When running Neo4j, you’ve probably wondered, “How long can we safely use this version?” It’s especially concerning when you need a security patch but discover your version is no longer supported. Today, we’ll explore Neo4j’s version support lifecycle in detail and help you decide which version makes sense for your situation.
1. What Makes Neo4j Special? – The Leading Graph Database
Neo4j has been the go-to graph database since 2010. Unlike traditional relational databases (RDBMS), it takes a fundamentally different approach to data, excelling particularly when dealing with complex relationships.
How does it store data? Neo4j represents data using three elements: Nodes, Relationships, and Properties. Think of a social network – people are ‘nodes’, friendships are ‘relationships’, and details like age or name are ‘properties’. This structure makes it easy to find complex patterns like “music that my friends’ friends like.”
The Cypher Query Language Neo4j uses its own query language called Cypher. If you’ve used SQL, it’ll feel familiar. The pattern-matching approach lets you write queries that visually represent relationships, making them intuitive to understand.
Enterprise-Grade Reliability Full ACID (Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, Durability) transaction support means you can trust it in environments where data integrity is critical, like financial services or healthcare.
Edition Differences Neo4j comes in Community Edition (free) and Enterprise Edition (paid). One important note: all support timelines discussed in this article apply to Enterprise Edition. Community Edition doesn’t guarantee official support or security patches, so for production environments, Enterprise Edition is strongly recommended.
Neo4j powers recommendation systems, fraud detection, knowledge graphs, social network analysis, and more. Recently, it’s gaining attention in AI applications like GraphRAG.
2. The Big Version Number Change – Moving to CalVer
In January 2025, Neo4j made a significant shift. They completely changed their version numbering system. Previously using Semantic Versioning (like 5.26.1), they now use Calendar Versioning (CalVer), such as 2025.01.0.
Why the change? Neo4j decided to release new versions with features every month. With this cadence, it made more sense to see at a glance when a version was released. If you see 2025.03, you immediately know it’s the March 2025 release.
Reading Version Numbers
- 2025.01.0: First release in January 2025
- 2025.01.1: Second release in January 2025 (usually bug fixes)
- 5.26 LTS: 5th major version, 26th minor version, Long-Term Support
LTS stands for Long-Term Support, meaning “we’ll support this version for an extended period.”
3. Different Support Periods – 18 Months vs 36 Months
Neo4j versions have different support periods, broadly falling into two categories.
Regular Releases: 18 Months Most Neo4j versions receive support for 18 months from their General Availability (GA) date. For example, if version 5.23 was released in August 2024, it receives security patches and bug fixes until February 2026. Though upgrading to a newer version before then is recommended.
LTS Releases: 36 Months (3 Years) The final release of each major version gets designated as LTS and receives 36 months of support. Neo4j 5.26 LTS is a prime example – released in December 2024, it’s supported until June 2028. That’s actually 42 months!
The 2025.x Series is Different Versions starting in 2025 are supported only until the next version releases. So 2025.01 ends support when 2025.02 comes out. “Why so short?” you might ask – since a new version comes out monthly, the idea is to keep everyone on the latest version.
What Does Support Include? During the support period, you receive security vulnerability patches, critical bug fixes, and hotfixes. However, LTS versions don’t get new features – they focus solely on maintaining stability.
4. Currently Supported Versions – As of November 2025
Let’s look at the versions Neo4j officially supports right now.
Latest Stable Versions (2025.x Series)
| Version | Release Date | Support Status | Latest Patch | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025.10 | 2025-10-30 | ✅ Supported | 2025.10.1 | Current latest version |
| 2025.09 | 2025-09-29 | ❌ Ended (2025-10-30) | 2025.09.0 | Support ended with next release |
| 2025.08 | 2025-08-27 | ❌ Ended (2025-09-29) | 2025.08.0 | Support ended with next release |
The 2025.x series receives new features monthly. It’s a good choice if you can update frequently.
Long-Term Support Versions
| Version | Release Date | EOL Date | Support Period | Latest Patch | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.26 LTS | 2024-12-06 | June 2028 | 42 months | 5.26.15 (2025-10-30) | Final Neo4j 5.x release |
| 4.4 LTS | 2021-12-02 | November 30, 2025 | 36 months | 4.4.46 (2025-09-30) | ⚠️ Support ending soon! |
Neo4j 5.26 LTS is currently the most stable choice. Supported until June 2028, it includes all the innovative features from the Neo4j 5.x series: vector indexes, parallel runtime, block format storage, and more.
Neo4j 4.4 LTS faces a critical deadline. Support ends November 30, 2025 – about two weeks from now. If you’re currently on 4.4, you need to plan your upgrade immediately.
Related documentation: Neo4j v5 Long-Term Support and the Continued Evolution
5. Neo4j 5.x Versions in Detail – Two Years of Innovation
The Neo4j 5.x series spans from October 2022 to December 2024 – about two years of releases. Each version receives 18 months of support, with 5.26 LTS being the exception at 42 months.
| Version | Release Date | Support Status | Latest Patch | Notable Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.26 LTS | 2024-12-06 | ✅ Until June 2028 | 5.26.15 | Dynamic Labels/Types/Properties, Immutable Roles |
| 5.25 | 2024-10-31 | ❌ Ended 2024-12-06 | 5.25.1 | Support ended with 5.26 LTS release |
| 5.24 | 2024-09-27 | ❌ Ended 2024-10-31 | 5.24.2 | Property-Based Access Control (PBAC) |
| 5.23 | 2024-08-22 | ❌ Ended 2024-09-27 | 5.23.0 | HTTPS Query API |
| 5.22 | 2024-07-24 | ❌ Ended 2024-08-22 | 5.22.0 | – |
| 5.21 | 2024-06-28 | ❌ Ended 2024-07-24 | 5.21.2 | CALL {} IN CONCURRENT TRANSACTIONS (CICT) |
| 5.20 | 2024-05-23 | ❌ Ended 2024-06-28 | 5.20.0 | – |
| 5.19 | 2024-04-12 | ❌ Ended 2024-05-23 | 5.19.0 | – |
| 5.18 | 2024-03-13 | ❌ Ended 2024-04-12 | 5.18.1 | – |
| 5.17 | 2024-02-23 | ❌ Ended 2024-03-13 | 5.17.0 | Block Format Storage (next-gen storage format) |
| 5.16 | 2024-01-22 | ❌ Ended 2024-02-23 | 5.16.0 | – |
| 5.15 | 2023-12-15 | ❌ Ended 2024-01-22 | 5.15.0 | – |
| 5.14 | 2023-11-24 | ❌ Ended 2023-12-15 | 5.14.0 | – |
| 5.13 | 2023-10-23 | ❌ Ended 2023-11-24 | 5.13.0 | Vector Indexes (for AI/ML workloads) |
| 5.12 | 2023-09-15 | ❌ Ended 2023-10-23 | 5.12.0 | – |
| 5.11 | 2023-08-14 | ❌ Ended 2023-09-14 | 5.11.0 | – |
| 5.10 | 2023-07-19 | ❌ Ended 2023-08-15 | 5.10.0 | – |
| 5.9 | 2023-06-15 | ❌ Ended 2023-07-19 | 5.9.0 | Quantified Path Patterns (QPP) |
| 5.8 | 2023-05-16 | ❌ Ended 2023-06-15 | 5.8.0 | – |
| 5.7 | 2023-04-20 | ❌ Ended 2023-05-16 | 5.7.0 | – |
| 5.6 | 2023-03-24 | ❌ Ended 2023-04-20 | 5.6.0 | – |
| 5.5 | 2023-02-16 | ❌ Ended 2023-03-24 | 5.5.0 | – |
| 5.4 | 2023-01-26 | ❌ Ended 2023-02-16 | 5.4.0 | – |
| 5.3 | 2022-12-15 | ❌ Ended 2023-01-26 | 5.3.0 | – |
| 5.2 | 2022-11-21 | ❌ Ended 2022-12-15 | 5.2.0 | – |
| 5.1 | 2022-10-24 | ❌ Ended 2022-11-21 | 5.1.0 | – |
| 5.0 | 2022-10-21 | ❌ Ended 2022-11-21 | – | Parallel Runtime, Autonomous Clustering introduced |
The Neo4j 5.x series brought major improvements in performance and AI capabilities. Vector indexes introduced in 5.13 are essential for building AI applications like GraphRAG.
Reference: endoflife.date – Neo4j
6. Neo4j 4.x Version History – The Cluster Era
The Neo4j 4.x series ran from 2020 to 2021, marking a significant update with multi-database support and modern cluster architecture.
| Version | Release Date | EOL Date | Support Period | Latest Patch | Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.4 LTS | 2021-12-02 | 2025-11-30 | 36 months | 4.4.46 | Final Neo4j 4.x version, ⚠️ ending soon |
| 4.3 | 2021-06-17 | 2022-12-16 | 18 months | 4.3.23 | – |
| 4.2 | 2020-11-17 | 2022-05-16 | 18 months | 4.2.19 | – |
| 4.1 | 2020-06-23 | 2021-12-22 | 18 months | 4.1.12 | – |
| 4.0 | 2020-01-15 | 2021-07-14 | 18 months | 4.0.12 | Multi-database support introduced |
Critical Notice: Neo4j 4.4 LTS reaches end of life on November 30, 2025. If you’re currently on 4.4, you need to act quickly. The good news is that you can upgrade directly from 4.4 to 5.26 LTS.
Key Upgrade Considerations:
- Upgrade path: 4.4 → 5.26 LTS → 2025.x
- Consider converting to block format storage
- Switch cluster discovery service to V2 if using clustering
- Enable JSON logging for better monitoring
Reference: Upgrade to a Neo4j 2025 release
7. Legacy Versions (3.x and Earlier) – End of an Era
All Neo4j 3.x and earlier versions have reached end of life. If you’re still running these versions, upgrading is strongly recommended due to security concerns and compatibility issues with modern tools.
| Version | Release Date | EOL Date | Support Period | Latest Patch | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 LTS | 2018-11-29 | 2022-05-27 | 42 months (extended) | 3.5.35 | Originally scheduled to end November 2021 |
| 3.4 | 2018-05-17 | 2020-03-31 | 23 months | 3.4.18 | – |
| 3.3 | 2017-10-24 | 2019-04-28 | 18 months | 3.3.9 | – |
| 3.2 | 2017-05-11 | 2018-11-30 | 19 months | 3.2.14 | – |
| 3.1 | 2016-12-13 | 2018-06-13 | 18 months | 3.1.9 | – |
| 3.0 | 2016-04-16 | 2017-10-31 | 18 months | 3.0.12 | First Neo4j 3.x version |
| 2.3 | 2015-10-21 | 2017-04-21 | 18 months | 2.3.12 | – |
| 2.2 | 2015-03-25 | 2016-09-25 | 18 months | 2.2.10 | – |
| 2.1 | 2014-05-29 | 2015-11-29 | 18 months | 2.1.8 | – |
| 2.0 | 2013-12-11 | 2015-06-11 | 18 months | 2.0.5 | First Neo4j 2.x version |
| 1.9 | 2013-05-21 | 2014-11-21 | 18 months | 1.9.9 | – |
| 1.8 | 2012-09-28 | 2014-03-28 | 18 months | 1.8.3 | – |
A Note on Neo4j 3.5 LTS: Originally scheduled to end in November 2021, Neo4j extended support to May 2022 to give customers more time to migrate to 4.4 LTS. This demonstrates Neo4j’s commitment to smooth customer transitions.
Reference: Neo4j 3.5 EOL Extension
8. Choosing the Right Version – Recommendations by Use Case
Selecting a Neo4j version depends on your environment and requirements. Here are recommendations for different scenarios.
Starting a New Project
Recommended: Neo4j 2025.x (Latest stable version)
For new projects, the latest version makes sense. It’s particularly suitable when:
- You’re in early development with flexibility for updates
- You need cutting-edge AI/ML features (vector search, GraphRAG, etc.)
- You’re deploying on Kubernetes or Docker with automated updates
- Your team can handle monthly updates
Stability is Critical
Recommended: Neo4j 5.26 LTS
In environments like finance, healthcare, or manufacturing where reliability is paramount, 5.26 LTS is the answer:
- Supported until June 2028 – over 3 years of stability
- Receives security patches and bug fixes, but no new features
- Proven version suitable for regulated industries
- Only requires updates 1-2 times per year
Even with an LTS version, you get all the great Neo4j 5.x features: block format storage, vector indexes, parallel runtime, and more.
Currently on Neo4j 4.4 LTS
Action Required: Plan Upgrade Immediately
Neo4j 4.4 LTS ends November 30, 2025. Here’s what to do:
- Before November: Complete migration to 5.26 LTS
- Migration Steps:
- Install 5.26 LTS in a test environment
- Verify all features work correctly
- Backup your data thoroughly
- Implement staged rollout (blue-green deployment recommended)
- Next Steps: Run stably on 5.26 LTS, or move to 2025.x when ready
Development and Testing
Recommended: Neo4j 2025.x (Latest version)
Always use the latest version in development environments:
- Experience and learn new features early
- Identify potential upgrade issues before production
- Leverage the latest community examples and best practices
Using Cloud Service (AuraDB)
Recommended: Let Neo4j Handle It
If you’re using Neo4j AuraDB, version management is handled automatically. Update policies vary by plan, so check your subscription details.
9. Pre-Upgrade Checklist – Safe Migration Steps
Upgrading requires careful planning and execution. Here’s a comprehensive checklist.
Pre-Upgrade Preparation
1. Review Release Notes
- Understand major changes in the new version
- Check for deprecated features
- Note removed APIs or configuration options
2. Compatibility Verification
- Verify your Neo4j driver version compatibility
- Test Cypher query syntax compatibility
- Check compatible versions of plugins (APOC, GDS, etc.)
3. Backup is Essential
-- Check current version
CALL dbms.components() YIELD versions, edition;
-- After verification, execute backup
- Create full database backups
- Test backup restoration
- Document rollback procedures
Test in a Staging Environment
1. Prepare Separate Test Server
- Create a test environment identical to production
- Test migration with real data samples
2. Performance Verification
- Measure execution time of critical queries
- Monitor memory usage
- Load test with concurrent connections
3. Feature Validation
- Verify all business logic works correctly
- Check user interface behavior
- Test batch jobs and ETL processes
Production Deployment
1. Minimize Downtime
- Clustered environments: Use rolling upgrades
- Single server: Consider blue-green deployment
- Measure data migration time in advance
2. Enhanced Monitoring
- Intensive monitoring for 24-48 hours post-upgrade
- Real-time error log tracking
- Compare performance metrics
3. Rollback Readiness
- Document rollback procedures
- Test rollback process
- Maintain team contact information
Post-Upgrade Optimization
If you’ve upgraded to Neo4j 5.26 LTS, consider these optimizations:
- Convert Store Format: Migrate from high_limit or standard to block format
- Cluster Discovery V2: Switch to V2 for more stable cluster management
- Enable JSON Logging: Makes log analysis and monitoring tool integration easier
Reference: Neo4j Operations Manual
10. Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Are support policies different between Community and Enterprise Edition?
Yes, significantly. All support timelines in this article apply to Enterprise Edition. Community Edition doesn’t guarantee official support or bug fixes. For production environments, always use Enterprise Edition.
Q2. Can I use new features with LTS versions?
LTS versions include all features available at release time. For example, 5.26 LTS includes vector indexes, parallel runtime, block format storage – all features up to December 2024. However, no new features are added after LTS designation; only security patches and bug fixes.
Q3. Do I need to upgrade every month with new releases?
Not necessarily. If you’re on the 2025.x series, monthly updates are ideal but not mandatory. However, regular updates are needed for security patches and bug fixes. If that’s too frequent, choose 5.26 LTS.
Q4. Can I upgrade directly from Neo4j 4.4 to 2025.x?
No, you must go through 5.26 LTS. The upgrade path is: 4.4 → 5.26 LTS → 2025.x. LTS versions serve as checkpoints.
Q5. With AuraDB, do I not need to worry about versions?
Neo4j AuraDB manages versions automatically, but policies vary by plan. Enterprise plans allow some control over update schedules. Check the AuraDB documentation for details.
Q6. What happens if I continue using an unsupported version?
After support ends:
- No security patches even if vulnerabilities are discovered
- Bugs remain unfixed
- Potential incompatibility with latest drivers and tools
- No technical support available
For security-critical production environments, always use supported versions.
Q7. Should driver versions match database versions?
Drivers generally maintain backward compatibility, but appropriate versions are needed for new features. It’s recommended to match driver major versions (e.g., 5.x) with database major versions. Check the Neo4j Driver Manual for detailed compatibility information.
Wrapping Up
Neo4j is rapidly evolving. The Calendar Versioning and monthly release model introduced in January 2025 enable faster innovation, but also increase the importance of version management.
The key is choosing what fits your environment. If stability is paramount, go with 5.26 LTS. If you need the latest features, choose 2025.x. Most importantly, avoid using unsupported versions.
If you’re on Neo4j 4.4 LTS, upgrade before November 30, 2025. Plan thoroughly, test extensively, and give yourself adequate time.
For questions, the Neo4j Community is an excellent resource with knowledgeable and helpful members.
Helpful Official Resources:
- Neo4j Deployment Center
- Neo4j Upgrade and Migration Guide
- Neo4j Supported Versions
- endoflife.date – Neo4j