Version Support Policy

Understand ESLint’s versioning strategy, support timeline, and what to expect from each release.

ESLint follows Semantic Versioning with scheduled releases every two weeks.

Current Support Status

Active Versions

Version	Status	Release Date	End of Support	Node.js Support
v10.x	✅ Current	Feb 6, 2026	TBD	`^20.19.0 \|\| ^22.13.0 \|\| >=24`
v9.x	🔄 Limited	Oct 2025	Aug 2026 (estimated)	`^18.18.0 \|\| ^20.9.0 \|\| >=21.1.0`
v8.x	❌ End of Life	Oct 2023	Apr 2025	`^12.22.0 \|\| ^14.17.0 \|\| >=16.0.0`

ESLint v8 reached end of life in April 2025. Projects still on v8 should upgrade to v10 as soon as possible.

Support Tiers

Current Version (Full Support)

v10.x receives full support with active development.

Includes:

🐛 Bug fixes (all severity levels)
🔒 Security patches
✨ New features
📝 Documentation updates
🔧 Configuration improvements
⚡ Performance optimizations

Timeline: Ongoing until next major release

Previous Version (Limited Support)

v9.x receives limited support for 6 months after v10 release.

Includes:

🐛 Critical bug fixes only
🔒 Security issues
🔌 Compatibility fixes

Excludes:

❌ New features
❌ Minor bug fixes
❌ Performance improvements
❌ Documentation updates

Timeline: Feb 2026 - Aug 2026 (approximately)

End of Life (No Support)

v8.x and older receive no support.

No updates for:

❌ Bugs (any severity)
❌ Security vulnerabilities
❌ Compatibility issues

Recommendation: Upgrade to v10 immediately.

Commercial Support

Extended support is available through ESLint’s commercial partners:

Tidelift

Extended Support for v9.x

Security updates beyond 6 months
Legal guarantees and indemnification
Maintenance and licensing assurance
Access to the maintainers

HeroDevs

Never-Ending Support (NES)

Support for legacy versions (v8.x and earlier)
Security patches indefinitely
Critical bug fixes
Priority support channels

Commercial support is ideal for enterprise teams that cannot upgrade immediately due to large codebases or strict compliance requirements.

Release Schedule

Regular Releases

ESLint follows a predictable release schedule:

Frequency: Every 2 weeks (Friday or Saturday)
Type: Minor and patch releases
Tracking: Follow release issues on GitHub

Typical release timeline:

Week 1-2: Development
  ↓
Friday/Saturday: Release
  ↓
Monday: Post-release monitoring
  ↓
Repeat

Major Releases

Major versions (e.g., v9 → v10) are released approximately once per year.

Alpha Release

Early testing release with breaking changes.

3-4 months before stable
Breaking changes introduced
Community feedback encouraged

Beta Release

Feature-complete pre-release.

2-3 months before stable
API stabilization
Plugin developers can test

Release Candidate (RC)

Final testing before stable.

1-2 months before stable
No new features
Bug fixes only

Stable Release

Production-ready release.

Generally available
Full documentation
Migration guides published

Example timeline (v10):

v10.0.0-alpha.0: Nov 14, 2025
v10.0.0-beta.0: Dec 12, 2025
v10.0.0-rc.0: Jan 9, 2026
v10.0.0: Feb 6, 2026 ✅

Semantic Versioning

ESLint follows Semantic Versioning with specific interpretations for linting tools.

Patch Releases (10.0.x)

Intended to not break your lint build.

Includes:

🐛 Bug fixes that report fewer errors
📝 Documentation improvements
🧪 Test improvements
♻️ Non-user-facing refactoring

Example:

v10.0.0 → v10.0.1
  - Fixed false positive in no-unused-vars
  - Updated documentation

Minor Releases (10.x.0)

Might break your lint build.

Includes:

🐛 Bug fixes that report more errors
✨ New rules (disabled by default)
🔧 New rule options (non-breaking defaults)
🎯 New CLI capabilities
📦 New public API methods
⚠️ Rule deprecations
📉 eslint:recommended updates (fewer errors only)

Example:

v10.0.0 → v10.1.0
  - Added new rule: no-new-array-constructor
  - Fixed bug in no-console (reports more cases)
  - Added --output-format option to CLI

Use ~10.0.0 in package.json to accept only patch updates:

{
  "devDependencies": {
    "eslint": "~10.0.0"
  }
}

Major Releases (x.0.0)

Likely to break your lint build.

Includes:

💥 Breaking changes to public API
🔄 eslint:recommended updates (may report more errors)
🔧 Rule option changes with breaking defaults
🗑️ Removal of deprecated features
📋 Removal of formatters
🏗️ Configuration schema changes
🔌 Changes to plugin/parser APIs

Example:

v9.39.0 → v10.0.0 (Breaking Changes)
  - Removed eslintrc support
  - Removed deprecated context methods
  - Updated eslint:recommended (3 new rules)
  - Dropped Node.js < v20.19 support
  - Changed config file lookup behavior

Node.js Compatibility

Version Support Matrix

ESLint updates Node.js requirements with each major release.

ESLint Version	Node.js Support	Notes
v10.x	`^20.19.0 \|\| ^22.13.0 \|\| >=24`	Current
v9.x	`^18.18.0 \|\| ^20.9.0 \|\| >=21.1.0`	Limited support
v8.x	`^12.22.0 \|\| ^14.17.0 \|\| >=16.0.0`	End of life

Node.js Selection Criteria

When releasing a new major version, ESLint supports:

Most Recent Maintenance Release

Latest stable Node.js version at time of release.Example: Node.js v24.x for ESLint v10

Current LTS Release

The lowest minor version of Node.js LTS that includes features ESLint needs.Example: Node.js v22.13.0 for ESLint v10

Previous LTS Release

The previous LTS version for compatibility.Example: Node.js v20.19.0 for ESLint v10

Important: Your editor’s Node.js version must also be compatible. Check your editor’s ESLint integration settings.

Deprecation Policy

Deprecation Timeline

Announcement

Feature marked as deprecated in documentation and changelog.

Runtime warnings added
Migration guide published
Alternative solutions documented

Grace Period

Feature continues to work for at least one major version.

Minimum 6 months of support
Deprecation warnings in console
Documentation updated

Removal

Feature removed in next major version.

Breaking change in changelog
Migration guide emphasized
Related documentation archived

Example: context.getFilename() deprecation:

v9.0.0: Deprecated (warnings added)
  ↓ 6+ months
v10.0.0: Removed (breaking change)

Upgrade Recommendations

When to Upgrade

Immediately upgrade if...

⚠️ You’re on v8.x or earlier (end of life)
🔒 A security vulnerability affects your version
🐛 A critical bug blocks your workflow
🆕 You need a new feature only available in latest

Upgrade within 1 month if...

📦 You’re on the previous major version (v9.x)
🔄 Your Node.js version is becoming unsupported
📈 Performance improvements are significant
🧪 You want to test new features early

Upgrade at your convenience if...

✅ You’re on the current major version (v10.x)
🔧 Minor/patch releases are available
📚 Documentation improvements are published
🎨 New non-critical rules are added

Upgrade Strategy

Test in Development

# Create feature branch
git checkout -b upgrade-eslint-v10

# Update ESLint
npm install eslint@latest --save-dev

# Test locally
npm run lint

Review Changes

Read the migration guide and CHANGELOG:

Identify breaking changes
Plan configuration updates
Update custom rules/plugins

Update Configuration

Make necessary config changes:

// Update deprecated APIs
// Remove obsolete flags
// Adjust rule configurations

Test in CI

# Test in CI before merging
- run: npm ci
- run: npm run lint
- run: npm test

Deploy Gradually

Merge to main branch
Monitor for issues
Notify team of changes

Security Policy

ESLint takes security seriously and addresses vulnerabilities quickly.

Reporting Vulnerabilities

Do not report security issues in public GitHub issues.

Report security vulnerabilities via:

GitHub Security Advisories
Email to security team
See full policy: github.com/eslint/.github/blob/master/SECURITY.md

Security Updates

Timeline:

Critical vulnerabilities: Patched within 48 hours
High severity: Patched within 1 week
Medium severity: Patched in next scheduled release
Low severity: Addressed in regular updates

Support scope:

✅ Current version (v10.x): All security issues
🔄 Previous version (v9.x): Critical and high severity only
❌ Older versions (v8.x): No security updates (consider commercial support)

Dependencies Policy

ESM-Only Dependencies

ESLint (CommonJS) has restrictions on ESM-only dependencies.

Allowed:

ESM packages controlled by ESLint team with no external dependencies
External ESM packages used only in async contexts (via dynamic import())

Not Allowed:

External ESM packages used synchronously (no require(esm) due to potential top-level await)

Rationale: Prevents breaking ESLint if a dependency adds top-level await.

Release Tracking

Releases Page

Official release announcements and changelogs

Release Issues

Track upcoming releases and their schedules

CHANGELOG

Complete version history with all changes

Blog

Release announcements and migration guides

Frequently Asked Questions

How long will v9 be supported?

ESLint v9 receives limited support for 6 months after v10 release:

Full support ended: February 6, 2026 (v10 release)
Limited support ends: Approximately August 2026
Limited support includes: Critical bugs, security issues, compatibility fixes only

After August 2026, upgrade to v10 or consider commercial support.

Can I stay on v8?

No, ESLint v8 reached end of life in April 2025:

❌ No bug fixes
❌ No security patches
❌ No compatibility updates

Options:

Upgrade to v10 (recommended)
Commercial support via HeroDevs NES

Will my plugins work with v10?

Most plugins are compatible, but check:

Plugin’s changelog for v10 support
peerDependencies in plugin’s package.json
GitHub issues for compatibility reports

Popular plugins (React, TypeScript, etc.) are already v10-compatible.

What if I find a bug in v10?

Report it on GitHub:

Search existing issues
If not found, create new issue
Include:
- ESLint version
- Node.js version
- Config file
- Minimal reproduction

How often should I update ESLint?

Best practice:

Patch releases: Update immediately (safe)
Minor releases: Update within 1-2 weeks (test first)
Major releases: Plan upgrade within 1-2 months

Use automated tools like Renovate or Dependabot to track updates.

Stay Informed

Follow these channels to stay updated:

🐦 Twitter/X: @geteslint
💬 Discord: eslint.org/chat
🐘 Mastodon: @eslint@fosstodon.org
🦋 Bluesky: @eslint.org
📰 Blog: eslint.org/blog
📧 Newsletter: Subscribe on eslint.org

Get Started

Using ESLint

Extending ESLint

Guides

​Version Support Policy

​Current Support Status

​Active Versions

​Support Tiers

​Current Version (Full Support)

​Previous Version (Limited Support)

​End of Life (No Support)

​Commercial Support

Tidelift

HeroDevs

​Release Schedule

​Regular Releases

​Major Releases

​Semantic Versioning

​Patch Releases (10.0.x)

​Minor Releases (10.x.0)

​Major Releases (x.0.0)

​Node.js Compatibility

​Version Support Matrix

​Node.js Selection Criteria

​Deprecation Policy

​Deprecation Timeline

​Upgrade Recommendations

​When to Upgrade

​Upgrade Strategy

​Security Policy

​Reporting Vulnerabilities

​Security Updates

​Dependencies Policy

​ESM-Only Dependencies

​Release Tracking

Releases Page

Release Issues

CHANGELOG

Blog

​Frequently Asked Questions

​Stay Informed

Version Support Policy

Current Support Status

Active Versions

Support Tiers

Current Version (Full Support)

Previous Version (Limited Support)

End of Life (No Support)

Commercial Support

Release Schedule

Regular Releases

Major Releases

Semantic Versioning

Patch Releases (10.0.x)

Minor Releases (10.x.0)

Major Releases (x.0.0)

Node.js Compatibility

Version Support Matrix

Node.js Selection Criteria

Deprecation Policy

Deprecation Timeline

Upgrade Recommendations

When to Upgrade

Upgrade Strategy

Security Policy

Reporting Vulnerabilities

Security Updates

Dependencies Policy

ESM-Only Dependencies

Release Tracking

Frequently Asked Questions

Stay Informed