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Canonical’s 12-year Ubuntu LTS support offer was the original plan announced in March 2024. Since November 2025, Canonical has described up to 15 years of security coverage for an LTS release when Ubuntu Pro and its Legacy add-on are included: five years of standard maintenance, five years of Ubuntu Pro Expanded Security Maintenance (ESM), and five Legacy years. The actual end date depends on the Ubuntu release and the coverage option.
Does Ubuntu LTS get 12 years of support?
It did under the offer Canonical announced on March 25, 2024: five years of standard security maintenance, five years of Ubuntu Pro ESM, and two additional years through the Legacy add-on. Canonical expanded Legacy to five years in its November 13, 2025 announcement, making the current stated maximum 15 years. The 12-year figure is therefore historically accurate, but it is no longer the maximum described in Canonical’s current materials.
Canonical’s original announcement called the extension security maintenance and support, but security updates and hands-on technical support are not interchangeable. Canonical lists phone, ticket, and break/fix support as optional tiers or add-ons; do not assume they are included automatically with every security-maintenance subscription. Read the 2024 announcement and the 2025 expansion.
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How the Ubuntu LTS coverage periods fit together
| Coverage stage | Duration from LTS release | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Standard security maintenance | First five years | Security maintenance for packages in Main, without a subscription. |
| Ubuntu Pro ESM | Extends the window to ten years | esm-infra covers Main after the standard five-year period; esm-apps covers Universe for ten years from release. |
| Legacy add-on | Up to five additional years under current terms | Extends coverage beyond the ten-year ESM period, for up to 15 years total. The 2024 launch offer specified two additional years. |
Canonical describes ESM as covering security updates across Main and Universe through Ubuntu Pro. The streams have different roles: esm-infra follows standard maintenance for Main, while esm-apps provides Universe coverage during the ten-year period. For package-specific eligibility and current lifecycle terms, consult Canonical’s Ubuntu Expanded Security Maintenance page and release cycle page.
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What the dates look like for each Ubuntu LTS release
These dates are the endpoints listed in Canonical’s current ESM schedule. Standard maintenance, Ubuntu Pro coverage, and Legacy coverage end at different times; the date in the last column assumes the Legacy extension applies.
| Ubuntu LTS release | Standard security maintenance ends | Ubuntu Pro coverage ends | Legacy coverage ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | May 2031 | May 2036 | May 2041 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | May 2029 | May 2034 | May 2039 |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | May 2027 | May 2032 | May 2037 |
| Ubuntu 20.04 LTS | May 2025 | May 2030 | May 2035 |
| Ubuntu 18.04 LTS | May 2023 | May 2028 | May 2033 |
| Ubuntu 16.04 LTS | April 2021 | May 2026 | May 2031 |
| Ubuntu 14.04 LTS | April 2019 | May 2024 | May 2029 |
Canonical’s dates describe coverage endpoints, not a guarantee that every package, configuration, or support service receives identical treatment. Lifecycle dates can change, so verify the release you run against the current ESM schedule.
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Why Main and Universe matter
The coverage question is not only how many years an LTS release lasts; it is also which repository contains the software you rely on. Canonical distinguishes Main, its core or widely used package set, from Universe, which contains other open-source software from Debian and the Ubuntu community. Canonical’s ESM page gives Main as about 2,300 packages per release; it does not specify a figure-specific year for that count. For Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, Canonical stated that Universe contained more than 36,000 packages.
That difference helps explain the separate ESM streams. Main receives standard security maintenance for five years and can continue through esm-infra; Universe coverage is provided through esm-apps. Package counts alone do not establish that a particular package or configuration receives identical maintenance, so check the relevant package and terms rather than relying only on the release’s overall support duration. Canonical’s ESM page describes the repository scope.
What Ubuntu Pro and Legacy mean for cost and support
Canonical’s current release-cycle page says Ubuntu Pro subscriptions are free for personal use on up to five machines. That personal-use allowance should not be read as a general organizational entitlement or as a statement that Legacy is free. Canonical’s November 2025 announcement says Legacy is available after the first ten years and priced at a 50% premium over standard Ubuntu Pro; confirm current commercial terms and eligibility directly with Canonical before budgeting.
Security-maintenance coverage is also distinct from break/fix assistance. Canonical describes phone, ticket, and break/fix support as optional support tiers or add-ons, so confirm the selected service includes the response channel and operational help you need. See Canonical’s release-cycle details and Legacy announcement.
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Should you stay on an older LTS or migrate?
Longer coverage can give organizations more time to plan a migration, but a longer security-maintenance window does not by itself decide whether staying put is the right choice. Compare these factors for the systems and packages you actually operate:
- Security window: identify the end of standard maintenance and the later ESM and Legacy endpoints for your release.
- Package scope: confirm whether required packages are in Main or Universe and which ESM stream covers them.
- Subscription terms: establish eligibility, cost, and whether the Legacy add-on is needed.
- Support service: distinguish security updates from phone, ticket, or break/fix assistance.
- Migration effort: weigh the work of moving applications and dependencies against maintaining the existing release.
- Operational and compliance needs: check whether the maintenance window and support arrangement meet your organization’s requirements.
Canonical presents extended coverage as a way to support migration planning, but its published service terms do not establish an independent cost or risk comparison between staying on an older release and upgrading. Make that decision against your workload, policy obligations, and verified package coverage.
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