> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.sonarsource.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.sonarsource.com/sonarqube-server/2026.2/server-update-and-maintenance/update/release-cycle-model.md).

# Release cycle model

A detailed explanation of the SonarQube Server release cycle and patch policy. This page is for SonarQube Server 2026.2.

A new version of SonarQube Server is released every two months, with a new Long-Term Active (LTA) version (previously known as LTS) released every year. LTA is a functionally complete version of the product that will receive longer-term support.

This means that there are six releases of SonarQube Server per year, including the LTA version at the beginning of each year.

SonarQube Server releases follow the following version scheme:

`YYYY.ReleaseNumber.PatchReleaseNumber`

<div align="left"><figure><img src="https://2661720783-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FKXW79zfYFiA8incTvwZK%2Fuploads%2FeidxB2lyF8o10w3OB0gL%2Fversion-scheme.png?alt=media&amp;token=d564deab-4e03-440f-ba2c-985706260d8f" alt="Version scheme" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

{% hint style="info" %}
Up to version 10.8, SonarQube Server followed the `MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH` version scheme.
{% endhint %}

## SonarQube Server patch policy

{% hint style="warning" %}
This version of SonarQube Server is no longer patched.
{% endhint %}

The current patch policy applies to LTA releases starting with 2026.5.

* Developer Edition, Enterprise Edition, and Data Center Edition customers get 12 months of patches from the release date.
* Enterprise Edition and Data Center Edition customers with Enterprise Support get 18 months of patches.

If your release does not receive patches, upgrade to a newer one for fixes.

See [Sonar support](https://www.sonarsource.com/support/) for commercial support tier details, including Enterprise Support.

<details>

<summary>How do I know if my SonarQube version is active?</summary>

There are two main ways to check if you are using an active version of SonarQube Server:

1. In SonarQube Server, in the footer next to the version number, you can immediately see if your version is *active* or *no longer active.*

<figure><img src="https://2661720783-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FKXW79zfYFiA8incTvwZK%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-19c4bce07b368e006745c672c3d2016bd0493e97%2Fversion-status.png?alt=media" alt="Version status in the footer of the page on SonarQube Server"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

2\. Administrators can go to the **Administration** > **System.** As per above, you can see in the footer if you are on an active version.

<figure><img src="https://2661720783-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FKXW79zfYFiA8incTvwZK%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-fef459430e282afc11b86df0e46b9b8a12aafc23%2Fversion-status-admin.png?alt=media" alt="Version status on the system page"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

If there is a new version available, administrators will see a message at the top of the screen prompting you to update to the latest version:

<figure><img src="https://2661720783-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FKXW79zfYFiA8incTvwZK%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-7bba198520645c7e2e3b0b73f6d4a355be77edee%2Fsonarqube-identify-active-version-notification.png?alt=media" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

</details>

## Related pages

* [SonarQube Server Long Term Active (LTA) and FAQ](https://www.sonarsource.com/products/sonarqube/downloads/lts/)
* [Determining the update path](/sonarqube-server/2026.2/server-update-and-maintenance/update/determine-path.md)


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