When managing a time series database in production, one question inevitably arises: “How long will our current version be supported?” For actively maintained databases like InfluxDB, understanding version management and planning migrations becomes crucial.

This comprehensive guide covers InfluxDB’s support policies and EOL (End of Life) schedules across all versions. Based on the latest information, this resource is designed for immediate practical application.

1. What is InfluxDB? – The Time Series Powerhouse

InfluxDB is an open-source Time Series Database (TSDB) developed by InfluxData. Written in Go, this database is optimized for storing and querying time-based data from IoT sensors, application metrics, real-time analytics, and operational monitoring. It also supports data processing from Graphite.

As of 2025, InfluxDB consists of three major version families:

• InfluxDB 1.x: Traditional TSM storage engine based
• InfluxDB 2.x: Redesigned as a unified platform
• InfluxDB 3.x: Completely rebuilt in Rust with Apache Arrow, DataFusion, and Parquet

Each version offers different architectures, features, and migration paths.

2. Core Support Policy Principles

Understanding InfluxDB’s support policy starts with grasping these fundamentals.

Official Support Policy:

InfluxData supports the current Minor Release (x.Y) and the immediately preceding Minor Release (x.Y). When a new major release is made, the last minor of the previous major is supported for at least 12 months.

For example, when version 1.8 is released with maintenance releases (1.8.1, 1.8.2, etc.) followed by 1.9, both 1.8 and 1.9 receive concurrent support.

Release Types:

• Major Releases (X.y.z): Major feature development and enhancements
• Minor Releases (x.Y.z): New minor features and bug fixes
• Maintenance Releases (x.y.Z): Critical error corrections

3. InfluxDB 1.x OSS Complete Version Support Status

InfluxDB 1.x OSS Complete Version Table

Current InfluxDB 1.x Support Status

As of August 2025, InfluxDB 1.x continues to be supported for paying customers. However, there is no documented support policy for the OSS version.

Key Changes:

• Version 1.8.10 was the last public release until 2021, with version 1.11.7 released in 2023 after a two-year gap.
• InfluxData no longer provides builds for 32-bit architectures; all official builds are 64-bit only.
• Upgrading from 1.8.10 to 1.11.7 is a significant jump; testing in a cloned environment is essential

Documentation:

• InfluxDB v1 Release Notes

4. InfluxDB 1.x Enterprise Complete Version Support Status

InfluxDB 1.x Enterprise Complete Version Table

Enterprise-Exclusive Features:

• Clustering and horizontal scaling
• Anti-Entropy (AE) service for data integrity
• LDAP/LDAPS authentication and authorization
• Hinted Handoff queue management
• FIPS 140-2 compliant builds (1.11+)

Documentation:

• InfluxDB Enterprise v1 Release Notes

5. InfluxDB 2.x OSS Complete Version Support Status

InfluxDB 2.x OSS Complete Version Table

Key InfluxDB 2.x Changes

InfluxDB 2.x is not planned to be EOL’d. This is excellent news for users—version 2.x remains stable for the foreseeable future.

Core 2.x Features:

• Unified UI: Web interface with dashboards, tasks, and alerts
• Flux Query Language: Powerful data transformation and analysis
• InfluxQL Compatibility: v1 API compatibility layer
• DBRP Mapping: Maps Database/Retention Policy to Buckets
• Task System: Scheduled system replacing Continuous Queries

InfluxData provides Support Services for the current Minor Release and the previous Minor Release, including all Maintenance Releases within each Minor Release.

Documentation:

• InfluxDB v2 Release Notes
• Supported Releases Policy

6. InfluxDB 3.x Complete Version Support Status (Latest)

InfluxDB 3.x Core & Enterprise Complete Version Table

InfluxDB 3.x Explorer Versions (Separate Container)

Revolutionary Changes in InfluxDB 3.x

InfluxDB 3 Core reached General Availability on April 15, 2025, with monthly point releases planned for the first six months, transitioning to quarterly releases for 3-4 releases thereafter.

InfluxDB 3.x represents a complete rewrite:

• Rust-Based: Transition from Go to Rust
• Apache Arrow Ecosystem: DataFusion, Parquet, and Flight
• Python Processing Engine: Transform, monitor, and alert on data directly within the database
• Object Storage Optimized: Native integration with S3, GCS, Azure Blob Storage
• SQL Support: Standard SQL queries alongside InfluxQL

Core vs Enterprise Detailed Comparison

Core is optimized for recent data and suitable for single-node deployments. Enterprise provides high availability, enhanced security, and scalability for production environments.

Documentation:

• InfluxDB 3 Core Release Notes
• InfluxDB 3 Enterprise Release Notes
• InfluxDB 3.2 Official Blog

7. Complete License Policy Guide

InfluxDB License Comparison Table

InfluxDB 3.x Enterprise License Details

License Types:

• Trial: 30-day free trial with full Enterprise features access
• At-Home: For personal hobbyist use with limited Enterprise capabilities
• Commercial: Commercial license with full Enterprise features access

Licensing Model:

• CPU core-based: Purchased in batches of 8, 16, 32, 64, or 128 cores
• Per-cluster licensing (not per-machine)
• No distinction between physical and virtual cores

Example: With a 32-CPU Commercial license:

• Option 1: 1 server with 32 cores
• Option 2: 2 servers with 16 cores each
• Option 3: 4 servers with 8 cores each

Documentation:

• InfluxData Support Policy
• InfluxDB 3 Enterprise License Management

8. Version Migration Guide

Migration Path Summary

1.x → 2.x Migration

Automatic Upgrade:

influxd upgrade

This command automatically performs:

• Converts 1.x TSM data to 2.x format
• Creates Database and Retention Policy (DBRP) mappings
• Migrates 1.x users and permissions to 1.x-compatible authorization store

Manual Migration (Safer):

1. Export Data:

influx_inspect export \
  -database example-db \
  -retention example-rp \
  -out /path/to/example-db_example-rp.lp \
  -lponly

2. Import Data:

influx write \
  --bucket example-db/example-rp \
  --file /path/to/example-db_example-rp.lp

3. Create DBRP Mapping:

influx v1 dbrp create \
  --bucket-id <bucket-id> \
  --database <database-name> \
  --retention-policy <retention-policy-name> \
  --default

Important Notes:

• InfluxDB 2.x requires authentication and does not support the 1.x auth-enabled = false configuration option.
• Continuous Queries require manual conversion to Tasks
• Kapacitor integration requires reconfiguration

Documentation:

• Automatic Upgrade Guide
• Manual Upgrade Guide

3.x Migration Status

Important: InfluxDB 3 Core is not a replacement for InfluxDB OSS v1 and v2.

Current Status:

• No direct 1.x/2.x → 3.x migration tools provided
• Managed migration only through InfluxData Cloud
• Dual-write strategy recommended for self-hosted environments

Recommended Approach:

1. Maintain existing 1.x/2.x instance (read-only)
2. Send new data to 3.x
3. Perform gradual migration

9. Critical Notice for Docker Users

Docker Tag Change Schedule

⚠️ Critical Change Starting February 3, 2026!

The Docker latest tag will point to InfluxDB 3 Core.

Response Strategy:

❌ Risky Usage:

docker pull influxdb:latest  # Will download 3.x after Feb 3, 2026!

✅ Safe Usage (Recommended):

# For InfluxDB 2.x users
docker pull influxdb:2.7.12

# For InfluxDB 1.x users
docker pull influxdb:1.12.2

# For InfluxDB 3.x Core users
docker pull influxdb:3.3.0

Recommended Docker Compose Configuration:

version: '3.8'
services:
  influxdb:
    image: influxdb:2.7.12  # Always specify exact version!
    container_name: influxdb
    ports:
      - "8086:8086"
    volumes:
      - influxdb-data:/var/lib/influxdb2
    environment:
      - DOCKER_INFLUXDB_INIT_MODE=setup
      - DOCKER_INFLUXDB_INIT_USERNAME=admin
      - DOCKER_INFLUXDB_INIT_PASSWORD=secretpassword
      - DOCKER_INFLUXDB_INIT_ORG=myorg
      - DOCKER_INFLUXDB_INIT_BUCKET=mybucket
volumes:
  influxdb-data:

10. EOL Product and Feature Notification Process

InfluxData EOL Notification Procedure

Notification Process:

• Email Notices: First notice minimum 6 months before, at least two follow-up reminders
• Extended Notice: Quarterly reminders for notice periods of one year or more
• In-App Notification: UI banners for products with user interfaces
• Documentation Notice: Banner on docs.influxdata.com
• Community Notifications: Slack channel announcements
• Personal Outreach: Sales/Support team contact for annual contracts or $500+/month accounts

Fail-Safe Controls:

• Phased service shutdown (“scream test”)
• Customer response monitoring
• Additional waiting period before complete data deletion

Data Retention:

• Data not immediately deleted after EOL
• Sufficient migration time provided to customers

11. Complete Version Selection Guide

Version Selection Decision Tree

Starting a new project?
├─ YES → InfluxDB 3.x recommended
│   ├─ Recent data only? → 3.x Core (free)
│   └─ Long-term retention needed? → 3.x Enterprise
└─ NO (Existing system)
    ├─ Currently on 1.x?
    │   ├─ Stable? → Maintain (upgrade to 1.11/1.12)
    │   └─ Issues? → Migrate to 2.x
    └─ Currently on 2.x?
        ├─ Satisfied? → Maintain (upgrade to 2.7.x)
        └─ Need better performance? → Consider 3.x

Version-Specific Use Case Comparison

Detailed Recommendations

InfluxDB 1.x Selection Scenarios:

✅ Consider When:

• Existing 1.x environment running stably
• Deep dependency on InfluxQL
• Need proven TSM storage engine
• Perfect compatibility with existing tools (Grafana, etc.)

❌ Avoid When:

• Starting new projects
• Need modern query features
• Want integrated UI

InfluxDB 2.x Selection Scenarios:

✅ Recommended When:

• Want unified platform
• Willing to learn Flux query language
• Need balance of 1.x compatibility and modern features
• Stability is paramount

✅ Advantages:

• No EOL planned
• Rich feature and tool ecosystem
• v1-compatible API provided
• Strong community support

InfluxDB 3.x Core Selection Scenarios:

✅ Optimal When:

• New projects
• Recent data focus (within 72 hours)
• Maximum performance required
• Python-based processing
• Cloud-native architecture
• SQL queries important
• Single node sufficient

InfluxDB 3.x Enterprise Selection Scenarios:

✅ Essential When:

• Production environments
• Long-term data retention (beyond 72 hours)
• High availability (HA) essential
• Multi-node clustering
• Automatic failover
• Mission-critical systems
• Compliance requirements (FIPS)

12. Practical Checklists and Best Practices

Pre-Upgrade Essential Checklist

Preparation Phase

• [ ] Perform Backup (Essential!)

  # 1.x backupinfluxd backup -portable /path/to/backup# 2.x backupinflux backup /path/to/backup
  

• [ ] Verify current version and data size
• [ ] Review upgrade documentation
• [ ] Estimate upgrade time
• [ ] Establish rollback plan

Test Environment Setup

• [ ] Clone production configuration
• [ ] Restore from backup
• [ ] Execute complete upgrade procedure
• [ ] Test application integration
• [ ] Compare query performance
• [ ] Verify data integrity

Monitoring Preparation

• [ ] Collect pre-upgrade metrics
  • CPU utilization
  • Memory usage
  • Disk I/O
  • Query response times
• [ ] Increase log level
• [ ] Enhance alerting
• [ ] Prepare dashboards

Production Execution

• [ ] Announce maintenance window
• [ ] Standby team ready
• [ ] Execute and verify step-by-step
• [ ] Compare post-upgrade metrics
• [ ] Confirm application functionality
• [ ] Collect user feedback

Getting Support

Free Support Channels

Paid Support (Enterprise/Contract Customers)

Contact:

• Official support portal: support.influxdata.com
• Annual contract customers: Dedicated engineer assigned

Security Update Monitoring

Essential Check Channels

Security Update Priority

1. Critical – Apply immediately (within 24 hours)
2. High – Apply urgently (within 1 week)
3. Medium – Plan application (within 1 month)
4. Low – Include in general upgrades

Conclusion

After examining all InfluxDB versions and support policies, it’s clear that each version has a distinct purpose and lifecycle.

Key Takeaways:

• 1.x: Continued support for paying customers (1.11, 1.12 latest)
• 2.x: No EOL planned, stable operation (2.7.12 latest)
• 3.x: Future-oriented platform, monthly updates (3.3.0 latest)

Remember the February 3, 2026 Docker tag change! Always use specific version tags in production environments.

Version selection requires careful consideration of project requirements, budget, and long-term strategy. For new projects, choose 3.x; for stability-first approaches, choose 2.x; for maintaining existing systems, upgrade to the latest 1.x version.

Best of luck with your time series database operations!

Key References:

• InfluxDB Official Documentation
• InfluxData Support Policy
• endoflife.date – InfluxDB
• InfluxDB GitHub Repository
• InfluxDB 3 Core Release Notes
• InfluxDB 3 Enterprise Release Notes