FreeBSD Lifecycle: End Of Life And Support Status

Last updated on January 16, 2024

FreeBSD is an operating system based on Unix. It is used in modern servers, desktops, and embedded platforms and is often preferred over Linux as it is more structured.

Support status guide

End of life (EOL) is the end of a product’s useful life. When a product reaches the end of its life cycle, the manufacturer no longer supports it. The following table explains the different phases of a product’s lifecycle. Testing status is when the product is initially released and EOL is when product support is no longer offered. The time between these two points is the support timeframe.

Testing

The software is not yet publicly available. It is in testing phase i.e., alpha, beta, release preview etc.

Active

The software is actively supported by the vendor.

Phasing Out

The software will soon reach its end of life. You need to look for upgrade or migration options. The software will automatically go into phasing out status 2 months before end of life.

End Of Life

The software is no longer supported by the vendor. You need to make sure your system and environment are safe.

Version

Released

Security Support

FreeBSD releng/14.0
11 months and 2 weeks ago
(21 November 2023)
Supported
FreeBSD stable/14
11 months and 2 weeks ago
(21 November 2023)
Ends in 4 years and 2 weeks
(30 November 2028)
FreeBSD releng/13.2
1 year and 6 months ago
(11 April 2023)
Supported
FreeBSD releng/13.1
2 years and 5 months ago
(16 May 2022)
Ended 1 year and 3 months ago
(31 July 2023)
FreeBSD releng/13.0
3 years and 6 months ago
(13 April 2021)
Ended 2 years and 2 months ago
(31 August 2022)
FreeBSD stable/13
3 years and 6 months ago
(13 April 2021)
Ends in 1 year and 2 months
(31 January 2026)
FreeBSD releng/12.4
1 year and 11 months ago
(5 December 2022)
Ended 10 months and 1 week ago
(31 December 2023)
FreeBSD releng/12.3
2 years and 11 months ago
(7 December 2021)
Ended 1 year and 8 months ago
(5 March 2023)
FreeBSD releng/12.2
4 years and 1 week ago
(27 October 2020)
Ended 2 years and 9 months ago
(31 January 2022)
FreeBSD releng/12.1
5 years ago
(4 November 2019)
Ended 3 years and 9 months ago
(31 January 2021)
FreeBSD releng/12.0
5 years and 10 months ago
(11 December 2018)
Ended 4 years and 9 months ago
(4 February 2020)
FreeBSD stable/12
5 years and 10 months ago
(11 December 2018)
Ended 10 months and 1 week ago
(31 December 2023)
FreeBSD releng/11.4
4 years and 4 months ago
(16 June 2020)
Ended 3 years and 1 month ago
(30 September 2021)
FreeBSD stable/11
8 years and 4 weeks ago
(10 October 2016)
Ended 3 years and 1 month ago
(30 September 2021)
FreeBSD releng/10.4
7 years and 1 month ago
(3 October 2017)
Ended 6 years and 1 week ago
(31 October 2018)
FreeBSD releng/10.3
8 years and 7 months ago
(4 April 2016)
Ended 6 years and 6 months ago
(30 April 2018)
FreeBSD releng/10.2
9 years and 2 months ago
(13 August 2015)
Ended 7 years and 10 months ago
(31 December 2016)
FreeBSD releng/10.1
9 years and 11 months ago
(14 November 2014)
Ended 7 years and 10 months ago
(31 December 2016)
FreeBSD releng/10.0
10 years and 9 months ago
(20 January 2014)
Ended 9 years and 8 months ago
(28 February 2015)
FreeBSD stable/10
10 years and 9 months ago
(20 January 2014)
Ended 6 years and 1 week ago
(31 October 2018)
FreeBSD releng/9.3
10 years and 3 months ago
(16 July 2014)
Ended 7 years and 10 months ago
(31 December 2016)
FreeBSD releng/9.2
11 years and 1 month ago
(30 September 2013)
Ended 9 years and 10 months ago
(31 December 2014)
FreeBSD releng/9.1
11 years and 10 months ago
(30 December 2012)
Ended 9 years and 10 months ago
(31 December 2014)
FreeBSD releng/9.0
12 years and 9 months ago
(10 January 2012)
Ended 11 years and 7 months ago
(31 March 2013)
FreeBSD stable/9
12 years and 9 months ago
(10 January 2012)
Ended 7 years and 10 months ago
(31 December 2016)
FreeBSD releng/8.4
11 years and 5 months ago
(9 June 2013)
Ended 9 years and 3 months ago
(1 August 2015)
FreeBSD releng/8.3
12 years and 6 months ago
(18 April 2012)
Ended 10 years and 6 months ago
(30 April 2014)
FreeBSD releng/8.2
13 years and 8 months ago
(24 February 2011)
Ended 12 years and 3 months ago
(31 July 2012)
FreeBSD releng/8.1
14 years and 3 months ago
(23 July 2010)
Ended 12 years and 3 months ago
(31 July 2012)
FreeBSD releng/8.0
14 years and 11 months ago
(25 November 2009)
Ended 13 years and 11 months ago
(30 November 2010)
FreeBSD stable/8
14 years and 11 months ago
(25 November 2009)
Ended 9 years and 3 months ago
(1 August 2015)
FreeBSD releng/7.4
13 years and 8 months ago
(24 February 2011)
Ended 11 years and 8 months ago
(28 February 2013)
FreeBSD releng/7.3
14 years and 7 months ago
(23 March 2010)
Ended 12 years and 7 months ago
(31 March 2012)
FreeBSD releng/7.2
15 years and 8 months ago
(4 March 2009)
Ended 14 years and 4 months ago
(30 June 2010)
FreeBSD releng/7.1
15 years and 10 months ago
(4 January 2009)
Ended 13 years and 8 months ago
(28 February 2011)
FreeBSD releng/7.0
16 years and 8 months ago
(27 February 2008)
Ended 15 years and 6 months ago
(30 April 2009)
FreeBSD stable/7
16 years and 8 months ago
(27 February 2008)
Ended 11 years and 8 months ago
(28 February 2013)
FreeBSD releng/6.4
15 years and 11 months ago
(28 November 2008)
Ended 13 years and 11 months ago
(30 November 2010)
FreeBSD releng/6.3
16 years and 9 months ago
(18 January 2008)
Ended 14 years and 9 months ago
(31 January 2010)
FreeBSD releng/6.2
17 years and 9 months ago
(15 January 2007)
Ended 16 years and 5 months ago
(31 May 2008)
FreeBSD releng/6.1
18 years and 6 months ago
(9 May 2006)
Ended 16 years and 5 months ago
(31 May 2008)
FreeBSD releng/6.0
19 years ago
(4 November 2005)
Ended 17 years and 9 months ago
(31 January 2007)
FreeBSD stable/6
19 years ago
(4 November 2005)
Ended 13 years and 11 months ago
(30 November 2010)
FreeBSD releng/5.5
18 years and 5 months ago
(25 May 2006)
Ended 16 years and 5 months ago
(31 May 2008)
FreeBSD releng/5.4
19 years and 6 months ago
(9 May 2005)
Ended 18 years and 1 week ago
(31 October 2006)
FreeBSD releng/5.3
20 years ago
(6 November 2004)
Ended 18 years and 1 week ago
(31 October 2006)
FreeBSD stable/5
20 years ago
(6 November 2004)
Ended 16 years and 5 months ago
(31 May 2008)
FreeBSD releng/4.11
19 years and 9 months ago
(25 January 2005)
Ended 17 years and 9 months ago
(31 January 2007)
FreeBSD stable/4
24 years and 7 months ago
(14 March 2000)
Ended 17 years and 9 months ago
(31 January 2007)

The naming convention of FreeBSD versions can be confusing. The stable releases have names like “stable/10“, and the corresponding builds have names like “FreeBSD 10.1-STABLE“.

Similarly, the releases from the security branch have names like “releng/10.0“, and the corresponding builds have names like “FreeBSD 10.1-RELEASE -p4“.

There is no fixed tenure for the release of a new FreeBSD version. Each release is supported for a limited time by a security officer, whose job is to protect the FreeBSD community by keeping the community informed of bugs, exploits, popular attacks, and other risks.

Lately, all major versions of FreeBSD have been supported for precisely 5 years. However, the minor releases are supported for exactly 3 months after the release of the next minor release.

The FreeBSD Security Officer Charter issues security advisories to the stable and the security branches, but not the current branch since it is focused on the FreeBSD developer community.

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