Business Central on-premises: when support for your version ends

Key takeaways

• Business Central on-premises falls under the Modern Policy: each major version is supported for roughly 18 months, and Microsoft releases two major versions a year (April and October waves).
• Version 25 has been out of support since April 2026, version 26 since 13 October 2026. Version 27 ends on 6 April 2027, version 28 on 13 October 2027, version 29 on 6 April 2028.
• After end of support there are no more security updates and no bug fixes for that version. The system keeps running but is no longer maintained.
• The routes: update regularly to a supported version, move to Business Central online, or hand the ongoing care to a partner.

The dates at a glance

Microsoft releases Business Central twice a year as a new major version, in April and October. On-premises, the Modern Policy applies, with roughly 18 months of support per major version. As of 15 October 2026 this gives:

• Version 25 (2024 release wave 2): support ended in April 2026
• Version 26 (2025 release wave 1): support ended on 13 October 2026
• Version 27 (2025 release wave 2): support ends on 6 April 2027
• Version 28 (2026 release wave 1): support ends on 13 October 2027
• Version 29 (2026 release wave 2, released on 1 October 2026): support ends on 6 April 2028
• Business Central 13 and 14 (Fixed Policy): extended support ended in October 2025

Modern Policy and Fixed Policy

The older on-premises releases Business Central 13 and 14 fall under the Fixed Policy with a fixed lifecycle. Their extended support ended in October 2025. All newer versions follow the Modern Policy, where each major version has its own limited support window.

For your planning this means: under the Modern Policy it is no longer the product as a whole that sits in the calendar but each individual version. The version you run decides your cut-off date. Microsoft maintains the authoritative dates on its lifecycle pages, linked below. If you run a version not named here, check its status there.

What end of support actually means

On the day after the cut-off nothing visible happens. The system does not switch off, your data stays where it is. What is missing are security updates and bug fixes for that version, and with them the vendor support your provider could escalate to in an emergency.

This is the same logic as with NAV, only with a shorter cycle: what takes years with NAV happens at intervals of roughly a year and a half with Business Central on-premises. How this looks for Dynamics NAV is covered in our article on NAV end of support.

Your options

Stay current: you update your on-premises installation regularly to a supported version. That is a recurring appointment, not a one-off project. Each time, your extensions, interfaces and reports need checking. Especially important for version 29: SOAP web services for standard pages are removed there, and affected integrations must be migrated beforehand. Details are in our article on the SOAP shutdown.

Move to Business Central online: in the cloud Microsoft updates the environment, so the question of end of support for an installed version falls away. The move is a migration project with its own preparation, which we describe in the cloud migration guide. For costs we point to our article on Business Central costs rather than repeating figures here.

Partner support: if you want or need to stay on-premises, you can hand the ongoing care to a partner who prepares updates, tests extensions in advance and knows your installation. That does not replace the update but takes scheduling risk and effort out of your house.

What to do now

A short stocktake is enough to start. These are the points to clarify:

• Which major version is in production, and when does its support end according to the Microsoft lifecycle?
• Is there also a test or sandbox environment running a different version?
• Which extensions, interfaces and reports depend on the version, and who maintains them?
• Do you use SOAP web services for standard pages? Then migrate them before updating to version 29.
• Should the system stay on-premises, or is BC online an option? Decide that before the next update.
• Who in-house or at the partner carries out updates, and is the next update date scheduled?

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to install every Business Central version?

The lifecycle dates only imply that your installed version should still be supported on the cut-off date. How an update from your version to a newer one works technically depends on your installation and belongs in the preparation. Have it checked in advance rather than at the deadline.

May I keep using Business Central after end of support?

Technically the system keeps running. But there are no more security updates and no bug fixes for that version. Whether that is acceptable is a risk decision. For systems holding personal data you should take it together with your data protection officer.

Does this also apply to Business Central online?

The dates named here concern the on-premises versions. In the cloud Microsoft updates the environment, so you do not have to replace an installed version before a cut-off date there.

Where do I find the authoritative dates?

On the Microsoft lifecycle pages for Dynamics 365 Business Central on-premises, for the Modern Policy and the Fixed Policy respectively. Both are linked below. The dates in this article reflect the status as of 15 October 2026.