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BarTender Life Cycle Schedule

As our technology evolves, our latest BarTender editions increase in capabilities and capacities to do more than what was possible before. In addition to new features and functionalities, the latest release of BarTender continues to be even easier to use helping reduce training time and making your print operations more efficient. If you are not running the latest version of BarTender, learn more below to see how you can get updated today.

BarTender VersionRelease DateEOS (End of Support)EOL (End of Life)
BarTender 11.4March 10, 2025To be determinedTo be determined
BarTender 2022April 26, 2022April 30, 2028To be determined
BarTender 2021November 2, 2020November 30, 2026To be determined
BarTender 2019April 8, 2019April 30, 2025*December 31, 2026
BarTender 2016Nov 11, 2015April 30, 2023December 31, 2026
BarTender 10 and earlierMarch 1, 2012March 1, 2018June 30, 2026

*To help customers update from BarTender 2019 to the latest version, extended support is available for licenses with an active subscription. Contact our renewals team for more details.

End of Life Coming Soon: BarTender 2019 and Earlier Versions

As BarTender continues to roll out new products and features, we want to ensure your labeling operations are optimized, secure, and fully supported.

BarTender 2019 and earlier versions (including 2016 and 10.1) will reach end of life in 2026. End of life prohibits users from adding printers, upgrading editions, and receiving best-effort support on any Maintenance and Support plan. See end of life dates below:

  • BarTender 10.1 and earlier: June 30, 2026
  • BarTender 2016 and 2019: December 31, 2026

All unsupported versions of BarTender leave your labeling at risk as they rely on outdated third-party components, such as Windows or .NET, leading to bigger security risks and cyber threats.

Updating to the latest BarTender version is easier than ever. To update to the latest version of BarTender, we recommend the following options:

  1. Contact BarTender Professional Services for an Upgrade Assessment
  2. Seamlessly migrate to BarTender Cloud for a no-hassle BarTender experience
  3. Contact your BarTender partner for further assistance

Additionally, as of July 1st, 2025, BarTender customers running BarTender 2019 and earlier will need to be on an active subscription plan to renew their Maintenance and Support plan, add printers, or upgrade editions. BarTender customers can easily convert their license to a subscription through the BarTender License Flex Program, the most cost-effective path to stay current on new BarTender product and scale your labeling. Program benefits include:

  • Avoid all reactivation fees & backpay penalties accrued from expired Maintenance and Support
  • Scale your labeling while keeping costs low with cheaper upgrades and add-ons
  • Ensure uninterrupted access to technical support and the latest BarTender features and enhancements
  • Maintain the license you already have — no new PKC needed

Contact your BarTender partner reseller or BarTender Sales to discuss update options, including migrating to BarTender Cloud.

How to Update

New BarTender features available:

Driverless Remote Printing

Immediately start printing and RFID encoding without installing printer drivers on the Print Portal server, minimizing IT workload

Online Template Library

Quickly adapt to new regulatory mandates with a single, online library containing the most current label templates – updated instantly

Improved Labeling Stability

Mitigate service vulnerabilities with compatibility for supported business systems including .NET 8 and Windows Server 2025

Robust Label Printing

Ensure compliance and experience greater customization with support for GS1 V24 and Google Fonts

Print-Time Efficiency

Increase label accuracy and reduce print operator errors with improved print-time record selection and label template proofing

Enhanced PDF Support

Expanded PDF printing support for emerging applications through the native PDF print engine