Releases and Support

Releases and support

Home / Versions and direction

Choose a supported release line first, then its current servicing patch. A preview, a merge to main, and a supported stable release are different things.

Release information

See the SqlClient driver support lifecycle on Microsoft Learn for release versions, support dates, and compatibility guidance.

Runtime and package compatibility

The reviewed 6.1/7.0 lines support .NET Framework 4.6.2+ on Windows and modern .NET 8.0+ on supported hosts. Their implementation assets target net462, net8.0, and net9.0. Runtime support also depends on the runtime's own lifecycle.

The .NET Standard 2.0 surface restored in 6.1 is for library compatibility, not a runnable implementation. A library's successful compile does not prove its consuming application's runtime is supported.

.NET 10 runtime coverage in CI is not evidence of a shipped net10.0 driver assembly. Check the selected package and release notes.

For the aligned 7.0.2+ family, update the driver and companion packages you reference together. Do not apply that alignment rule to independently versioned packages such as native SNI or Microsoft.SqlServer.Server.

Next: Migration plan or Roadmap.

Sources: 6.1 framework notes, 7.0.3 package notes, official lifecycle.