Release cycle

Yii 1.1, Yii 2, and Yii3 follow separate release cycles and maintenance policies.

Package-based

Yii3

Each package is versioned independently using Semantic Versioning.

Major
Released at most yearly. May include breaking changes and removes deprecated code. Migration steps are documented in UPGRADE.md.
Minor
Adds features and may deprecate APIs without removing them. Platform requirements, including supported PHP versions, may change.
Patch
Contains compatible bug fixes, documentation improvements, and internal refactoring. Safe to upgrade without platform requirement changes.

Framework and extensions

Yii 2

The core framework and official extensions are versioned independently.

  • The current major version receives enhancements until work begins on the next major version.
  • The previous major version may continue to receive security fixes.

Maintenance mode

Yii 1.1

Updates are limited to changes that keep existing applications secure and operational.

  • Support for newer PHP versions where feasible.
  • Security fixes.
  • Critical bug fixes that do not require breaking changes.

Support timeline

Current versions

The timeline shows the support phase for each Yii branch. Lighter colors indicate forecast dates based on a new major release today.

  • Active supportFeatures, bug fixes, and security fixes
  • Feature freezeBug, security, and compatibility fixes
  • Security supportSecurity and PHP compatibility fixes
  • FutureNot released yet

Lifecycle dates

Dates for announced phases are listed below. Unannounced dates are calculated relative to the next major release.

Version PHP Release Feature freeze Security fixes only End of life
Yii3 >= 8.2 2025-12-31 2030-12-31 2032-12-31 2035-12-31
2.2.x ¹ >= 8.1 To be announced To be announced Next release +2 years Next release +5 years
>= 2.0.50 >= 7.3, <= 8.4 2024-05-30 2024-05-30 2026-11-23 2027-11-23
<= 2.0.49 >= 5.4, <= 8.3 2014-10-12 2023-08-29 2023-10-31 2026-11-23
1.1 >= 5.1 2010-01-10 2015-11-22 2017-01-01 2026-12-31

Yii 2.1 was skipped.