Migrating from MariaDB 10.11 to 11.8 for Specify 7
For over three years, we have recommended MariaDB 10.11 as the preferred database for Specify 7. While MariaDB 10.11 will continue to receive mainstream updates until February 16, 2028, our production instances are already moving to MariaDB 11.8. This Long-Term Support (LTS) release will be actively supported with security patches and bug fixes until October 15, 2033. At some point in the future, Specify 7 will only be officially compatible with MariaDB 11.8 or later, so we strongly encourage all self-hosted users to plan their migration now. We will send an announcement once this point has been reached, so for now this serves as a heads-up of an upcoming change.
See the MariaDB EOL timeline here:
And the MariaDB 11.8 LTS announcement here:
Why Move to MariaDB 11.8?
MariaDB 11.8 brings a host of improvements in performance, stability, and security over 10.11:
| Feature | 10.11 Support | 11.8 Support |
|---|---|---|
| Mainstream updates & patches | February 16, 2028 | October 15, 2033 |
| Enhanced InnoDB scalability | Limited | Major optimizations |
| Improved replication (GTID) | Partial GTID | Full GTID support |
| Stronger default authentication | mysql_native_password | caching_sha2_password |
| New diagnostic and observability tools | n/a | Performance schema enhancements |
These improvements translate to faster queries under high concurrency, more robust replication setups, and up-to-date security practices.
This migration is a strategic investment in performance, security, and long-term stability for our users. We are looking forward to powerful new capabilities enabled by this move. If you have questions or run into issues, please reach out to us at support@specifysoftware.org. Happy upgrading!