Istio Version History
3 active, 20 end-of-life. 23 versions tracked.
Istio releases quarterly, aligning with Envoy's cadence. Each release is supported for about 6 months (until N+2 releases). The project has been moving toward 'ambient mesh' (sidecarless) as the future architecture.
Recommendation
For new service mesh deployments, evaluate Istio with ambient mode (ztunnel + waypoint proxies). For production, use the latest or second-latest Istio release in sidecar mode until ambient reaches full stability.
| Version | Released | End of Life | Latest Patch | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Istio 1.29 | February 16, 2026 | August 31, 2026 | 1.29.0 | Active |
| Istio 1.28 | November 5, 2025 | May 31, 2026 | 1.28.4 | Active |
| Istio 1.27 | August 11, 2025 | March 30, 2026 | 1.27.7 | Active |
| Istio 1.26 | May 8, 2025 | December 22, 2025 | 1.26.8 | End of Life |
| Istio 1.25 | March 3, 2025 | September 30, 2025 | 1.25.5 | End of Life |
| Istio 1.24 | November 7, 2024 | June 24, 2025 | 1.24.6 | End of Life |
| Istio 1.23 | August 14, 2024 | April 16, 2025 | 1.23.6 | End of Life |
| Istio 1.22 | May 13, 2024 | January 22, 2025 | 1.22.8 | End of Life |
| Istio 1.21 | March 13, 2024 | September 27, 2024 | 1.21.6 | End of Life |
| Istio 1.20 | November 14, 2023 | June 25, 2024 | 1.20.8 | End of Life |
| Istio 1.19 | September 5, 2023 | April 24, 2024 | 1.19.10 | End of Life |
| Istio 1.18 | June 7, 2023 | January 4, 2024 | 1.18.7 | End of Life |
| Istio 1.17 | February 14, 2023 | October 27, 2023 | 1.17.8 | End of Life |
| Istio 1.16 | November 15, 2022 | July 25, 2023 | 1.16.7 | End of Life |
| Istio 1.15 | August 31, 2022 | April 4, 2023 | 1.15.7 | End of Life |
| Istio 1.14 | June 1, 2022 | December 27, 2022 | 1.14.6 | End of Life |
| Istio 1.13 | February 11, 2022 | October 12, 2022 | 1.13.9 | End of Life |
| Istio 1.12 | November 18, 2021 | July 12, 2022 | 1.12.9 | End of Life |
| Istio 1.11 | August 12, 2021 | March 25, 2022 | 1.11.8 | End of Life |
| Istio 1.10 | May 18, 2021 | January 7, 2022 | 1.10.6 | End of Life |
| Istio 1.9 | February 9, 2021 | October 8, 2021 | 1.9.9 | End of Life |
| Istio 1.8 | November 19, 2020 | May 12, 2021 | 1.8.6 | End of Life |
| Istio 1.7 | August 21, 2020 | February 25, 2021 | 1.7.8 | End of Life |
Istio Support Policy
Istio supports each minor version until the release of N+2 (about 6 months). After that, no patches are provided. Multi-hop upgrades are not supported; you must upgrade one minor version at a time.
What You Need to Know
Istio ambient mesh (no sidecars) has been progressing rapidly. Check the Istio blog for the latest stability status.
Istio versions must align with your Kubernetes and Envoy versions. Check the compatibility matrix before upgrading.
Each Istio minor version is only supported for about 6 months. You need to upgrade twice a year minimum.
istioctl upgrade handles in-place upgrades. Always use it instead of manual Helm chart changes for supported paths.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often does Istio release new versions?
What is Istio ambient mesh?
Can I skip Istio versions when upgrading?
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