PowerBuilder Versions and Support Lifecycle: Release Dates and End-of-Life

Two questions sit behind most PowerBuilder support and modernization conversations: what version are we actually on, and is it still supported. Neither should require a research project to answer. This page is the reference — a dated release history from PowerBuilder 9 to the current 2025 release, and a plain-language explanation of how Appeon's support lifecycle works, including the end-of-life dates that are already published.

The single most important fact first: PowerBuilder is actively developed and supported in 2026. It is owned by Appeon, an independent company that took over development, sales and support from SAP on 5 July 2016. The current release, PowerBuilder 2025, shipped on 7 May 2025. “PowerBuilder is dead” is a myth that pre-dates the Appeon era; the reality is a product on a regular release cadence with a documented support policy.

The two eras of PowerBuilder

Every version falls into one of two eras, and the difference decides whether you have a supported platform or a frozen one:

• Sybase era — PowerBuilder 9 (2003) through 12.6 (2013). These releases are no longer supported by anyone. They still run, and plenty of mission-critical systems still depend on them, but they receive no fixes and no security patches. If you are here, support is something you arrange privately, not something you receive from the vendor.
• Appeon era — PowerBuilder 2017 through 2025. Actively maintained, on a published lifecycle. Each line has a defined standard-support window and, for selected releases, a longer LTS window.

Appeon-era release history

Release dates for the Appeon-era lines, oldest to newest. Dates are the general-availability release dates as recorded in the public version history:

The “position in 2026” column is a summary, not a substitute for Appeon's live status. End-of-life dates move as new releases ship, and LTS designations are only assigned to selected versions after they have been on the market for a while. Always confirm the current position of your exact version against Appeon's Product Availability Matrix.

How Appeon's support lifecycle works

Appeon publishes an End of Life policy that sets minimum support windows. The two numbers worth remembering:

• Non-LTS version: at least 24 months of standard support (product fixes) from release.
• LTS version: at least 60 months of standard support, with at least 18 months of overlap with the next LTS version so you are never forced into a rushed jump. Only selected major versions or revisions receive the LTS designation.

Crucially, an end-of-support date never arrives silently. Appeon commits to publishing an End of Life notice at least 12 months ahead for a non-LTS version and at least 18 months ahead for an LTS version. That notice window is your planning runway.

The end-of-life dates already published

The most relevant concrete example for teams on a recent-but-not-current version is the 2021 line. Per Appeon's official notice:

There is no LTS version of PowerBuilder 2021 — the recommended path is to move to 2022 / 2022 R2 or newer. The same pattern applies as each older line ages out: the notice is published well ahead, a supported upgrade target is named, and the jump is small if you do not let the gap grow.

What this means for you

Line your situation up against three cases:

1. On the Sybase era (9–12.6). You have a frozen but working platform. There is no ticking vendor deadline, but there is a slow-moving talent and platform-compatibility risk. Upgrading is a decision you make on your timeline, not a fire drill.
2. On an aged Appeon line (2017–2021). You are past or near end of life on a version that is only a short hop from a supported one. This is the cheapest upgrade you will ever do — do not let it drift into becoming a big one.
3. On 2022 or 2025. You are supported. The work here is staying current with revisions and planning the next hop before its notice window, not reacting to it.

Sources.Release dates are drawn from the public PowerBuilder version history; support-window rules and the 2021 end-of-life dates are from Appeon's own End of Life policy and release notices, linked above. Exact per-version status changes over time — confirm your specific version against Appeon's live Product Availability Matrix before making a plan around a date.