Amazon EKS Version History

4 active, 14 end-of-life. 18 versions tracked.

Amazon EKS tracks upstream Kubernetes releases, typically making new versions available 2-4 weeks after the upstream release. EKS supports each Kubernetes minor version for about 14 months in standard support, with optional extended support for up to 26 months at additional cost.

Recommendation

For new clusters, use the latest EKS-supported Kubernetes version. Starting with the newest version gives you the longest runway before you need to upgrade.

Version Released End of Life Latest Patch Status
Amazon EKS 1.35 January 28, 2026 March 27, 2027 1.35-eks-3 Active
Amazon EKS 1.34 October 6, 2025 December 2, 2026 1.34-eks-13 Active
Amazon EKS 1.33 May 28, 2025 July 29, 2026 1.33-eks-27 Active
Amazon EKS 1.32 January 25, 2025 March 23, 2026 1.32-eks-34 Active
Amazon EKS 1.31 September 26, 2024 November 26, 2025 1.31-eks-50 End of Life
Amazon EKS 1.30 May 23, 2024 July 23, 2025 1.30-eks-58 End of Life
Amazon EKS 1.29 January 23, 2024 March 23, 2025 1.29-eks-61 End of Life
Amazon EKS 1.28 September 26, 2023 November 26, 2024 1.28-eks-63 End of Life
Amazon EKS 1.27 May 24, 2023 July 24, 2024 1.27-eks-53 End of Life
Amazon EKS 1.26 April 11, 2023 June 11, 2024 1.26-eks-51 End of Life
Amazon EKS 1.25 February 21, 2023 May 1, 2024 1.25-eks-48 End of Life
Amazon EKS 1.24 November 15, 2022 January 31, 2024 1.24-eks-45 End of Life
Amazon EKS 1.23 August 11, 2022 October 11, 2023 1.23-eks-30 End of Life
Amazon EKS 1.22 April 4, 2022 June 4, 2023 1.22-eks-14 End of Life
Amazon EKS 1.21 July 19, 2021 February 16, 2023 1.21-eks-18 End of Life
Amazon EKS 1.20 May 18, 2021 November 1, 2022 1.20-eks-14 End of Life
Amazon EKS 1.19 February 16, 2021 August 1, 2022 1.19-eks-11 End of Life
Amazon EKS 1.18 October 13, 2020 August 15, 2022 1.18-eks-13 End of Life
View Amazon EKS Hub Page →

Amazon EKS Support Policy

EKS provides standard support for each Kubernetes version for about 14 months after it becomes available in EKS. After standard support ends, extended support is available for up to 12 additional months at $0.60/hour per cluster. If you don't opt in to extended support, your cluster is auto-upgraded.

What You Need to Know

EKS extended support costs $0.60/hour per cluster (about $432/month), on top of the standard $0.10/hour.

EKS auto-upgrades clusters that fall out of support. Plan your upgrades proactively to avoid surprises.

EKS add-on versions must be compatible with your cluster's Kubernetes version. Check the compatibility matrix before upgrading.

EKS Anywhere (on-premises) has its own versioning, separate from EKS in AWS.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does EKS support each Kubernetes version?
About 14 months of standard support (included in the base $0.10/hr price), then up to 12 months of extended support ($0.60/hr). After that, the version is end-of-life and your cluster will be auto-upgraded.
What happens if I don't upgrade my EKS cluster?
AWS will auto-upgrade your cluster to the next supported version once your current version reaches end-of-life. This can be disruptive if you haven't tested the upgrade. It's always better to plan and test upgrades yourself.
Can I skip Kubernetes versions when upgrading EKS?
No. Like upstream Kubernetes, EKS only supports upgrading one minor version at a time. You must go 1.28 to 1.29 to 1.30, not 1.28 to 1.30 directly.

Related Tools

K8s Deprecation Checker
Cloud Platform Matrix
K8s Upgrade Simulator
EOL Timeline Visualizer

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