The short answer: the current Oracle Database versions are 19c and 26ai, both long-term support releases. 19c has Premier Support until 31 December 2029 and Extended Support until 31 December 2032. 26ai replaced 23ai in October 2025, as a release update rather than an upgrade. 21c was an innovation release: its support ends in July 2027, with no Extended Support. The version and edition of each database decide what it may use and how it is licensed. See what Oracle licensing costs for current prices.
Oracle Database versions and editions
Current Oracle Database versions
| Version | Release type | Released | Premier Support until | Extended Support until |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19c | Long-term | April 2019 | 31 December 2029 | 31 December 2032 |
| 21c | Innovation | August 2021 | July 2027 | Not offered |
| 23ai | Long-term | May 2024 | Replaced by 26ai in October 2025 | |
| 26ai | Long-term | October 2025 | See Oracle’s Lifetime Support Policy | |
Source: Oracle’s Lifetime Support Policy for Oracle Technology Products. A database already on 23ai moves to 26ai by applying the October 2025 release update, version 23.26.0.
To see the version of a database, run SELECT banner FROM v$version; on it. The banner also names the edition.
Oracle Database history
Sometimes, in managing licensing, knowledge of history of the deployed products is very useful and assumes critical importance. In the case of Oracle this is true of its flagship database products, their middleware suite, the applications suites & quite a few of the products acquired since 2004.
The Oracle database is a product that has been developed for the past 40 years with the first commercially available RDBMS released in 1979. Within four years, Oracle released a truly portable RDBMS that could run on mainframes, minicomputers & PCs. This database was written in C allowing porting and support on multiple operating systems & hardware platforms. While Oracle 6 introduced PL/SQL, it was Oracle 7 that made Oracle the ‘king of the database market’. Oracle 7 brought in stored procedures and triggers. Also the scalability and reliability of Oracle 7 made it most useful to be run on lower-cost computers. This ensured data integrity and better return on investments.
Oracle 8i changed the world with its becoming, along with a few other companies, the face of the internet. Oracle 8i provided native internet protocol support and server-side Java.
Since then there have been many more innovations that have helped Oracle remain the largest vendor in the database market. Some of these changes have been enumerated in the tables below.
Note that most of the innovations have repercussions for Oracle database licensing and the cost of ownership.
Why versions and editions matter in licensing
- A licence is not tied to a version. With support in place, a licence lets you move to a newer version at no extra licence cost. Without support, you have no right to the updates.
- Editions have changed. Standard Edition and Standard Edition One were replaced by Standard Edition 2 with release 12.1.0.2. Standard Edition 2 may only run on servers with up to two sockets, each database is limited to 16 CPU threads, and from 19c it no longer includes Real Application Clusters.
- Some limits move with the version. From 19c, up to three user-created pluggable databases per container need no Multitenant licence. A fourth does.
- Each version adds paid features. Several are switched on by default, so a database can use an option nobody bought. Our article on Oracle Database license compliance covers the five gaps we find most.
Oracle Database editions
Some of the Oracle database editions available over the years. We have mentioned only those versions that are currently important for managing Oracle license compliance.
| Oracle Database Lite | Oracle Database Express Edition | Oracle Database Personal Edition | Oracle Database Standard Edition | Oracle Database Standard Edition One | Oracle Database Std Edition 2 | Oracle Database Enterprise Edition | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Version | Oracle 8i | Oracle 10g | Oracle 7 | Oracle 8i | Oracle 10g | Oracle 12.1.0.2 | Oracle 8 |
| Current Availability | No | Free | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, Linux | Windows | Windows, Unix, Linux | Windows, Unix, Linux | Windows, Unix, Linux | Windows, Unix, Linux |
| Licensing Metrics | No longer sold | Free, no licence fee | Named User Plus, one user | Named User Plus, Processor | Named User Plus, Processor | Named User Plus, Processor | Named User Plus, Processor |
| Database Options | No | No | Yes(included in license, except RAC) | Only RAC (included after 10g) | No | None from 19c (RAC removed) | Yes (at extra cost) |
| Database Management Packs | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes (at extra cost) |
Oracle Database versions
The different Oracle versions available over the years:
| Oracle 7 | Oracle 8 | Oracle 8i | Oracle 9i | Oracle 10g | Oracle 11g | Oracle 12c | Oracle 18c | Oracle 19c | Oracle 21c | Oracle 23ai | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GA Year | 1992 | 1997 | 1998 | 2000 | 2003 | 2007 | 2013 | 2018 | 2019 | 2021 | 2024 |
| Banner Versions | 7.1.x 7.3.x |
8.0.x | 8.1.x | 9.0.1.x 9.2.0.x |
10.1.0.x 10.2.0.x |
11.1.0.x 11.2.0.x |
12.1.0.x 12.2.0.1 |
12.2.0.2 | 12.2.0.3 | 21.x | 23.x (23.26 and later: 26ai) |
| Key Features in Oracle Marketing Material | Universal Server | Oracle on Linux | Java in the database | Oracle Real Application Cluster (RAC) | Grid Database | Columnar Compression | Database for the cloud | Autonomous Database | Long-term support release | Innovation release | AI Vector Search |
| New Features Added Compared to earlier version Schedules | Distributed 2-phase commit, PL/SQL stored procedures, Triggers, Shared Cursors, Cost-Based Optimizer Parallel SQL Execution Transparent Application Failover Object-relational database |
Recovery Manager, Partitioning. First version available for Linux. |
Java and Native internet protocols, Virtual Private Database | Oracle Real Application Clusters (RAC), Oracle XML DB Advanced Queuing, Data Mining, Streams, Logical Standby |
Automated Database Management, Automatic Database Diagnostic Monitor, Grid infrastructure, Oracle ASM, Flashback Database Real Application Testing, Database Vault, Online Indexing, Advanced Compression, Data Guard Fast-Start Failover, Transparent Data Encryption |
Active Data Guard, Secure Files, Edition Based Redefinition, Data Redaction, Hybrid Columnar Compression, Cluster File System, Golden Gate Replication |
Multitenant architecture, In-Memory Column Store, Native JSON, SQL Pattern Matching, Native Sharding, Zero Data Loss Recovery Appliance |
Polymorphic Table Functions, Active Directory Integration |
Active Data Guard DML Redirection, Automatic Index Creation, Real-Time Statistics Maintenance, SQL Queries on Object Stores, In-Memory for IoT Data Streams |
Blockchain tables, native JSON data type | AI Vector Search, JSON Relational Duality |
| Brief Licensing Changes | Generally only one edition sold though some customers have noted presence of EE in the banner | Enterprise Edition introduced Partitioning & Management Pack Options introduced |
Concurrent licensing was stopped for this & earlier versions around this time | Processor & Named User Plus metrics only |
Increased Number of Options | Increased Number of Options | Increased Number of Options | Spatial & Graph option included in the database | Number of free PDBs increased to 3 | No Extended Support | Replaced by 26ai through a release update |
Finding every version you run
Version and edition come from the database itself, not from purchase records, and an estate built up over twenty years usually runs several of each. Our Oracle License Tool discovers Oracle Database from 8i upwards, with the options and packs in use against what each edition allows. It has been used to audit more than 30,000 servers.
Questions we are asked about Oracle Database versions
What is the latest version of Oracle Database?
Oracle AI Database 26ai, a long-term support release that replaced 23ai in October 2025. 19c is the other long-term release in support.
Which Oracle Database versions are still supported?
19c, with Premier Support until 31 December 2029 and Extended Support until 31 December 2032; 21c, until July 2027; and 26ai. Older versions are out of Premier Support.
How do I check my Oracle Database version?
Run SELECT banner FROM v$version; on the database. The result shows the version and the edition.
Do I need a new licence to upgrade Oracle Database?
No, if the licence has support. Support gives you the right to new versions of the products you have licensed. The edition and its limits stay the same, so a move from Standard Edition 2 to Enterprise Edition is a new purchase.
Not sure what your estate runs? Our Oracle license review finds every database, its version and edition, and what it is licensed for.
An audit letter, a renewal quote or a ULA end date on your desk? We check what Oracle, Microsoft, IBM or Broadcom is claiming, work out what you owe under your contract, defend against audits, and negotiate the rest down.