About dbt Core versions
dbt Core releases follow semantic versioning guidelines. For more on how we use semantic versions, see How dbt Core uses semantic versioning.
Latest Releases
| dbt Core | Initial Release | Support Level | Critical Support Until |
|---|---|---|---|
| v1.5 | Apr 27, 2023 | Active | Apr 27, 2024 |
| v1.4 | Jan 25, 2023 | Critical | Jan 25, 2024 |
| v1.3 | Oct 12, 2022 | Critical | Oct 12, 2023 |
| v1.2 | Jul 26, 2022 | Critical | Jul 26, 2023 |
| v1.1 ⚠️ | Apr 28, 2022 | End of Life ⚠️ | Apr 28, 2023 |
| v1.0 ⚠️ | Dec 3, 2021 | End of Life ⚠️ | Dec 3, 2022 ⚠️ |
| v0.X ⚠️ | (Various dates) | End of Life ⚠️ | Deprecated ⚠️ |
Planned future releases
Future release dates are tentative and subject to change.
| dbt Core | Planned Release | Critical & dbt Cloud Support Until |
|---|---|---|
| v1.6 | July 2023 | July 2024 |
| v1.7 | Oct 2023 | Oct 2024 |
| v1.8 | Jan 2024 | Jan 2025 |
| v1.9 | Apr 2024 | Apr 2025 |
Further reading
- To learn how you can use dbt Core versions in dbt Cloud, see Choosing a dbt Core version.
- To learn about installing dbt Core, see "How to install dbt Core."
- To restrict your project to only work with a range of dbt Core versions, or use the currently running dbt Core version, see
require-dbt-versionanddbt_version.
Version support prior to v1.0
All dbt Core versions released prior to 1.0 and their version-specific documentation have been deprecated. If upgrading to a currently supported version, reference our best practices for upgrading
EOL version support
All dbt Core versions with an end-of-life (EOL) support level will no longer receive bug fixes. To continue receiving bug fixes, dbt Labs recommends upgrading to a newer version.
All dbt Core versions v1.0 and later are available in dbt Cloud until further notice. In the future, we intend to align dbt Cloud availability with dbt Core ongoing support. You will receive plenty of advance notice before any changes take place.
Current version support
Minor versions
Minor versions include new features and capabilities. They will be supported for one year from their initial release date. dbt Labs is committed to this 12-month support timeframe. Our mechanism for continuing to support a minor version is by releasing new patches: small, targeted bug fixes. Whenever we refer to a minor version, such as v1.0, we always mean its latest available patch release (v1.0.x).
While a minor version is officially supported:
- You can use it in dbt Cloud. For more on dbt Cloud versioning, see Choosing a dbt version.
- You can select it from the version dropdown on this website, to see documentation that is accurate for use with that minor version.
Ongoing patches
During the 12-month support window, we will continue to release new patch versions that include fixes.
Active Support: In the first few months after a minor version's initial release, we will patch it with "bugfix" releases. These will include fixes for regressions and net-new bugs that were present in the minor version's original release.
Critical Support: When a newer minor version is available, we will transition the previous minor version into "Critical Support." Subsequent patches to that older minor version will be "security" releases only, limited to critical fixes related to security and installation.
After a minor version reaches the end of its critical support period, one year after its initial release, no new patches will be released.
Future versions
We aim to release a new minor "feature" every 3 months. This is an indicative timeline ONLY. For the latest information about upcoming releases, including their planned release dates and which features and fixes might be included in each, always consult the dbt-core repository milestones.
Best practices for upgrading
Because of our new version practice, we've outlined best practices and expectations for dbt users to upgrade as we continue to release new versions of dbt Core.
Upgrading to new patch versions
We expect users to upgrade to patches as soon as they're available. When we refer to a "minor version" of dbt Core, such as v1.0, we are always referring to the latest available patch release for that minor version. We encourage you to structure your development and production environments so that you can always install the latest patches of dbt-core and any adapter plugins. (Note that patch numbers may be different between dbt-core and plugins. See below for an explanation.)
Upgrading to new minor versions
During the official support period, minor versions will remain available in dbt Cloud and the version dropdown on the docs site. While we do not expect users to immediately upgrade to newer minor versions as soon as they're available, there will always be some features and fixes only available for users of the latest minor version.
Trying prereleases
All dbt Core versions are available as prereleases before the final release. "Release candidates" are available for testing, in production-like environments, two weeks before the final release. For minor versions, we also aim to release one or more "betas," which include new features and invite community feedback, 4+ weeks before the final release. It is in your interest to help us test prereleases—we need your help!
How dbt Core uses semantic versioning
Like many software projects, dbt Core releases follow semantic versioning, which defines three types of version releases.
- Major versions: To date, dbt Core has had one major version release: v1.0.0. When v2.0.0 is released, it will introduce new features, and functionality that has been announced for deprecation will stop working.
- Minor versions, also called "feature" releases, include a mix of new features, behind-the-scenes improvements, and changes to existing capabilities that are backwards compatible with previous minor versions. They will not break code in your project that relies on documented functionality.
- Patch versions, also called "bugfix" or "security" releases, include fixes only. These fixes could be needed to restore previous (documented) behavior, fix obvious shortcomings of new features, or offer critical fixes for security or installation issues. We are judicious about which fixes are included in patch releases, to minimize the surface area of changes.
We are committed to avoiding breaking changes in minor versions for end users of dbt. There are two types of breaking changes that may be included in minor versions:
- Changes to the Python interface for adapter plugins. These changes are relevant only to adapter maintainers, and they will be clearly communicated in documentation and release notes.
- Changes to metadata interfaces, including artifacts and logging, signalled by a version bump. Those version upgrades may require you to update external code that depends on these interfaces, or to coordinate upgrades between dbt orchestrations that share metadata, such as state-powered selection.
How we version adapter plugins
When you use dbt, you use a combination of dbt-core and an adapter plugin specific to your database. You can see the current list in Supported Data Platforms. Both dbt-core and dbt adapter plugins follow semantic versioning.
dbt-core and adapter plugins coordinate new features and behind-the-scenes changes in minor releases. When fixing bugs, sooner is better, so patch versions are released independently for dbt-core and plugins.
That means that patch version numbers will likely differ between dbt-core and the adapter plugin(s) you have installed. However, major and minor version numbers should always match.
For example, you may find you're using dbt-core==1.2.3 with dbt-snowflake==1.2.0. It is critical that you're using the latest patch available for both core and the adapter (v1.2.x). Use the dbt --version command to see which versions you have installed:
$ dbt --version
installed version: 1.2.3
latest version: 1.2.3
Up to date!
Plugins:
- snowflake: 1.2.0 - Up to date!
It's likely that newer patches have become available since then, so it's always important to check and make sure you're up to date!