IBM i Support Status
IBM publishes fixed end-of-support dates for each IBM i release. IBM i 7.3 support ended in April 2026; IBM i 7.4 is supported through April 2028 and IBM i 7.5 through April 2030. Knowing where a specific release stands is the first step in any support or upgrade planning conversation.
IBM publishes a fixed end-of-support date for every IBM i release, and unlike some vendors, IBM has been consistent about actually enforcing them. As of this writing, IBM i 7.3 support has already ended (April 2026), IBM i 7.4 is supported through April 2028, and IBM i 7.5 is supported through April 2030. If your organization is still running IBM i 7.3 in production, this is not a future planning item, it is a current gap.
Current IBM i Support Dates
| Release | General availability | End of support |
|---|---|---|
| IBM i 7.3 | 2016 | April 2026 (ended) |
| IBM i 7.4 | 2019 | April 2028 |
| IBM i 7.5 | 2022 | April 2030 |
IBM i support windows have historically run roughly seven to ten years from general availability, but organizations should confirm current dates directly with IBM before making a purchasing or budget decision, since IBM periodically issues extended support offerings for a fee after the standard end date.
What End of Support Actually Means
When an IBM i release reaches end of support, IBM stops producing standard PTFs, including security fixes, for that version. The system generally continues to run, which is why many organizations mistakenly treat an end-of-support date as a soft deadline. In practice, running an unsupported IBM i release means accumulating security exposure with no vendor remediation path, and it typically also means the release is no longer certified for current or upcoming Power hardware generations.
Extended Support Options
IBM has, in some cases, offered paid extended support programs for releases past their standard end-of-support date, providing continued PTF access for organizations not yet ready to upgrade. Extended support is not guaranteed for every release and should be confirmed directly with IBM or an IBM Business Partner rather than assumed available, since terms and pricing change between releases.
Planning Around a Support Deadline
An approaching or passed end-of-support date is one of the most common triggers for an IBM i upgrade project, alongside hardware end of life. Because an OS upgrade (for example, from IBM i 7.3 to 7.5) is frequently bundled with a hardware refresh to current Power Systems generations, support planning and hardware sizing should happen together. See IBM Power sizing basics and IBM i licensing explained for the factors that shape that combined decision.