ClickHouse has been gaining significant traction in the real-time analytics database market. With its exceptional query performance and columnar storage architecture, ClickHouse has become a popular choice for OLAP (Online Analytical Processing) workloads among enterprises handling large-scale data. However, before deploying ClickHouse in production, it’s crucial to understand the version support policy and EOL (End of Life) schedules. This guide provides a comprehensive overview of ClickHouse’s version management system and support lifecycle for each release.

1. What is ClickHouse?

Let’s start with a brief introduction to ClickHouse. ClickHouse is an open-source columnar database management system (DBMS) designed for online analytical processing, enabling users to generate analytical reports using SQL queries in real-time.

Originally developed by Yandex starting in 2009, ClickHouse was released as open-source under the Apache 2.0 license in 2016. In 2021, ClickHouse, Inc. was established in San Francisco, California, to commercialize the open-source database.

Key characteristics of ClickHouse include:

• Columnar Storage: Stores data by column rather than by row, delivering superior performance for analytical queries
• Linear Scalability: Performance scales proportionally as you add more servers to handle growing data volumes
• Real-time Processing: Capable of processing hundreds of thousands of rows per second, making it ideal for real-time analytics

ClickHouse is widely used for log analysis, real-time dashboards, business intelligence (BI), and observability use cases.

2. Understanding ClickHouse’s License Policy

Before adopting ClickHouse, it’s important to understand its licensing terms. ClickHouse is distributed as a fully open-source project under the Apache License 2.0.

Key features of the Apache 2.0 license:

• Free to Use: Free for both individuals and enterprises
• Commercial Use Allowed: Can be included in commercial products and redistributed
• Freedom to Modify and Redistribute: Source code can be modified and freely distributed
• Patent Protection: Includes explicit patent rights grant provisions

Companies like Altinity actively support ClickHouse in maintaining its Apache 2.0 license, which is crucial for the healthy growth of the ClickHouse ecosystem.

You can access the source code on the official GitHub repository (https://github.com/ClickHouse/ClickHouse), where anyone can contribute.

3. Understanding ClickHouse’s Version Scheme

Unlike many databases, ClickHouse follows a rapid release cycle. New versions are released approximately monthly, with LTS (Long-Term Support) versions announced twice a year.

Version Numbering Format

ClickHouse uses a YY.MM version scheme:

• 25.3: March 2025 release
• 24.8: August 2024 release
• 23.3: March 2023 release

Each major version includes patch versions. For example, in 25.3.8.23-lts:

• 25.3: Major version (March 2025)
• 8: Patch version
• 23: Build number
• lts: Long-Term Support designation

LTS vs Regular Releases

ClickHouse provides two types of releases. Long-Term Supported Releases (LTS) are designated for extended support, typically released in March and August. Regular Stable Sequential Releases are stable releases that haven’t been designated as LTS.

LTS Version Characteristics:

• Released twice yearly in March and August
• Receive official support for a minimum of 1 year
• Thoroughly tested for stable production use
• Identified with the -lts suffix in the version name

Regular Release Characteristics:

• Released monthly with new features and improvements
• Supported for a minimum of 3 months
• Allow quick access to the latest features

4. Detailed ClickHouse Official Support Policy

According to ClickHouse’s official support policy, regular stable releases support the current version plus the two prior versions for a minimum of 3 months. LTS releases support the current LTS version and one prior LTS version for a minimum of 1 year.

Regular Release Support Policy

Three versions are supported simultaneously, including the current release. For example:

• If 25.10 is the latest version
• Then 25.9 and 25.8 are also supported
• All three versions receive patches and bug fixes for at least 3 months after the 25.10 release

LTS Release Support Policy

LTS releases receive support for 12 months after release. Two LTS versions are supported simultaneously: the current LTS and the previous LTS.

For example:

• When 25.8 LTS is released in August 2025
• 25.3 LTS is also supported
• Each receives security updates and critical bug fixes for 1 year from release date

After Support Ends

End-of-life (EOL) versions no longer receive security patches or bug fixes. Therefore, using supported versions in production environments is critical.

5. Complete ClickHouse Official Release Versions and Support Schedule

5-1. Complete List of ClickHouse LTS Versions and EOL Schedule

ClickHouse LTS versions are released in March and August, with each version supported for 12 months.

Source: ClickHouse Official Changelog and GitHub Releases

5-2. Complete 2024 ClickHouse Release Versions

A total of 12 releases were published in 2024, including 2 LTS versions.

5-3. 2025 ClickHouse Release Versions

Monthly releases continue in 2025, with LTS versions published in March and August.

As of November 4, 2025

6. Extended Support with Altinity Stable Builds

If the official 1-year support period feels short, consider Altinity Stable Builds. Altinity provides production-certified ClickHouse binaries based on LTS releases with extended support of up to 3 years.

Complete Altinity Stable Builds Version Support Schedule

Altinity provides extended support for up to 3 years for each Stable Build, even after upstream official support ends.

Source: Altinity Stable Builds Official Documentation

Advantages of Altinity Stable Builds

• 3-Year Extended Support: Much longer support period than the official 1-year support
• Rigorous Testing: Only builds validated with real workloads are provided
• 100% Compatibility: Fully compatible with official ClickHouse builds
• FIPS Support: Versions 24.3, 23.3, and 22.8 include FIPS 140-2 compatible builds

Installation instructions can be found in the Altinity Stable Builds Installation Guide.

7. Version Upgrade Considerations

When upgrading ClickHouse versions, always verify the following:

Compatibility Check

Always review breaking changes in new versions. Detailed change logs for each version are available in the ClickHouse Official Changelog.

Key areas to watch:

• Changes to default settings
• Deprecated features or settings
• Data format changes
• Performance characteristic changes

Staged Upgrade Strategy

Avoid large version jumps. Instead of upgrading directly from 22.8 to 25.3:

1. 22.8 → 23.3
2. 23.3 → 23.8
3. 23.8 → 24.3
4. 24.3 → 25.3

This staged approach makes it easier to identify and resolve issues at each step.

Test in Staging First

Before applying to production:

• Test thoroughly in a staging environment
• Compare performance of key queries
• Prepare backup and rollback plans

8. Which Version Should You Choose for Production?

Here are recommended version selection strategies based on different scenarios:

Starting a New Project

Latest LTS version (currently 25.8 or 25.3) is recommended. You’ll get access to new features and receive stable support for the next year.

When Stability is Top Priority

Altinity Stable Builds with proven LTS versions are recommended. Choosing well-established versions like 24.3 or 23.8 minimizes unexpected issues.

When Latest Features Are Required

You can use the latest regular releases, but be prepared to upgrade every 3 months. Consider the management overhead in rapidly changing environments.

For Long-term Operations

Altinity Stable Builds enable stable operations for 3 years, ideal for large-scale systems or environments where frequent upgrades are challenging.

9. Useful Resources for Support Policy

Here are official resources related to ClickHouse version management:

Official Documentation:

• ClickHouse Official Documentation
• Support Services Policy
• GitHub Releases Page
• Changelog

Altinity Resources:

• Altinity Stable Builds
• Altinity Blog
• Altinity Knowledge Base

Community:

• ClickHouse Slack
• ClickHouse Official Blog

Conclusion

While ClickHouse offers exceptional performance and scalability, its rapid release cycle and variety of version options can be confusing for newcomers. However, understanding the differences between LTS and regular releases, along with the support policies, enables confident production deployment.

For production environments, we recommend using LTS versions and upgrading to the next LTS before official support ends. If you need longer support, consider Altinity Stable Builds. Most importantly, always monitor your current version’s EOL schedule and plan upgrades with sufficient lead time.

Thanks to ClickHouse’s open-source Apache 2.0 license, anyone can freely use and contribute to the project while receiving support from an active community. We hope this guide helps you successfully adopt ClickHouse in your projects! 🙂