// MySQL 8.0 end of life
MySQL 8.0 end of life: three options, and what each costs you
MySQL 8.0 end of life was 30 April 2026: 8.0.46, released on 21 April, was Oracle's last release for the line, and community servers on 8.0 get no further fixes. You can upgrade to 8.4 LTS, switch to MariaDB or PostgreSQL, or stay on 8.0 with patched builds. OSSeva ships those builds and runs MySQL to PostgreSQL migrations. Enter your work email and the version you run, and an engineer replies within 1 business day.
- MySQL 8.0 end of life
- 30 April 2026; final release 8.0.46 on 21 April 2026 (checked on endoflife.date, 20 October 2026)
- Supported by Oracle now
- MySQL 8.4 LTS (Premier Support to April 2029) and 9.7 LTS (to April 2031)
- Covered by OSSeva
- Self-managed MySQL 8.0 and 5.7 Community Edition, and 8.4 and 9.7 LTS, on servers, VMs and Kubernetes
- Patch window
- Critical CVEs (CVSS 9.0 or higher) within 48 hours, High within 7 days
- Support hours
- Assure includes 24/7 reactive support; Operate adds a 15-minute P1 response
Trusted globally by enterprises
Upgrade to 8.4 LTS: what breaks first
MySQL 8.0 reached end of life on 30 April 2026 (dates checked on endoflife.date on 20 October 2026). Servers keep running; what stops is the supply of fixes. The move to 8.4 is documented and supported, and it still changes things that applications and tooling rely on.
Authentication changes in 8.4
From 8.4.0, the deprecated mysql_native_password plugin is off by default and the default_authentication_plugin variable is gone. Older clients and connectors that rely on native passwords fail to connect until they are updated or the plugin is turned back on.
Replication statements were removed
MySQL 8.4 removes CHANGE MASTER TO, RESET MASTER, SHOW MASTER STATUS, START SLAVE, STOP SLAVE and SHOW SLAVE STATUS in favour of the REPLICA and SOURCE forms. Failover scripts, monitoring checks and operators that still use the old statements need changes first.
No skipping LTS series
MySQL documents the upgrade from 8.0.37 or later to 8.4 and does not allow an LTS series to be skipped, so 8.0 servers go to 8.4 before 9.7 LTS. Older 8.0 minor versions update within 8.0 first.
The dates that matter
2018-04-19
MySQL 8.0 generally available.
2023-10-31
MySQL 5.7 end of life. 5.7.44, the final release, shipped on 25 October 2023.
2024-04-30
MySQL 8.4 LTS generally available. Premier Support runs to April 2029 and Extended Support to April 2032.
2025-04-30
Oracle Premier Support for MySQL 8.0 ends.
2026-04-21
MySQL 8.0.46, the final 8.0 release, ships, and MySQL 9.7 LTS becomes generally available with Premier Support to April 2031.
2026-04-30
MySQL 8.0 end of life. 8.0 moves to Oracle Sustaining Support.
2026-07-31
Amazon RDS for MySQL 8.0 leaves standard support. RDS Extended Support charges start the next day.
2029-07-31
RDS Extended Support for MySQL 8.0 ends.
What OSSeva delivers
Patched MySQL 8.0 builds
Security fixes backported to MySQL 8.0 after 8.0.46, and to 5.7, following each quarterly Oracle Critical Patch Update. Signed DEB and RPM packages, tarballs and container images install like a minor release on the same data directory. Critical CVEs (CVSS 9.0 or higher) within 48 hours, High within 7 days.
Upgrade or migration plan
A per-server plan for the move to 8.4 and then 9.7, built with MySQL Shell's upgrade checker, with mysql_native_password accounts and replication changes listed before anything moves. If MariaDB or PostgreSQL is the better destination, the plan says so. Assure includes 24/7 reactive support.
MySQL to PostgreSQL migration and 24/7 operations
OSSeva runs MySQL to PostgreSQL migrations from assessment to cutover, then supports the new cluster from day one. Operate adds replication and failover monitoring around the clock and a 15-minute P1 response.
Upgrading 8.0 to 8.4: the changes that break applications
MySQL supports an in-place upgrade from 8.0.37 or later to 8.4, by dump and load, or through replication. Earlier 8.0 minor versions update to the latest 8.0 first. There is no in-place downgrade from 8.4, so the way back is planned before the change starts. Run MySQL Shell's upgrade checker against every server and its configuration file, then clear what these changes touch.
Incompatible changes between MySQL 8.0 and 8.4, from OSSeva's upgrade guide
| Change in 8.4 | What breaks | How to check before the change |
|---|---|---|
| mysql_native_password is off by default; default_authentication_plugin is removed | Accounts and older client libraries that use native passwords cannot log in. A configuration file that still sets the removed variable stops the server starting. | List accounts whose plugin is mysql_native_password in mysql.user, and search the configuration files for default_authentication_plugin. |
| CHANGE MASTER TO, START SLAVE, STOP SLAVE, SHOW SLAVE STATUS, RESET MASTER and SHOW MASTER STATUS are removed | Failover scripts, orchestration tools, backup jobs and monitoring checks return syntax errors. | Search runbooks, Ansible roles and monitoring repositories for the old statements. The REPLICA and SOURCE forms already work on 8.0.23 and later, so scripts can change first. |
| Several server options are removed, such as expire_logs_days, --skip-host-cache and --ssl | A configuration file copied from 8.0 can keep the server from starting. | Run the upgrade checker with --config-path pointing at the real configuration file. |
| Foreign keys on non-unique or partial keys are refused (restrict_fk_on_non_standard_key is ON) | Migrations or DDL scripts that create such a key fail. Existing tables still upgrade. | Check each referenced column set against a unique index. |
| InnoDB defaults change, among them innodb_adaptive_hash_index and innodb_io_capacity | Nothing fails outright, but query latency and I/O behaviour can differ on servers that never set them. | Record effective values on 8.0, decide which to pin, and compare latency on an upgraded replica. |
Condensed from OSSeva's MySQL 8.0 to 8.4 upgrade guide, which is built from the MySQL 8.4 Reference Manual. How much work these changes make depends on the number of servers, the client drivers in use, the replication tooling and the downtime window.
Switch to MariaDB or PostgreSQL
MariaDB is the closest engine to MySQL, and its long-term lines run past 8.0's end: 11.8 to 4 June 2028, 11.4 to 29 May 2029 and 12.3 to 12 June 2029 (endoflife.date, 20 October 2026). The two engines have diverged, so from MySQL 8.0 the move is a dump and load with its own compatibility testing, not a package swap.
PostgreSQL is a different engine. PostgreSQL 18 is supported to 14 November 2030. OSSeva runs MySQL to PostgreSQL migrations: an assessment, schema and data conversion with open-source tools such as pgloader, a rewrite of the views, triggers and stored procedures those tools do not carry across, a parallel run with validation, and a cutover with a rollback plan. The new cluster is then supported from day one. Scope follows what you can count: the number and size of schemas, the volume of stored code, the data volume, the applications that connect and the downtime window you can accept.
Switching is not always the better answer. If MySQL works for you and the goal is a supported version, an upgrade to 8.4 LTS, or patched 8.0 builds while you plan it, is less work.
Stay on 8.0 with patched builds
Patched builds keep a self-managed 8.0 server on a supplied fix stream while the move is planned. They follow each quarterly Oracle Critical Patch Update, install over the same data directory, and come with an SBOM and a record of which CVEs each build closes on the Assure tier. Support is priced per cluster, for as long as you stay on 8.0, and the cost calculator works from your own numbers.
Fixes for 8.0 exist, but not for community servers. Oracle moved 8.0 to Sustaining Support after the last release, and AWS keeps shipping RDS-only 8.0.46 builds to Extended Support customers, the latest being 8.0.46-RDS.20260908 on 23 September 2026. Only customers of that service can install them, so a server you run yourself needs its own supply.
MySQL 8.0 after end of life: upgrade, switch or patch
| Option | What you get | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Upgrade to MySQL 8.4 LTS | Community fixes on an LTS line, with Oracle Premier Support to April 2029 and Extended Support to April 2032 | Cost drivers: authentication and replication changes to test across every client and script, and another LTS move to 9.7 later. |
| Switch to MariaDB | A MySQL-compatible open-source engine on long-term lines to 2028 and 2029 | Cost drivers: dump and load, compatibility testing, and a different engine's tooling. |
| Switch to PostgreSQL | A different open-source engine, supported to November 2030 on version 18, with the migration run by OSSeva and the cluster supported afterwards | Cost drivers: schema and stored-code conversion, data volume, the number of applications and the downtime window. |
| RDS Extended Support | Patched 8.0 inside Amazon RDS until 31 July 2029 | Charges on top of the instance, for databases on RDS only. |
| MySQL Enterprise Edition | Oracle's commercial edition with its own support | A commercial subscription, and Oracle's own coverage of 8.0 is now Sustaining Support, which excludes new fixes. |
| OSSeva patched 8.0 builds | Patched 8.0 builds now, then help with whichever move you choose | A subscription, priced per cluster, for as long as you stay on 8.0. It buys time and does not replace the move. |
End-of-life dates checked on endoflife.date on 20 October 2026. Release dates from the MySQL 8.0 and 5.7 release notes and the Amazon RDS for MySQL version page. Support terms from Oracle's Lifetime Support Policy for Technology Products. 8.4 changes and upgrade paths from the MySQL 8.4 Reference Manual. OSSeva coverage from the OSSeva MySQL technology page.
Is MySQL 8.0 still supported?
Not by Oracle for community servers. MySQL 8.0 reached end of life on 30 April 2026, 8.0.46 on 21 April 2026 was the final release, and 8.0 is under Oracle Sustaining Support, which does not include new fixes. Paid options remain: Amazon RDS Extended Support to 31 July 2029 for databases on RDS, and patched builds from third parties for servers you run yourself.
When is MySQL 8.0 end of life?
30 April 2026. Oracle's Extended Support for 8.0 ended that month, Premier Support having ended on 30 April 2025. Dates checked on endoflife.date on 20 October 2026.
What happens after MySQL 8.0 end of life?
The servers keep running, but Oracle publishes no further 8.0 releases, so new security fixes reach 8.4 and later lines and not 8.0. Scanners flag the version, and auditors ask how you cover it.
Is MySQL 8.0 to 8.4 a major upgrade?
Oracle documents it as an upgrade between LTS series, supported in place from 8.0.37 or later. It behaves like a major upgrade because 8.4 removes features: native-password authentication is off by default, the MASTER and SLAVE replication statements are gone, and several server options are refused at startup. Run the upgrade checker and rehearse on a replica first.
Can we go straight from MySQL 8.0 to 9.7?
No. MySQL does not allow an LTS series to be skipped, so an 8.0 server upgrades to 8.4 first, from 8.0.37 or later.
When is MySQL 8.4 end of life?
MySQL 8.4 LTS has Oracle Premier Support to April 2029 and Extended Support to April 2032, per endoflife.date on 20 October 2026. MySQL 9.7 LTS has Premier Support to April 2031.
When was MySQL 5.7 end of life?
31 October 2023. The final release, 5.7.44, shipped on 25 October 2023. A 5.7 server upgrades to 8.0 first and then to 8.4, because there is no direct path.
Is MariaDB replacing MySQL?
No. Both are maintained. MariaDB is a fork that has diverged from MySQL, with long-term lines supported to 2028 and 2029, while Oracle continues MySQL 8.4 and 9.7 LTS. Moving between them is a migration with testing, not a package swap.
Is MySQL free?
MySQL Community Edition is free to use under the GPL. Enterprise Edition is Oracle's commercial edition, sold with additional features, tools and Oracle support. Free to use does not include a supply of fixes for a version Oracle has ended.
Who is this for?
Teams running self-managed MySQL 8.0 that cannot finish the move to 8.4, MariaDB or PostgreSQL before their next audit or security review.
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