Amazon EKS 1.21 End of Life
Support dates and upgrade guidance — rebuilt from live data.
Amazon EKS 1.21 reached end of life on 16 Feb 2023. It no longer receives security fixes.
Support timeline
Official dates from the Amazon EKS release process.
| Milestone | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Initial release | 19 Jul 2021 | — |
| End of life | 16 Feb 2023 | 3.5 years ago |
| Extended support ends | 15 Jul 2024 | over |
| Latest release | 1.21-eks-18 · 9 Jun 2023 | final |
Where to go from 1.21
Recommended target: Amazon EKS 1.36 (supported until 2 Aug 2027).
The newest actively supported branch is Amazon EKS 1.36 (latest release 1.36-eks-6).
Frequently asked questions
Is Amazon EKS 1.21 still safe to use?
Amazon EKS 1.21 reached end of life on 16 Feb 2023, 1,270 days ago, and is no longer covered by standard support. Running it means no guaranteed security fixes.
Can I still download Amazon EKS 1.21?
Yes — the final release (1.21-eks-18) generally remains available from vendor archives and OS package mirrors, but installing it means running software with known, unpatched vulnerabilities.
What should I upgrade Amazon EKS 1.21 to?
Upgrade to Amazon EKS 1.36, the newest actively supported branch (supported until 2 Aug 2027).