Elasticsearch Releases
Track every Elasticsearch release from latest stable to end-of-life. Version timelines, licensing changes, OpenSearch context, and upgrade guidance.
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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.
Upgrade Paths
Migration guidance between major versions — breaking changes, effort estimates, and tips.
Breaking Changes
- Security enabled by default (TLS, authentication)
- Java 17+ required (drops Java 8, 11)
- REST API changes (several endpoints removed/changed)
- Index lifecycle management changes
- Kibana 8 requires Elasticsearch 8
- Some mapping types and query parameters removed
- License options changed (SSPL/Elastic/AGPL)
Migration Notes
The security-by-default change is the biggest operational shift. Use the Elasticsearch Upgrade Assistant in Kibana to identify breaking changes. Run the deprecation API (GET /_migration/deprecations) before upgrading. Plan for TLS configuration if your 7.x cluster ran without security.
Version Risk Assessment
Evaluate risk factors before choosing a version for production.
| Version | EOL Risk | CVE Risk | Ecosystem | Cloud Support | Overall | Recommended Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elasticsearch 6.x and below | Critical | High | EOL | Dropped | Critical | Way past EOL — must migrate (cannot skip to 8.x directly) |
| Elasticsearch 7.x | High | Medium | Maintenance | Legacy | High | Approaching EOL — plan 8.x migration |
| Elasticsearch 8.x | None | Low | Active | Full | Low | Current — keep on latest 8.x minor |
Risk combines EOL status, security defaults, and license clarity. Assessed as of March 2026.
Elasticsearch 7.x vs 8.x
Side-by-side feature differences across major versions.
| Feature | 7.x (late) | 8.x |
|---|---|---|
| Security by default | Optional | Enabled |
| Java minimum | 8 / 11 | 17 |
| License | Apache→SSPL | SSPL/Elastic/AGPL |
| Vector search (kNN) | Experimental | Stable |
| NLP/ML inference | Basic | Enhanced |
| ESQL query language | No | Stable |
| Serverless offering | No | Available |
| Data stream lifecycle | ILM | ILM + Data lifecycle |
| Profiling | No | Universal Profiling |
| OpenSearch compatible | 7.10 fork | No |
Embed Badges
Add live Elasticsearch status badges to your README, docs, or dashboard.
Health Status
Overall support health
EOL Countdown
Next end-of-life date
Latest Version
Current stable release
CVE Status
Known vulnerabilities
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Elasticsearch releases and lifecycle.