SQL Server is Microsoft’s database product and Windows Server is the operating system it usually runs on. Microsoft publishes a list of which versions of one it supports on which versions of the other. The table below is drawn from that list.
Compatibility table
| SQL Server | Windows Server 2012 R2 | Windows Server 2016 | Windows Server 2019 | Windows Server 2022 | Windows Server 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SQL Server 2012 | Yes, from SP4 | Yes, from SP4 | Yes, from SP4 | No | No |
| SQL Server 2014 | Yes, from SP3 | Yes, from SP3 | Yes, from SP3 | No | No |
| SQL Server 2016 | Yes, from SP3 | Yes, from SP3 | Yes, from SP3 | No | No |
| SQL Server 2017 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| SQL Server 2019 | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| SQL Server 2022 | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| SQL Server 2025 | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
“Yes” means Microsoft lists the pair as supported from the original release of that SQL Server version. “No” means Microsoft lists it as not supported.
SP stands for service pack, a large bundle of fixes that Microsoft issued for older versions of SQL Server. SP4 is the last service pack for SQL Server 2012, and SP3 is the last for SQL Server 2014 and for SQL Server 2016. Microsoft names those as the minimum, so a server that was never brought up to its final service pack is outside the supported pairing.
The table does not show whether each product is still within its own support period. SQL Server 2012, 2014 and 2016 have all passed the end of Microsoft’s standard support, whichever version of Windows Server they run on.
How to read the table when planning an upgrade
Find the row for the SQL Server version you run now and look across to the Windows Server version you want to move to.
The usual trap is that the old SQL Server version is not supported on the new Windows Server. Take a system running SQL Server 2016 on Windows Server 2016. The plan is to move the server to Windows Server 2022. SQL Server 2016 is not supported there, or on Windows Server 2025, so the operating system cannot move on its own. There are two ways through.
Upgrade the database first. SQL Server 2019 and SQL Server 2022 are both supported on Windows Server 2016. The database can be upgraded on the existing server and tested, and the operating system moved afterwards.
Move both together. A new server is built with the new Windows Server and the new SQL Server, and the databases are moved across to it.
A few other things stand out from the table:
- Nothing newer than SQL Server 2017 is supported on Windows Server 2012 R2. A system on that version cannot take the database to SQL Server 2019 or later until the operating system has moved.
- SQL Server 2017 is the only version supported on both Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows Server 2022. That makes it a possible stepping stone, but a short-lived one, because its own support ends on 12 October 2027.
- SQL Server 2025 needs Windows Server 2019 or later, and Windows Server 2025 needs SQL Server 2019 or later.
The application matters as well. Software written against one version of SQL Server should be tested against the new one before the move.
In-place upgrade or a new server alongside
An in-place upgrade installs the new version over the old one on the same machine. Building alongside means setting up a new server, copying the databases to it and switching over once it has been tested.
Microsoft describes the in-place route for SQL Server as the easiest, but notes that it takes longer to back out of and is not supported in every case. The existing installation is overwritten, so going back means restoring from backups. Its guidance says that migrating to a new installation reduces risk and downtime by comparison.
In-place upgrades also have limits on how far they can jump:
- SQL Server 2022 setup can upgrade SQL Server 2012 SP4, 2014 SP3, 2016 SP3, 2017 and 2019.
- SQL Server 2025 setup can upgrade SQL Server 2014 SP3, 2016 SP3, 2017, 2019 and 2022. SQL Server 2012 has to be migrated.
- Windows Server 2025 can be reached in place from Windows Server 2012 R2 or later. An upgrade to Windows Server 2022 or earlier can skip one version at most, so Windows Server 2016 can go straight to 2022 but Windows Server 2012 R2 cannot.
Our view is that for a system the business depends on, a new server alongside is usually the safer choice. The old server stays untouched as a fallback until the new one is proven, and both products can move in a single step.
Support dates
The other half of the decision is how long each product will keep receiving security fixes, which is set out on our SQL Server end of support and Windows Server end of support pages. As of October 2026, the pairs with the longest support ahead of them are SQL Server 2022 or 2025 on Windows Server 2022 or 2025.
Sources
- Version requirements for SQL Server in Windows operating system (KB 2681562)
- Hardware and software requirements for SQL Server 2016 and 2017
- Hardware and software requirements for SQL Server 2019
- Hardware and software requirements for SQL Server 2022
- Hardware and software requirements for SQL Server 2025
- Hardware and software requirements for SQL Server 2014
- Supported version and edition upgrades (SQL Server 2022)
- Supported version and edition upgrades (SQL Server 2025)
- Choose a Database Engine upgrade method
- Plan your Windows Server upgrade
- Latest updates and version history for SQL Server
Last checked against Microsoft’s pages on 2 October 2026. Microsoft’s pages are the authority: if this page and Microsoft’s disagree, follow Microsoft.