When was Azure Data Studio retired?

Azure Data Studio was retired on February 28, 2026. Microsoft published the retirement announcement on February 6, 2025, approximately one year before the end-of-support date, so teams had a full migration window.

Can I still download Azure Data Studio after retirement?

Microsoft has kept the final Azure Data Studio installers available for download so existing users can continue working, but the product is no longer maintained. New installs are discouraged because there are no security updates. Migrating to a supported tool is strongly recommended.

What does retired mean for Azure Data Studio users?

Retired means the product has stopped active development. Microsoft is no longer adding features, patching bugs, or shipping security fixes. Existing Azure Data Studio installations still run and connect to SQL Server, Azure SQL, and PostgreSQL, but any newly discovered vulnerabilities will not be fixed. Production use is discouraged.

Azure Data Studio Retirement 2026: Official Status

Q: Did Azure Data Studio really retire?

Yes. Microsoft officially retired Azure Data Studio on February 28, 2026. The retirement was announced on February 6, 2025, giving users roughly 12 months to migrate. As of April 2026, Azure Data Studio is no longer receiving new features, bug fixes, or security patches.

Q: Is Azure Data Studio end of life?

Yes, Azure Data Studio reached end of life on February 28, 2026. The product is no longer supported: no new releases, no security updates, and no official Microsoft support. Existing installations still launch and connect to databases, but Microsoft advises against using it in production.

Q: What is the Azure Data Studio latest version in 2026?

The final release of Azure Data Studio prior to retirement shipped in early 2026 (the 1.48.x line). No further versions have been released since the February 28, 2026 retirement date. Any installers or VSIX extensions older than that are the final available builds.

Q: What replaces Azure Data Studio?

Microsoft's official guidance is to move to the VS Code MSSQL extension or SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS, Windows only). Third-party replacements that cover the full Azure Data Studio workflow on Mac, Windows, and Linux include Jam SQL Studio (free, AI-native, cross-platform, with execution plans, schema compare, charts, and SQL notebook compatibility).

Yes — Microsoft officially retired Azure Data Studio on February 28, 2026. The end-of-life was announced on February 6, 2025. Azure Data Studio is now discontinued: no new releases, no security patches, no official support. Existing installs still run, but production use is discouraged. This page covers the final version, Microsoft's recommended successors, and a free cross-platform replacement.

Download Free Replacement See Retirement Timeline

Last updated April 18, 2026 • Mac, Windows, Linux • Free for personal use

At a Glance

Product: Azure Data Studio (ADS)
Status: Retired / End of Life
Retirement date: February 28, 2026
Announcement date: February 6, 2025
Final version line: 1.48.x (final release prior to retirement)
Security updates: None after February 28, 2026
Microsoft recommended successors: VS Code MSSQL extension, SSMS (Windows)
Free cross-platform replacement: Jam SQL Studio (Mac, Windows, Linux)

Source: Microsoft Learn — What's happening to Azure Data Studio.

Retirement Timeline

The path from announcement to end of life took just over 12 months. These are the key dates on the Azure Data Studio retirement calendar.

Feb 6, 2025
Retirement announced. Microsoft published the official retirement notice on the Azure SQL blog and Microsoft Learn, giving users approximately 12 months of lead time to plan their migration.
Mid 2025
Final feature freeze. Active development slowed as Microsoft redirected engineering effort to the VS Code MSSQL extension. Only critical bug fixes shipped in the last few point releases.
Early 2026
Final release (1.48.x). The last supported Azure Data Studio build shipped shortly before the retirement date. No further versions are planned.
Feb 28, 2026
End of support. Official retirement date. Azure Data Studio is discontinued. No new releases, no security patches, no Microsoft support tickets.
Post Feb 28, 2026
Current status. Existing installations continue to launch and connect to SQL Server, Azure SQL, and PostgreSQL. Microsoft advises migrating to a supported tool; production use is discouraged because newly discovered CVEs will not be patched.

What “Retired” Means in Practice

In Microsoft terminology, a retired product is one that has reached end of life. For Azure Data Studio, the practical effects as of April 2026 are:

No new features. Development has stopped. The feature set is frozen at the 1.48.x release.
No security patches. Newly discovered vulnerabilities in Azure Data Studio, its Electron runtime, or bundled extensions will not be fixed. This is the primary reason Microsoft recommends migrating off.
No bug fixes. Crashes, query-grid issues, IntelliSense regressions, and connector bugs will remain unfixed.
No official support. You cannot file a support case with Microsoft for Azure Data Studio. Community GitHub issues are read-only or archived.
Installers remain available. The final builds are still downloadable so existing users can keep working while they migrate, but new production installs are discouraged.
Extensions are frozen too. The SQL Server Dacpac, SQL Database Projects, and schema compare extensions are no longer being updated for Azure Data Studio.

If you are running Azure Data Studio today, it will continue to launch and connect. But for any environment where security or compliance matters — which is most production databases — you should plan a migration.

Azure Data Studio Latest Version (Final)

The last shipped version of Azure Data Studio is on the 1.48.x release line — the final point release prior to the February 28, 2026 retirement. If your installation reports a lower version, it is on an older monthly update; Microsoft released point updates approximately every 4–6 weeks during active development.

To check your own version: open Azure Data Studio and choose Help → About. A version lower than 1.48 means you're on an older build, and because updates have stopped there is no way to upgrade to anything newer.

There will be no Azure Data Studio 1.49, 1.50, or 2.0. The product line is closed. For context on how Microsoft framed this, see their official Azure Data Studio retirement FAQ on Microsoft Learn.

What To Do Now: Migration Options

With Azure Data Studio retired, every team that relied on it has to pick a replacement. There is no single drop-in successor from Microsoft — they split the functionality across two tools. Here are the realistic options as of 2026.

1. Jam SQL Studio — recommended for Mac & Linux users

Free, cross-platform, AI-native SQL IDE built specifically as an Azure Data Studio replacement. Runs natively on macOS (Apple Silicon and Intel), Windows, and Linux. Covers the full Azure Data Studio feature set: IntelliSense, execution plans, schema compare, data compare, charting, and SQL notebook (.ipynb) compatibility. Adds a built-in MCP server for AI coding assistants — a capability Azure Data Studio never had.

Get Jam SQL Studio Migration Guide

2. VS Code MSSQL Extension — Microsoft's official recommendation

Microsoft's primary successor path. You install Visual Studio Code and add the MSSQL extension. Covers basic query editing, IntelliSense, and results viewing. Missing pieces compared to Azure Data Studio: no built-in execution plan viewer, no schema compare, no data compare, and no native notebook editor tuned for SQL. Good fit if you already live in VS Code.

3. SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) — Windows only

The classic Microsoft SQL tool. Full-featured for SQL Server and Azure SQL, with execution plans, profiler, and all administration dialogs. The blocker: SSMS is Windows-only. If you switched to Azure Data Studio because you run a Mac or Linux workstation, SSMS is not a migration path.

4. Other third-party IDEs

DBeaver Community (free, Java, cross-platform), JetBrains DataGrip (paid subscription), and Aqua Data Studio (paid) are all cross-platform options. They cover SQL Server and Postgres but generally lack the notebook-first workflow that made Azure Data Studio popular with data teams.

Why Jam SQL Studio Is the Drop-In Replacement

Microsoft's own successors (VS Code MSSQL, SSMS) leave gaps: no unified notebook editor, no cross-platform parity, no AI agent support. Jam SQL Studio was built to close those gaps on day one.

SQL Notebook (.ipynb) Compatibility

Open your existing Azure Data Studio notebooks in Jam SQL Studio without conversion. Run SQL cells, keep Markdown documentation inline, and export results. One of the few tools that preserves the notebook workflow after the retirement.

Cross-Platform by Default

Native builds for macOS (Apple Silicon and Intel), Windows x64 / ARM64, and Linux x64. No JRE, no Rosetta. The same experience Azure Data Studio users had on Mac, now with a modern Electron shell and fast startup.

AI-Native via Built-in MCP Server

A local Model Context Protocol server lets Claude Code, Claude Desktop, GitHub Copilot, and other AI coding assistants safely query your databases with read-only defaults and per-connection policies. Azure Data Studio never had this; its successors still don't.

Multi-Database in One Tool

SQL Server, Azure SQL Database, Azure SQL Managed Instance, PostgreSQL (including Azure Database for PostgreSQL), MySQL, MariaDB, Oracle, and SQLite — all in one app with a consistent object explorer, query editor, schema compare, and execution plan viewer.

Free Personal Tier

Unlimited connections, IntelliSense, execution plans, schema compare, data compare, and charting in the free tier. Paid Pro features are additive, not gating; you don't lose the Azure Data Studio experience behind a paywall.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about the Azure Data Studio retirement, its end-of-life status, and what to use instead.

Did Azure Data Studio really retire?

Yes. Microsoft officially retired Azure Data Studio on February 28, 2026. The retirement was announced on February 6, 2025, giving users roughly 12 months to migrate. As of April 2026 the product is no longer receiving new features, bug fixes, or security patches. This is confirmed in Microsoft's official retirement notice.

When exactly was Azure Data Studio retired?

The Azure Data Studio retirement date was February 28, 2026. Microsoft published the announcement on February 6, 2025, which gave teams approximately one year of lead time before end-of-support. There were no extensions to that date.

Is Azure Data Studio end of life?

Yes. Azure Data Studio reached end of life on February 28, 2026. The product is no longer supported. Practically, this means no new releases, no CVE patches, and no Microsoft support tickets. Existing installations still launch and connect to SQL Server, Azure SQL, and Postgres, but running an unpatched SQL client against production data is not recommended.

What is the Azure Data Studio latest version in 2026?

The final release line is 1.48.x, shipped shortly before the February 28, 2026 retirement. No further versions have been released since the retirement date, and none are planned. If your install reports something lower, you're on an older monthly build; there is no upgrade path because updates have stopped.

What replaces Azure Data Studio?

Microsoft's official guidance is to move to the VS Code MSSQL extension or SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS). SSMS is Windows-only, so it's not a fit for Mac or Linux users. For a cross-platform, free, drop-in replacement with notebook support, execution plans, schema compare, and AI agent integration, Jam SQL Studio is the closest match to the Azure Data Studio experience.

Can I still download Azure Data Studio?

Microsoft kept the final Azure Data Studio installers available after retirement so existing users could continue working during migration. New installs are discouraged because the product will not receive security updates. If you're starting a new project or onboarding a new developer in 2026, pick a supported tool instead.

What does “retired” mean for existing Azure Data Studio users?

Retired means end of active development. Your existing installation will still launch and connect to databases, but Microsoft is no longer fixing bugs, patching vulnerabilities, or taking support cases. Any newly reported Electron, Node, or connector CVE will go unfixed in Azure Data Studio. For compliance-sensitive environments (finance, healthcare, government), this is typically a hard blocker and triggers a migration requirement.

Replace Azure Data Studio with a Free, Supported Tool

Jam SQL Studio is a free, cross-platform, AI-native replacement for Azure Data Studio. SQL notebooks, execution plans, schema compare, charts — on Mac, Windows, and Linux.