Python Versions
Since Python 3.9: PEP 602 -- Annual Release Cycle for Python
New Python release every 12 months (1 year)
12 months (1 year) release cycle
18 months (1.5 year) of bugfix updates
42 months (3.5 year) of security updates
Python Release Cycle
Since Python 3.9: PEP 602 -- Annual Release Cycle for Python
Python 3.9-3.12: one and a half years of full support, followed by three and a half years of security fixes
Python 3.13 and newer: two years of full support, followed by three years of security fixes
12 months (1 year) release cycle
24 months (2 year) of bugfix updates
48 months (4 year) of security updates
Figure 1. Python 12 months release cycle.
Which Version?
You should use newest official Python version [3]
Github branches: https://github.com/python/cpython/branches/all
Version |
PEP |
Status |
Release |
End-of-life |
Release Manager |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
3.14 |
feature |
2025-10-01 |
2030-10 |
Hugo van Kemenade |
|
3.13 |
bugfix |
2024-10-07 |
2029-10 |
Thomas Wouters |
|
3.12 |
bugfix |
2023-10-03 |
2028-10 |
Thomas Wouters |
|
3.11 |
bugfix |
2022-10-24 |
2027-10 |
Pablo Galindo Salgado |
|
3.10 |
security |
2021-10-04 |
2026-10 |
Pablo Galindo Salgado |
|
3.9 |
security |
2020-10-05 |
2025-10 |
Łukasz Langa |
Version |
PEP |
Status |
Release |
End-of-life |
Release Manager |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
3.8 |
end-of-life |
2019-10-20 |
2024-10-07 |
Łukasz Langa |
|
3.7 |
end-of-life |
2018-06-27 |
2023-06-27 |
Ned Deily |
|
3.6 |
end-of-life |
2016-12-23 |
2021-12-23 |
Ned Deily |
|
3.5 |
end-of-life |
2015-09-13 |
2020-09-13 |
Larry Hastings |
|
3.4 |
end-of-life |
2014-03-16 |
2019-03-16 |
Larry Hastings |
|
3.3 |
end-of-life |
2012-09-29 |
2017-09-29 |
Georg Brandl |
|
3.2 |
end-of-life |
2011-02-20 |
2016-02-20 |
Georg Brandl |
|
3.1 |
end-of-life |
2009-06-27 |
2012-04-09 |
Benjamin Peterson |
|
3.0 |
end-of-life |
2008-12-03 |
2009-01-13 |
Barry Warsaw |
|
2.7 |
end-of-life |
2010-07-03 |
2020-04-20 |
Benjamin Peterson |
|
2.6 |
end-of-life |
2008-10-01 |
2013-10-29 |
Barry Warsaw |
- features
new features, bugfixes, and security fixes are accepted.
- prerelease
feature fixes, bugfixes, and security fixes are accepted for the upcoming feature release.
- bugfix
bugfixes and security fixes are accepted, new binaries are still released. (Also called maintenance mode or stable release)
- security
only security fixes are accepted and no more binaries are released, but new source-only versions can be released
- end-of-life
release cycle is frozen; no further changes can be pushed to it.