Mastodon Server Release Timeline: Tracking Branches and EOL Dates
Running independent community platforms often involves maintaining federated social networking infrastructure alongside traditional message boards. Keeping track of active development cycles, maintenance releases, and support cutoffs ensures community administrators maintain secure, reliable instances without running unsupported software.
2017 to 2020: Early Architecture from Cycle 1 to Cycle 3.2
The Mastodon project began establishing release branches in 2017. Cycle 1 was introduced on 2017-02-05 and published its final release, version 1.6.1, on 2017-09-17 before ending support. Following this initial iteration, Cycle 2 arrived on 2017-10-18. It saw ongoing maintenance until version 2.9.4 arrived on 2020-02-27, concluding its operational cycle.
Modernization of the platform continued with rapid version releases between 2019 and 2020. Cycle 3.0 was launched on 2019-10-03, reaching version 3.0.2 on 2020-02-27. Cycle 3.1 followed soon after on 2020-02-09, posting its final update, 3.1.5, on 2020-07-07. Cycle 3.2 arrived on 2020-07-27 and wrapped up development with version 3.2.2 on 2020-12-19. All of these early series have concluded their active lifecycles.
2020 to 2022: Expanding Branches from Cycle 3.3 to Cycle 4.0
As documented by the endoflife.date Mastodon API, release management adopted explicit end-of-life dates beginning with later iterations of the third series. Cycle 3.3 debuted on 2020-12-27, saw version 3.3.3 published on 2022-03-30, and reached its scheduled end of life on 2022-05-26. Next came Cycle 3.4, which launched on 2021-05-16, passed its end-of-life milestone on 2022-11-06, and published maintenance release 3.4.10 on 2022-11-14.
Cycle 3.5 brought further structural updates upon its launch on 2022-03-30. Its planned end of life arrived on 2023-12-31, with maintenance build 3.5.19 published on 2024-02-16. Major line Cycle 4.0 was released on 2022-11-14 and ended support on 2023-10-31, issuing its final maintenance build, 4.0.15, on 2024-02-16.
2023 to 2024: Development Progression Across Cycles 4.1, 4.2, and 4.3
Cycle 4.1 arrived on 2023-02-10, issuing maintenance release 4.1.25 on 2025-04-02 before concluding its lifecycle on 2025-04-08. Community managers monitoring moderation safeguards alongside software maintenance can evaluate platform tools in our guide covering Mastodon Moderation Tools: An At-a-Glance Profile.
Cycle 4.2 followed with a release on 2023-09-21. It delivered version 4.2.29 on 2026-01-07 and concluded support on 2026-01-08. Cycle 4.3 arrived on 2024-10-08 and reached its official support conclusion on 2026-05-06, with maintenance update 4.3.23 arriving shortly after on 2026-05-20.
2025: Transitioning Across Cycles 4.4 and 4.5
Mid-decade server releases brought extended timelines that require careful scheduling from administrators. Cycle 4.4 launched on 2025-07-08, delivering maintenance build 4.4.27 on 2026-10-29. This branch carries an established end-of-life date of 2026-12-17, signaling that operators running this series must plan branch migrations before late 2026 support concludes.
Cycle 4.5 was published on 2025-11-06 and issued release 4.5.20 on 2026-10-29. Unlike earlier iterations, Cycle 4.5 provides runway well into future operations, with a scheduled end-of-life target set for 2027-02-20.
2026: Active Contemporary Branches in Cycles 4.6 and 4.7
The newest server branches actively under continuous development are Cycle 4.6 and Cycle 4.7. Cycle 4.6 launched on 2026-06-17 and published release 4.6.10 on 2026-10-29. It remains actively maintained with no designated end-of-life date. Cycle 4.7 was released on 2026-08-20, reaching maintenance release 4.7.4 on 2026-10-29, also operating with active support and no set expiration.
According to the endoflife.date Mastodon API, no Mastodon cycle carries a long-term support (LTS) flag. Server operators must expect rolling version transitions rather than multi-year frozen branches. For deployment instructions on server operating systems, see our walk-through on Installing Mastodon from Source on Ubuntu: Step-by-Step Guide.
Milestone Checklist: Modern Release Lifecycles
- Cycle 4.3: Released 2024-10-08, reached maintenance build 4.3.23 on 2026-05-20, ended support 2026-05-06.
- Cycle 4.4: Released 2025-07-08, reached maintenance build 4.4.27 on 2026-10-29, end-of-life date 2026-12-17.
- Cycle 4.5: Released 2025-11-06, reached maintenance build 4.5.20 on 2026-10-29, end-of-life date 2027-02-20.
- Cycle 4.6: Released 2026-06-17, reached maintenance build 4.6.10 on 2026-10-29, currently active.
- Cycle 4.7: Released 2026-08-20, reached maintenance build 4.7.4 on 2026-10-29, currently active.
Sources
Published October 30, 2026. No affiliate links on this page. Facts come from the sources linked above; check them for updates.