgrades can cause unexpected downtime and compatibility issues. Always upgrade proactively before AWS forces the upgrade.
Do I need to update parameter groups when upgrading?
Yes, potentially. When upgrading major versions, some parameters change names, defaults, or allowed values. Create a new parameter group for the target version (based on the new default family), migrate your custom settings, and associate it with the instance before upgrading. Common gotchas: shared_preload_libraries changes, new default settings for work_mem or maintenance_work_mem.
Can I use PostgreSQL extensions on RDS?
RDS supports 80+ PostgreSQL extensions, including PostGIS, pg_stat_statements, pg_cron, pgvector, and hstore. However, not all extensions are available on all versions, and RDS does not support custom C extensions or untrusted languages (PL/Python untrusted). Extension availability can differ between RDS and Aurora. Always check the supported extensions list for your target version.

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