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# Apache Pinot release policy

This page is the in-repo summary of how Apache Pinot is versioned, published,
and upgraded. Detailed notes live in the project documentation; this file is
meant as a stable pointer for operators and for release trackers.

## Version numbering

Pinot releases use `major.minor.patch` tags of the form `release-X.Y.Z`
(for example `release-1.5.0`, `release-1.5.1`).

- A **minor** release (`X.Y.0`) is the usual feature line.
- A **patch** release (`X.Y.Z`) is used for security and dependency fixes
  without functional, API, configuration, or wire-format changes. Apache Pinot
  1.5.1 is an example: a security patch on 1.5.0.

GitHub tags and the [download page](https://pinot.apache.org/download/) are
the canonical list of published versions.

## Cadence

Since Apache Pinot 1.0.0 (September 2023) the project has published on the
order of two minor releases per year, with occasional patch releases between
them:

| Version | Date |
| ------- | ---- |
| 1.0.0 | September 2023 |
| 1.1.0 | March 2024 |
| 1.2.0 | August 2024 |
| 1.3.0 | February 2025 |
| 1.4.0 | September 2025 |
| 1.5.0 | April 2026 |
| 1.5.1 | June 2026 |

This table is historical, not a commitment to a fixed calendar.

Releases are cut through the Apache Software Foundation process (discussion
and vote on the Pinot dev mailing list). Subscribe at
`dev-subscribe@pinot.apache.org`.

## Current stable and older builds

The current stable release is listed on the
[download page](https://pinot.apache.org/download/) and in the
[version reference](https://docs.pinot.apache.org/start-here/pinot-versions).
As of this writing that is **1.5.1**.

- Production deployments should pin a specific release tag, not the `latest`
  Docker tag. `latest` tracks nightly builds from the main branch.
- Older binaries remain on <https://archive.apache.org/dist/pinot/>.

## Compatibility and upgrades

Pinot aims to keep releases backward-compatible and to introduce features in
a compatible way, but a given cluster may still hit a combination of
config/schema/data that was not covered in review.

Before upgrading:

1. Read the [release notes](https://docs.pinot.apache.org/reference/release-notes/releases)
   for every version you will cross.
2. Read the [upgrade notes](https://docs.pinot.apache.org/operate-pinot/upgrades)
   for behavior changes, deprecations, and operator actions.
3. Run the compatibility test suite (shipped since 0.8.0) against your
   tables, schemas, and queries. See
   [Upgrading Pinot](https://docs.pinot.apache.org/operate-pinot/upgrades/upgrading-pinot-cluster).

Rolling upgrades of a cluster are the recommended path. If you have skipped
several releases, review the incompatibility notes for the whole range and
plan downtime if required.

## Runtime support

Published documentation currently states:

| Requirement | Detail |
| ----------- | ------ |
| Pinot services (build and runtime) | JDK 25+ |
| SPI and Java/JDBC client artifacts | JDK 11+ |
| Last release with JDK 8 | 0.12.1 |

See the [version reference](https://docs.pinot.apache.org/start-here/pinot-versions)
for the live matrix. Client connectors that run inside Spark or Flink keep a
lower bytecode baseline than the Pinot servers.

## Support window

Apache Pinot does **not** currently publish a calendar end-of-life date per
minor line. The project recommends running a current stable release and
reading the upgrade notes before moving between versions. Security patch
releases (such as 1.5.1) are issued against the latest minor when needed.

If you need a statement for compliance tooling, treat "current stable on
the download page" as the supported line, and treat archive builds as
available but not actively patched unless a patch release is published for
that line.

## Links

- Downloads: https://pinot.apache.org/download/
- All releases: https://docs.pinot.apache.org/reference/release-notes/releases
- Version reference: https://docs.pinot.apache.org/start-here/pinot-versions
- Upgrade guides: https://docs.pinot.apache.org/operate-pinot/upgrades
- Compatibility tester: https://docs.pinot.apache.org/operate-pinot/upgrades/upgrading-pinot-cluster
- Source tags: https://github.com/apache/pinot/tags