Introducing Extended Support Releases for Coder

Matt Vollmer

 on April 16, 2025

7 min read

Balancing Speed with Stability

When we first started formalizing our release cadence in 2024—committing to releasing on the first Tuesday of every month—it was our first step toward standardizing the upgrade experience for our customers and open-source community. Since then, we've learned more about how different teams adopt new versions, and we recognize that not every organization moves at the same pace. That’s why we’re evolving our release process in 2025:

• Monthly Innovation Releases: These updates will continue to be delivered on the first Tuesday of every month, just as they have through 2024. They bring the latest features and improvements, ensuring that teams who want to iterate quickly can stay ahead.
• Extended Support Releases (ESR): These versions are released twice a year, designed for customers who prefer a more measured approach to upgrading. Each ESR version consolidates the last six months of updates and receives 12 months of support from the date of release.

To ensure reliability and consistency with our previous release process, we are maintaining the mainline and stable release channels. Every monthly innovation release will first go into mainline, and then reach stable the following month. However, extended support releases will go directly to stable upon release, ensuring immediate availability for enterprises that prioritize stability.

Continuing Monthly Releases for Rapid Iteration

Monthly innovation releases remain the best way to stay updated with Coder’s latest enhancements and fixes. These releases will continue to include new features, performance improvements, and security updates, enabling teams that want a fast feedback loop to benefit from the newest capabilities as soon as they’re available.

Each monthly release will first be available in the mainline channel and then move to stable the following month. This ensures:

• Customers always receive the latest updates through mainline and can opt to wait until the version reaches stable.
• ESR versions provide a structured, long-term upgrade path for those needing greater predictability.
• Enterprises have flexibility in choosing when to upgrade based on their internal validation and testing processes.

For customers keeping pace with monthly releases, we’ll continue delivering detailed changelogs for every new release, lightweight emails with key updates, and incremental improvements through experimental, beta, and GA feature rollouts. These releases will continue to be made available on the first Tuesday of every month.

Introducing Semi-Annual Extended Support Releases

For customers who prefer a more predictable upgrade path, our new ESR versions will be available twice a year. Customers with a Premium support license will receive 12 months of support, including major bug fixes and security patches for each ESR version from the date of release.

Upcoming extended support releases:

• One ESR version in July 2025 (eligible for support through July 2026)
• One ESR version in December 2025 (eligible for support through December 2026)

ESR versions will serve as enterprise upgrade waypoints, bundling all the improvements from the prior six months into a single, well-documented, thoroughly tested release. These versions will be ideal for teams that need extended testing and validation before deploying to production.

Unlike monthly releases, each ESR version will go directly to the stable channel upon release, ensuring that organizations prioritizing stability can upgrade without waiting an additional month.

What’s Unique About Extended Support Releases?

Backporting Security and Critical Fixes

One of the biggest advantages of ESR versions is the backporting of critical bug fixes and security patches. We understand that many customers want to stay on a feature release for a longer period between upgrades but still need assurance that essential fixes will be provided. ESR versions will receive:

• Backported security patches for continued protection from vulnerabilities.
• Critical stability and performance fixes, particularly those affecting core product functionality.
• Clear documentation on what has been patched so teams can plan upgrades accordingly.

Community Engagement and Launch Events

To ensure customers and community members are fully informed and can take advantage of these significant releases, we will more broadly promote each ESR version with formal launch events. These events will include community engagement where users can interact with Coder and other customers, live demonstrations showcasing new functionality, and direct opportunities to engage with the Coder team.

Customers will be able to ask questions and gain deeper insights into how each ESR version fits into their development workflows. These events provide a structured way for teams to stay informed and ensure a smooth transition to the latest ESR version.

Looking Ahead

This new release strategy gives customers the best of both worlds: rapid innovation for those who want it and stability for those who need it. We’re excited to introduce this change and will share more details as we approach our first ESR version in July.

If you have any questions about how this affects your team, reach out to your Coder customer success team or visit our documentation for more details.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Coder making this change to the release process?

We’ve learned that different customers have different needs when it comes to updates. Some teams prefer rapid innovation, while others need more stability. This new model balances both by keeping monthly releases for fast adopters and introducing an ESR version for teams that need predictability.

What is the difference between monthly innovation releases and extended support releases?

Monthly innovation releases deliver the latest features and improvements on the first Tuesday of every month, allowing teams to iterate quickly. ESR versions, on the other hand, consolidate six months of updates into a version that receives extended support.

Does this mean new features will only be available every six months?

No. New features will continue to be released every month through monthly innovation releases. ESR versions are cumulative, meaning they include all features and fixes from the previous six months of monthly releases.

How long will Coder support each ESR version?

Customers with a Premium support license will receive 12 months of support for each ESR version. Customers with a standard Enterprise support license will receive six months of support for each ESR version.

What happens when an ESR version reaches the end of its support period?

Once an ESR version reaches its end-of-support window, customers will need to upgrade to a newer ESR version or transition to the latest monthly innovation release to receive continued support.

Will security patches and critical fixes be backported to ESR versions?

Yes, ESR versions will receive backported security updates and critical bug fixes to ensure continued stability and security.

How do I know if my organization should adopt monthly innovation releases or ESR version?

If your team wants the latest features as soon as they are available, monthly innovation releases are the best choice. If your organization requires a more stable upgrade path with fewer updates, ESR versions provide a predictable, well-documented option.

Can I switch between monthly innovation releases and ESR versions?

Yes, customers can transition from monthly innovation releases to an ESR version at any time. However, once on an ESR version, customers should stay on the ESR track until the next ESR version becomes available.

How long should I test a new Coder version before deploying it to my production infrastructure?

The recommended testing period depends on your organization’s risk tolerance and deployment processes. However, if your organization requires a month or more to validate a new version release, then semi-annual ESR versions might be the best upgrade path.