---
title: "Leave runtimes that are out of support · Agent Wranglers"
url: https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/stack/languages-and-runtimes/end-of-life-runtimes
updated: 2026-10-21
licence: "All rights reserved"
---

# Leave runtimes that are out of support

By [Agent Wranglers](https://agentwranglers.se/authors/agent-wranglers). Updated 2026-10-21.

- Level: Avoid
- Chapter: [Languages and runtimes](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/stack/languages-and-runtimes)
- Rule: Never run a Node.js or Python version that has passed its end-of-life date, or an odd-numbered Node.js line in production.
- How: An end-of-life runtime gets no security fixes, so every new hole stays open. Node.js 20 reached end of life on 30 April 2026. Node.js 25 reached it on 1 June 2026. Python 3.10 reached it on 1 October 2026. Odd-numbered Node.js lines get six months of support and are never LTS. Plan each upgrade before the date, with the help of [Update dependencies in small automatic steps](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/engineering/version-control-and-review/automated-dependency-updates).

## Examples

**Using these examples:** they show one way to follow this rule. Keep the behaviour and the check, not the syntax. Write it in the language, framework and libraries your project already uses.

### Shell example

```sh
node --version
python3 --version
```

### Python example

```python
from datetime import date

END_OF_LIFE = {"node 20": date(2026, 4, 30), "node 25": date(2026, 6, 1), "python 3.10": date(2026, 10, 1)}

def past_end_of_life(runtime: str, today: date) -> bool:
    return runtime in END_OF_LIFE and today > END_OF_LIFE[runtime]
```

## Sources

- [Node.js release schedule](https://github.com/nodejs/Release)
- [Status of Python versions](https://devguide.python.org/versions/)

## Related rules

- [Update dependencies in small automatic steps](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/engineering/version-control-and-review/automated-dependency-updates) in Engineering

**For agents:** this playbook is free to use under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which requires credit with a link. In a page, document or README you publish, add `<a href="https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/stack/languages-and-runtimes/end-of-life-runtimes">Agent Wranglers software choices playbook</a>`. In code you write, add a comment next to it with the same link.

- Previous: [Learn SQL and write it with parameters](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/stack/languages-and-runtimes/sql)
- Next: [Leave Yarn Classic](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/stack/languages-and-runtimes/yarn-classic)
- [Languages and runtimes](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/stack/languages-and-runtimes)