As of today, July 14, 2026, SQL Server 2016 has reached end of support.
For the past decade, SQL Server 2016 has helped organizations run mission-critical applications and support the data needs of their business. Whether it was end-to-end encryption with Always Encrypted or performance improvements with In-Memory OLTP, SQL Server 2016 was shaped by evolving data platform needs and what we heard directly from customers like you.
Last year, we shared guidance on how to prepare for this milestone: Protect and modernize SQL Server 2016 workloads with Microsoft. Now, after 10 years of powering innovation, the focus shifts to what comes next.
What does end of support mean for SQL Server 2016?
Microsoft Lifecycle Policy provides 10 years of support for SQL Server releases. With SQL Server 2016 now at the end of extended support, Microsoft no longer provides regular security updates or technical support for the product.
Continuing to run SQL Server 2016 without a plan can increase security and compliance risk, especially for business-critical applications and regulated workloads. These risks are further amplified in an AI-accelerated threat landscape, where increasingly automated attack techniques make unsupported systems more vulnerable over time.
The next step is to understand your database environment—including application dependencies, business criticality, performance needs, and modernization readiness—and use this to plan an effective transition.
Beyond end of support: Setting up your data platform for what’s next
For organizations running SQL Server 2016, this transition is an opportunity to improve how your database environment operates. Moving to a modern platform can help reduce operational overhead, avoid recurring upgrade cycles, and simplify database management. It can also support new scenarios such as advanced analytics and AI-driven applications built on operational data.
Organizations are already taking action by moving to Azure SQL or upgrading their SQL Server. The Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) upgraded to SQL Server 2025 to modernize its SQL Server deployment and streamline how operational data flows into Microsoft Fabric, enabling faster analytics and data-driven decision-making across its global operations.
SQL Server plays a key role in powering our systems, enabling us to operate at scale and deliver on our promise to customers everywhere.
—Javier Villegas, IT Director for Database Administration and Business Intelligence Services, MSC
Assessing your options for end-of-support workloads
For organizations that still run on SQL Server 2016, there are three paths that help you stay protected while planning the next phase of your data platform modernization:
- Move to Azure SQL: Modernize your data platform using Azure SQL, helping you reduce operational overhead and remove the need for ongoing upgrades. (Best to avoid future upgrade cycles.)
- Upgrade to SQL Server 2025: Move to the latest version of SQL Server with enhanced performance, security, and AI capabilities. (Best for keeping your databases on premises or in hybrid cloud.)
- Deploy Extended Security Updates (ESU): Get critical security updates for SQL Server 2016 while you’re planning a transition. (Best for short-term protection while planning next steps.)
Each path offers a way to maintain security and compliance while planning long-term business and infrastructure goals. Here’s what each of these options would mean in practice:
Option 1: Move to Azure SQL
Moving to Azure SQL provides a managed approach to updating your SQL Server environment. Azure SQL platform-as-a-service (PaaS) services handle patching and backups, provide high availability, and come with built-in version updates, allowing your team to focus less on infrastructure management and more on delivering value.
For many SQL Server 2016 workloads, Azure SQL PaaS provides a path to reduce ongoing maintenance and automate resiliency, scalability, and security. With strong backward compatibility, applications can be migrated with minimal changes in most scenarios—and where updates are required, GitHub Copilot can help accelerate code changes and modernization efforts.
Azure supports multiple options depending on your migration and modernization goals:
- Azure SQL Database: A managed database service designed for modern applications. Azure SQL Database Hyperscale enables independent scaling of compute and storage to handle growing data and workloads without changing your application. (Choose this if you don’t need instance-level features and want a simpler, app-focused model that can flexibly scale as your data grows.)
- Azure SQL Managed Instance: A SQL Server-compatible service that supports your existing workloads with minimal changes, enabling easier migration and reducing the need to manage your infrastructure. (Choose this if you want the closest PaaS experience to SQL Server with minimal application changes.)
- SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines: A flexible option for running SQL Server in Azure while retaining full control over your SQL environment and operating system, including custom configurations and dependencies. (Choose this if you use software, configurations, or third-party components that require a specific SQL Server version or instance-level control of your SQL Server.)
Frontier Accelerate for Databases
Reduce the cost of migration by combining Microsoft-funded delivery support, Azure credits, and investment programs.
Option 2: Upgrade to SQL Server 2025
Upgrading to SQL Server 2025 allows you to stay on a supported platform while bringing modern capabilities directly into your existing on-premises or hybrid environments.
SQL Server 2025 is built to support evolving application and data needs, helping teams modernize while preparing for AI-driven scenarios. It includes new and improved capabilities such as:
- Performance and engine improvements: Optimizations across query processing, indexing, and concurrency help improve performance and stability for high-volume transactional workloads.
- Security and data protection: Built on the existing SQL Server security model with continued investments in encryption, access control, and compliance support for regulated environments.
- Built-in AI: Comes with native support for vector search and semantic workflows, enabling AI-driven applications directly on operational data without requiring separate data pipelines.
- Integration with Microsoft Fabric: Enables mirroring of operational data into analytics environments for near real-time insights, without impacting core transactional workloads.
This path is especially relevant for organizations powering large-scale applications or complex data environments where control, performance, and consistency are essential. It allows you to modernize in place, retain your existing infrastructure, and prepare your platform for the next generation of applications without requiring the shift to a new operating model.
Option 3: Deploy Extended Security Updates (ESU)
Some migrations take time, and we understand that not every environment can move immediately. Extended Security Updates (ESU) provide a short-term option to maintain security coverage for SQL Server 2016 after end of support, helping reduce risk while you plan and execute your next step.
Extended Security Updates are available for workloads running in Azure, including SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines and Azure VMware Solution, and for on-premises and multi-cloud environments through Azure Arc. They are offered as a paid program to extend security coverage while modernization work is underway.
This option is best suited for environments with application dependencies, testing requirements, or migration complexity that require additional time. Extended Security Updates are designed as a temporary bridge that helps you maintain your existing operations while you move to a supported platform like Azure SQL or SQL Server 2025.
Take the next step
As you plan this transition, there are clear paths to stay secure and move forward based on your environment and priorities. Whether you choose to modernize on Azure, upgrade to SQL Server 2025, or use Extended Security Updates as a bridge, taking a structured approach will allow you to reduce risk and ensure continuity.
If you need help evaluating your options or getting started, reach out to your Microsoft representative to explore the right path forward for your environment.
Resources
Explore the following resources to help you plan your next steps:
Migrate SQL Server workloads to Azure
- Azure SQL Database: Explore a cloud-native database platform for modern applications.
- Azure SQL Managed Instance: Learn how to migrate SQL Server workloads with minimal changes.
- Azure Database Migration Service: Assess, plan, and migrate SQL Server workloads to Azure.
Upgrade SQL Server to a supported version
- SQL Server 2025: Explore features, performance improvements, and AI capabilities in the latest release.
- Upgrade SQL Server using SQL Server Management Studio: Step-by-step guidance for upgrading SQL Server versions.
- AI capabilities in SQL Server: Learn about vector search, semantic processing, and AI scenarios in SQL Server.
Extended Security Updates (ESU)
- Extended Security Updates overview: Understand ESU coverage, timelines, and how to apply updates.
- SQL Server 2016: Stay Protected While You Modernize: Maintain your existing workloads while you upgrade or modernize.
