Zabbix Life Cycle and Release Policy
This page documents Zabbix company policy regarding Zabbix software new version releases and outlines the support delivery time frames of earlier Zabbix versions.
To ensure that Zabbix offers its users a quality product and easy-to-plan support, each new Zabbix software release is subject to a standard life cycle and expiry date. Zabbix Monitoring Solution life cycle specifics help make content for the new version release more predictable and manageable for Zabbix users.
Starting from 2001, when Zabbix software was released for the first time, each new stable version release was out every year and a half and for all stable releases Zabbix customers received a five-year (5 year) Support & Services are provided according to the following schedule:
Currently Supported Zabbix Releases
| Release name | Release date | End of Full Support* | End of Limited Support** |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zabbix 7.0 LTS | June 4, 2024 | June 30, 2027 | June 30, 2029 |
| Zabbix 6.4 | March 7, 2023 | 30 June, 2024 | 31 December, 2024 |
| Zabbix 6.0 LTS | February 8, 2022 | February 28, 2025 | February 28, 2027 |
| Zabbix 5.0 LTS | May 12, 2020 | May 31, 2023 | May 31, 2025 |
- * Full Support versions include the fixing of general, critical, and security issues.
- ** Limited Support versions include the fixing of critical and security issues only. Zabbix does not guarantee any code fixes for older releases and non-stable releases.
Program of Scheduled Zabbix Releases
The Zabbix team is committed to a new program of scheduled releases on a six-month basis. Every six (6) months Zabbix will release a new stable version.
The continuous frequency of Zabbix releases
- Zabbix LTS (Long Term Support) release: Zabbix LTS releases are supported for Zabbix customers during five (5) years, i.e. 3 years of Full Support (general, critical, and security issues) and 2 additional years of Limited Support (critical and security issues only). A Zabbix LTS version release will result in a change of the first version number.
- Zabbix Standard releases: Standard Zabbix releases are Fully Supported (general, critical, and security issues) for Zabbix customers for 6 months or until the next Zabbix Standard or LTS release. Customers then get an additional 6 months of Limited Support (only critical and security issues). A Zabbix Standard version release will result in a change of the second version number.
(!) When any Zabbix release reaches its life cycle expiry date, it receives no further maintenance updates, including blocker and critical bug fixing. It is highly recommended that you upgrade to a recent version of Zabbix at this point.
Life Cycle of a Zabbix LTS Release
Life Cycle of a Zabbix Standard Release
Life Cycle Dates of Planned Zabbix Releases
Below you will find an outline of life cycle dates for planned Zabbix stable releases. Please note that all mentioned life cycle dates are close approximations and schedules are subject to change.
| Release name | Release date | End of Full Support | End of Limited Support |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zabbix 7.2 | Q4, 2024 | Q2, 2025 | Q4, 2025 |
About Zabbix LTS
LTS stands for "Long Term Support." A Zabbix LTS version is released every year and a half (1.5) and offers Zabbix customers support services for five (5) years:- 3 years of Full support – support with general, critical, and security issues
- 2 additional years of Limited Support – support with critical and security issues only
There is no extra fee or hidden surcharge for a Zabbix LTS version - it is a 100% open source software release available to everyone.
Zabbix LTS specifics:- Longer support service, including updates for potential security problems and bugs
- Quality and new features expected
- Elimination of unpredictable and rapid changes
- Much easier for planning and management in terms of version upgrade
| Pros of Zabbix LTS vs. Standard Release | LTS Release | Standard Release |
|---|---|---|
| More suitable for large-scale enterprise environments |
A new Zabbix LTS version is released every 1.5 years
|
A new standard release is out every 6 months, which requires upgrading every half a year. This could be troublesome for large business IT infrastructures
|
| Long-term support distribution for Zabbix customers |
5 years in total, consisting of 3 years of general, critical, and security issues fixes (Full Support) and 2 additional years of critical and security issues fixes only (Limited Support)
|
6 months of Full Support and 6 additional months of Limited Support
|
| More tested |
Due to long-term support of critical and security issues, the Zabbix LTS version is more stable and reliable
|
Zabbix Standard releases are not tested until they are fully stable and secure. However, because of the more frequent release policy and much shorter Support duration, Zabbix Standard versions have less time for fixing issues
|
| Cons of Zabbix LTS vs. Standard Release | ||
| Earlier access to new features |
Zabbix LTS is released every 1.5 years, so if you are monitoring large-scale enterprise environments and it is more suitable for you to upgrade to Zabbix LTS versions only, you have to wait for 1.5 years to get access to new features that were developed throughout this period
|
Due to a 6-month release cycle of Zabbix Standard releases, you will get access to the latest developed features every 6 months
|