Ruby on Rails Releases
Track every Ruby on Rails release from latest stable to end-of-life. Version timelines, Ruby compatibility, Hotwire/Turbo evolution, and upgrade guidance.
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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
- Ruby 2.7+ required
- Encrypted attributes replace attr_encrypted
- Spring removed from default Gemfile
- Zeitwerk autoloader is the only option (classic removed)
- Action Mailer defaults changed for delivery
- Active Record encryption introduced
Migration Notes
The Zeitwerk autoloader change is the biggest one. If you used classic autoloading, you must fix all naming/directory conventions. Use rails zeitwerk:check to find issues. Set config.load_defaults incrementally (6.1 → 7.0).
Breaking Changes
- Dockerfiles generated by default for new apps
- Composite primary keys support
- async queries for Active Record
- Bun support for JavaScript bundling
- Common table expressions (CTEs) in Active Record
Migration Notes
Mostly additive. No forced migration. Composite primary keys are opt-in. Run rails app:update and review diffs.
Breaking Changes
- Ruby 3.2+ required (drops 3.0, 3.1)
- Built-in authentication generator (rails generate authentication)
- Solid Queue replaces Sidekiq/Resque as default queue (opt-in)
- Solid Cache replaces Redis cache store (opt-in)
- Solid Cable replaces Redis for Action Cable (opt-in)
- Kamal 2 for deployment (replaces Capistrano as default)
- Propshaft is the default asset pipeline (Sprockets removed)
- Thruster (HTTP/2 proxy) included by default
Migration Notes
Solid Queue/Cache/Cable are opt-in for existing apps. Your Sidekiq/Redis setup keeps working. The biggest migration: Propshaft replacing Sprockets if you use the asset pipeline. For apps already on importmap or jsbundling, this is minimal. Authentication generator is for new apps only.
Version Risk Assessment
Evaluate risk factors before choosing a version for production.
| Version | EOL Risk | CVE Risk | Ecosystem | Cloud Support | Overall | Recommended Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ruby on Rails 6.0 and below | Critical | High | Unsupported | Dropping | Critical | Past EOL — no security patches, upgrade urgently |
| Ruby on Rails 6.1 | Critical | Medium | Degrading | Legacy | Critical | EOL Oct 2024 — upgrade to 7.2 or 8.0 |
| Ruby on Rails 7.0 | High | Low | Maintenance | Full | High | Security only until Apr 2025 — upgrade to 7.2+ |
| Ruby on Rails 7.1 | Medium | Low | Active | Full | Medium | Supported until Oct 2025 — plan upgrade to 8.0 |
| Ruby on Rails 7.2 | Low | Low | Active | Full | Low | Current stable — supported until Aug 2026 |
| Ruby on Rails 8.0 | None | Low | Growing | Full | Low | Latest — recommended for new projects |
Risk combines EOL status, Ruby version requirements, gem ecosystem compatibility, and security posture. Assessed as of March 2026.
Major Version Feature Comparison
Side-by-side feature differences across major versions.
| Feature | 7.0 | 7.1 | 7.2 | 8.0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ruby minimum | 2.7 | 2.7 | 3.1 | 3.2 |
| Hotwire/Turbo | Default | Default | Default | Default |
| Built-in auth | No | No | No | Generator |
| Background jobs | Sidekiq/etc | Sidekiq/etc | Sidekiq/etc | Solid Queue |
| Caching backend | Redis/Memcached | Redis/Memcached | Redis/Memcached | Solid Cache |
| WebSocket backend | Redis | Redis | Redis | Solid Cable |
| Asset pipeline | Sprockets | Sprockets | Propshaft opt | Propshaft |
| Deployment | Manual | Manual | Manual | Kamal 2 |
| Composite PKs | No | Stable | Stable | Stable |
| HTTP proxy | Nginx/Caddy | Nginx/Caddy | Nginx/Caddy | Thruster |
| Docker support | Manual | Generated | Generated | Generated |
| Encrypted attributes | Stable | Stable | Stable | Stable |
Embed Badges
Add live Ruby on Rails 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 Ruby on Rails releases and lifecycle.