Atlassian has announced that it is sunsetting most of its Data Center products. The first milestone has already passed, and the two that matter most for existing customers are still ahead. If you run Jira Software, Jira Service Management or Confluence on Data Center, the question is no longer whether you will move to Cloud, but when and how.
This post lays out the three dates, what each one changes, what is not affected, and a sensible order of operations — so you can plan on your own timeline instead of in the final months.
The three dates that matter
Atlassian is winding Data Center down in phases over three years. Each phase takes away a different option.
STEP 1
March 30, 2026
New customers stop
New customers can no longer buy new Data Center subscriptions or new Marketplace Data Center apps. Existing customers are unaffected.
STEP 2
March 30, 2028
Expansions stop
Last date existing customers can buy new Data Center subscriptions, Marketplace apps and subscription expansions.
STEP 3
March 28, 2029
End of life
Data Center subscriptions and associated Marketplace apps expire. Products and apps become read-only.
At the time of writing, in late October 2026, existing customers have roughly 17 months before they can no longer grow their Data Center footprint, and roughly 29 months before the licenses go read-only. That sounds like a lot of runway. It usually isn't, for reasons covered below.
What is affected — and what isn't
The end of life applies to these Data Center products and apps:
- Jira Software Data Center
- Jira Service Management Data Center
- Confluence Data Center
- Crowd Data Center
- Data Center mobile apps
- Atlassian Data Center apps
- Third-party Data Center apps on the Atlassian Marketplace
Two things are explicitly not ending. Bitbucket Data Center and Bamboo Data Center will continue beyond 2029: existing customers gain access to a Bitbucket Hybrid License that lets them run Bitbucket Data Center, Bamboo Data Center and Bitbucket Cloud together. Atlassian's reasoning is that source code and CI/CD pipelines are mission-critical and some organizations need to keep them self-managed. Jira Align Data Center is also not included.
What you still get until March 28, 2029
Through the end-of-life date, Atlassian says it will continue to provide technical support, security bug-fixes for critical vulnerabilities, and connectors from Data Center products to Atlassian Cloud. Renewals remain possible, but they cannot run past March 28, 2029 — a 12-month renewal that would extend beyond that date is prorated to it.
For organizations with genuinely unusual circumstances, Atlassian has said it is committed to offering extended maintenance by exception after March 28, 2029. That is an exception to be negotiated, not a plan to rely on.
Why 29 months is shorter than it looks
Three things tend to consume the runway.
Marketplace apps. Not every Data Center app has a Cloud equivalent, and the apps you depend on need a decision — keep, replace or retire — before you can migrate. This is one of the most common sources of delay and it is mostly a people-and-process problem, not a technical one.
Testing and sign-off. A migration is only finished when the business trusts the result. That means trial migrations, validating data, history and permissions, and giving each team time to test their own workflows.
Budget cycles. Several incentives have deadlines of their own (see below), and finance teams plan a year ahead. The decision you make in 2026 shapes the budget you can use in 2027.
The incentives, and their cut-offs
Atlassian has said it will keep supporting its existing cloud incentives during the transition. The ones it lists publicly are:
| Incentive | What it is | Who it's for |
|---|---|---|
| Cloud Enterprise Edition discount | 10–20% off the first year of the Cloud subscription for purchases made by June 2027 | All customers (eligibility applies) |
| Cloud migration trial | Test your migration for the duration of your Data Center subscription, rather than a 7-day trial | All customers |
| Step-up credits | A credit equal to the pro-rated value of unused Data Center maintenance, to avoid paying twice | Qualified customers |
| Dual licensing | Run Cloud and Data Center in parallel without double-paying while you complete a long migration | Larger customers |
| FastShift program | A complimentary program that Atlassian says can cut timelines from 12–16 months to 2–6 months | Organizations with more than 1,000 users |
Terms change, and eligibility is decided by Atlassian, so confirm the current details with your Atlassian account team or partner before you rely on any of them.
A practical order of operations
This is the sequence we recommend. It mirrors the methodology we use on client migrations.
| Phase | What happens | What you end up with |
|---|---|---|
| Assess | Inventory products, users, data volume, integrations and Marketplace apps | A clear scope and a list of risks |
| Plan | Choose the approach, set cut-over windows, build the budget with incentives in mind | A roadmap and a timeline |
| Prep | Decide on every app, archive what you no longer need, rationalize before you move | A smaller, cleaner instance to migrate |
| Test | Run trial migrations and validate data, history and permissions | Confidence the result is right |
| Migrate | Execute the move in a planned window | Your data in Cloud |
| Launch & Enable | Go live, train teams, provide hands-on support | Adoption, not just a new URL |
| Optimize | Tune for scale and turn on Cloud-only capabilities such as AI | Value beyond a like-for-like move |
What to do in the next 90 days
- Take inventory. List every Data Center product, user count, and Marketplace app, with an owner for each.
- Check your apps. Find out which apps have Cloud equivalents and which need a replacement or a retirement decision.
- Talk to Atlassian or a partner about incentives — in particular the June 2027 Enterprise discount deadline, FastShift if you have more than 1,000 users, and a migration trial.
- Decide your Bitbucket strategy. If you run Bitbucket Data Center, the Hybrid License gives you room to move at your own pace.
- Pick a first target. A smaller, lower-risk instance or product is a good way to rehearse the process.
Common questions
Can we just keep renewing Data Center? Yes, until March 28, 2029 — with renewals prorated to that date. After it, your Data Center environment becomes read-only.
What if we can't make the date? Atlassian says it will offer extended maintenance by exception for certain customers. Raise it with your Atlassian representative early, not in 2029.
Do we have to migrate everything at once? No. Many organizations move product by product or business unit by business unit, which also spreads the testing load.
Where to go next
If you would like a second opinion on scope, timeline or incentives, our team runs a free migration assessment — a trusted specialist reviews your setup and outlines a path, with no obligation.
