Ruby Version End-of-Life Schedule (2026)
Ruby follows a time-based release model with a new major or minor version every December. Each version receives roughly 3 years of security support from the Ruby core team, with the exact end date depending on the release cadence and the team’s maintenance capacity. At any given time, only the latest three active branches receive security patches — when a new version ships, the oldest supported branch is retired. Ruby’s commitment to backward compatibility within a major version series (3.x) means upgrades between minor versions are generally straightforward, but keeping your Ruby version within the supported window is essential for security.
Ruby Version Support Table
| Version | Release Date | Security Support End (EOL) |
|---|---|---|
| 2.7 | Dec 2019 | Mar 2023 |
| 3.0 | Dec 2020 | Mar 2024 |
| 3.1 | Dec 2021 | Mar 2025 |
| 3.2 | Dec 2022 | Mar 2026 |
| 3.3 | Dec 2023 | Mar 2027 |
| 3.4 | Dec 2024 | Mar 2028 |
| 3.5 | Dec 2025 | Mar 2029 |
Ruby Support Policy
The Ruby core team manages support according to these principles:
- Security maintenance: Each branch receives security patches for approximately 3 years from its release date. The exact end date is announced when the branch transitions to EOL.
- Only the latest 3 branches receive patches: When Ruby 3.5 shipped in December 2025, Ruby 3.1 reached EOL (retiring alongside 3.2 and 3.3 as the three active branches).
- Bug fixes: Only the latest stable branch receives bug fixes (currently Ruby 3.5). Older branches within the 3-branch window receive security fixes only.
- No LTS designation: Ruby does not have LTS releases. Every minor version follows the same support timeline.
Ruby releases a new version every December 25th (Christmas release tradition). The version numbering follows the pattern major.minor.patch (e.g., 3.4.1).
How to Check Your Ruby Version
ruby --version
# ruby 3.4.1 (2025-01-18 revision 12345abc) [x86_64-linux]To check programmatically:
RUBY_VERSION
# => "3.4.1"Upgrade Path
| Current Version | Recommended Target | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 2.7 (EOL Mar 2023) | 3.4 or 3.5 | 2.7 is fully unsupported; upgrade to 3.x immediately |
| 3.0 (EOL Mar 2024) | 3.4 or 3.5 | 3.0 is fully unsupported |
| 3.1 (EOL Mar 2025) | 3.4 or 3.5 | 3.1 is fully unsupported |
| 3.2 (EOL Mar 2026) | 3.4 or 3.5 | 3.2 reaches EOL Mar 2026; plan migration to 3.4 or 3.5 |
| 3.3 | 3.5 | 3.3 is supported but 3.5 is the latest with the longest support window |
| 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.4 is the current stable version; 3.5 adds new features and extends support |
FAQ
Related Schedules
- Python Version EOL Schedule
- Node.js Release Schedule
- PHP Version Support Timeline
- Go Version Support Policy
Built by the developers of DodaTech
Doda Browser, DodaZIP & Durga Antivirus Pro