Oracle APEX and ORDS
End of Support and Compatibility Guide
Keeping your Oracle APEX and ORDS environments on supported versions is key to security, performance, and long-term value. This guide outlines support timelines and compatibility considerations, helping you plan upgrades and migrations with confidence.
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Introduction
When deciding whether to upgrade, migrate, or continue with your existing development tools, one of the key considerations is the support coverage for your current version.
This guide focuses on Oracle APEX and ORDS support timelines, compatibility, and their implications for your future development plans. As an organisation with over 25 years of experience with Oracle APEX development, DSP would always recommend migrating to APEX and upgrading to the latest supported versions to maintain stability, security, and long-term value.
The good news is that APEX is fully backwards compatible, meaning upgrades are far less complex than many organisations expect, even when moving from very early versions.
Oracle APEX Support Dates
Below is a colour-coded table showing when support ends for all versions of Oracle APEX from version 5.0.
| Release | General Availability Date | Support Ends |
| 24.2 | Jan-25 | Jan-27 |
| 24.1 | Jun-24 | Jun-26 |
| 23.2 | Nov-23 | Nov-25 |
| 23.1 | May-23 | May-25 |
| 22.2 | Nov-22 | Dec-24 |
| 22.1 | May-22 | Dec-24 |
| 21.2 | Nov-21 | Nov-24 |
| 21.1 | May-21 | May-24 |
| 20.2 | Oct-20 | Dec-24 |
| 20.1 | Apr-20 | Dec-24 |
| 19.2 | Nov-19 | Nov-24 |
| 19.1 | Mar-19 | Mar-24 |
| 18.2 | Sep-18 | Sep-23 |
| 18.1 | May-18 | May-23 |
| 5.1 | Dec-16 | Dec-21 |
| 5.0 | Apr-15 | Apr-20 |
Currently, only the three latest APEX versions are supported. Version 23.2 ends in November 2025. Support periods now run for two years from the General Availability Date.
When planning upgrades, always check the Database (DB) version compatibility for each version of APEX as per the compatibility matrix below:
| APEX▼ / DB ▶ | 11.1 | 11.2 | 12.1 | 12.2 | 18c | 19c | 21c | 23ai |
| APEX 5.0 | ||||||||
| APEX 5.1 | ||||||||
| APEX 18.1 | ||||||||
| APEX 18.2 | ||||||||
| APEX 19.1 | ||||||||
| APEX 19.2 | ||||||||
| APEX 20.1 | ||||||||
| APEX 20.2 | ||||||||
| APEX 21.1 | ||||||||
| APEX 21.2 | ||||||||
| APEX 22.1 | ||||||||
| APEX 22.2 | ||||||||
| APEX 23.1 | ||||||||
| APEX 23.2 | ||||||||
| APEX 24.1 | ||||||||
| APEX.24.2 |
ORDS Support Dates
Oracle REST Data Services (ORDS) is a mid-tier application that can be tightly integrated with Oracle APEX, acting as the web server that enables users to access APEX applications. Different versions of ORDS are compatible with various versions of APEX, and they also have support considerations regarding end dates. Below is a table that shows when the support ends for different versions of ORDS:
| Release | General Availability Date | Support Ends |
| 25.1 | Apr-25 | Oct-26 |
| 24.4 | Dec-24 | Jun-26 |
| 24.3 | Sep-24 | Mar-26 |
| 24.2 | Jul-24 | Jan-26 |
| 24.1 | Apr-24 | Oct-25 |
| 23.4 | Dec-23 | Jun-25 |
| 23.3 | Oct-23 | Apr-25 |
| 23.2 | Jul-23 | Dec-24 |
| 23.1 | Mar-23 | Dec-24 |
| 22.4 | Dec-22 | Dec-24 |
| 22.3 | Nov-22 | Dec-24 |
| 22.2 | Jun-22 | Dec-24 |
| 22.1 | May-22 | Dec-24 |
| 21.4 | Dec-21 | Dec-24 |
| 21.3 | Oct-21 | Dec-24 |
| 21.2 | Jul-21 | Dec-24 |
| 21.1 | Jan-21 | Dec-24 |
| 20.4 | Jan-21 | Dec-24 |
| 20.3 | Oct-00 | Dec-24 |
| 20.2 | Jul-00 | Dec-24 |
| 19.4 | Dec-19 | Dec-24 |
| 19.2 | Aug-19 | Dec-24 |
| 19.1 | Apr-19 | Dec-24 |
| 18.4 | Jan-19 | Dec-23 |
Most earlier versions of ORDS had support end dates of December 2024, up to version 23.2 (which was generally available in October 2023). At the time of writing, five versions of ORDS remain supported.
Unlike APEX (which usually has two releases a year), ORDS historically has more frequent releases. This creates multiple compatibility overlaps with APEX. See the compatibility matrix below:
| APEX▼ / ORDS ▶ | 18.4 | 19.1 | 19.2 | 20.1 | 20.2 | 21.1 | 21.2 | 21.4 | 22.1 | 22.2 | 23.1 | 23.2 | 23.3 |
| APEX 5.0 | |||||||||||||
| APEX 5.1 | |||||||||||||
| APEX 18.1 | |||||||||||||
| APEX 18.2 | |||||||||||||
| APEX 19.1 | |||||||||||||
| APEX 19.2 | |||||||||||||
| APEX 20.1 | |||||||||||||
| APEX 20.2 | |||||||||||||
| APEX 21.1 | |||||||||||||
| APEX 21.2 | |||||||||||||
| APEX 22.1 | |||||||||||||
| APEX 22.2 | |||||||||||||
| APEX 23.1 | |||||||||||||
| APEX 23.2* | |||||||||||||
| APEX 24.1* | |||||||||||||
| APEX.24.2 |
* Note: These versions of APEX can run on earlier versions of ORDS but require 23.3 for use of Quick SQL.
Compatibility information for later ORDS versions isn’t always available, but as with APEX, ORDS is developed to be backwards compatible, so it is possible for later versions of ORDS to be compatible with earlier versions of APEX.
Conclusion
Staying on top of support timelines is essential for keeping your development tools secure, efficient, and future-ready. If your APEX or ORDS versions are approaching end-of-support, now is the time to consider upgrading.
At DSP, we are recognised specialists in APEX development, upgrades, and modernisation projects. Whether you’re looking to upgrade your current environment, align APEX with your database roadmap, or explore migration options, our consultants can help ensure a smooth transition.
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