Is COBOL compilers Still Supported? End-of-Life Dates (2026)
Short answer
COBOL compilers is supported and new versions continue to ship.
COBOL has no single support date: each compiler follows its vendor's schedule, so the date that matters belongs to your compiler release, for example IBM Enterprise COBOL for z/OS 6.3, which left standard support on 30 September 2025.
Legacy Technology Tracker · Status as of 16 Oct 2026. Data checked 7 Oct 2026; refreshed monthly, with quarterly snapshots kept unchanged.
Risk rating
Low: supported, with new release lines continuing; no exploited-vulnerability or licence signal. How ratings work
Key facts
Every value links to its source and shows when we last checked or retrieved it. Data checked 7 Oct 2026; status as of 16 Oct 2026.
| Fact | Value | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Support status | SupportedRocket Visual COBOL (formerly Micro Focus) releases tracked by endoflife.date, plus IBM Enterprise COBOL for z/OS releases with IBM lifecycle pages verified (6.2, 6.3, 6.5). | ||
| Support end date | No end date announced | ||
| Extended support offer | IBM support extension for Enterprise COBOL for z/OS (6.3.x) (vendor), until 30 Sep 2028Pricing basis: An extra charge set by IBM, available after a release's end-of-support date under the Enhanced lifecycle policy; IBM publishes no amount. | ||
| Known exploited vulnerabilities (CISA KEV) | 0 CVEs all time; 0 added in the last 24 monthsMatched by vendor and product name in the KEV catalog. No CISA KEV entry names a COBOL compiler. | ||
| Job postings and salaries | Not published: the job-posting source is on hold pending a data licence. | — | — |
Versions in scope
Rocket Visual COBOL (formerly Micro Focus) releases tracked by endoflife.date, plus IBM Enterprise COBOL for z/OS releases with IBM lifecycle pages verified (6.2, 6.3, 6.5). Dates per version, each with its source.
| Version | Status | Standard support ends | Extended support ends | Latest release | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0 | Unsupported | — | — | |||
| 2.1 | Unsupported | — | — | |||
| 2.2 | Unsupported | — | — | |||
| 2.3 | Unsupported | — | — | |||
| 3.0 | Unsupported | — | — | |||
| 4.0 | Unsupported | — | — | |||
| 5.0 | Unsupported | — | — | |||
| 6.0 | Unsupported | — | — | |||
| 7.0 | Unsupported | — | — | |||
| 8.0 | Unsupported | — | — | |||
| 9.0 | Supported | — | — | |||
| 10.0 | Supported | — | — | |||
| IBM Enterprise COBOL for z/OS 6.2 | Paid extended support only | — | ||||
| IBM Enterprise COBOL for z/OS 6.3 | Paid extended support only | — | ||||
| IBM Enterprise COBOL for z/OS 6.5 | Supported | — | — | — |
If you still run COBOL compilers
The deadline that matters is the one for your compiler release. IBM Enterprise COBOL for z/OS 6.2 left standard support on 30 September 2024 and 6.3 on 30 September 2025. IBM lists no end date for 6.5. Rocket Visual COBOL releases follow a separate schedule.
The realistic options:
- Move to a current compiler release. This restores standard support and leaves the platform and programs as they are. Plan for recompiling and retesting, and check the release's operating system requirements first.
- Buy IBM's support extension. For 6.3 it runs to 30 September 2028 at a price IBM sets. It buys time with no code change; it does not add features.
- Rehost on cloud infrastructure. The mainframe to AWS guide covers scope and risk and keeps the COBOL source.
- Convert the code. COBOL to Java and COBOL to C# remove the compiler dependency, and they are the largest projects.
Mainframe modernization companies lists suppliers for each route, and modernization costs gives budget ranges. If your compiler is already past its end date, an extension or a compiler upgrade restores support without touching the programs while you choose between rehosting and conversion.
Frequently asked questions
Is COBOL still supported?
The language has no support date; its compilers do. IBM Enterprise COBOL for z/OS 6.5 went on sale on 13 June 2025, and IBM's lifecycle page lists no end-of-support date for it. Rocket Visual COBOL (formerly Micro Focus) follows its own release schedule, tracked in the table above.
When does IBM Enterprise COBOL for z/OS reach end of support?
Can I get extended support for IBM Enterprise COBOL?
Yes, for a fee. Under IBM's Enhanced lifecycle policy, IBM offers support extensions for at least three years after a release's end-of-support date, at an extra charge it sets (policy). For 6.3.x, IBM's lifecycle page lists extension availability through 30 September 2028. Terms come from IBM sales.
What can replace COBOL?
Teams either keep COBOL on a supported compiler and platform or convert the logic to Java or C#. See the COBOL to Java and COBOL to C# migration guides.