Yes, PowerBuilder is still supported, by Appeon, but only on current versions. Whether your applications are covered depends on the release you run: 2019 and 2019 R2 are past end of life, 2022 and 2022 R2 left mainstream maintenance in May 2026, and 2022 R3 is the long-term support release.
Some people assume PowerBuilder went away years ago and plan an escape they may not need. Others assume that because the product is alive, their copy is too. Start with two facts instead: which version you run, and how well anyone still understands the code built with it.
- PowerBuilder is still supported. Appeon develops, sells and supports it under a 2016 agreement with SAP SE.
- PowerBuilder 2019 and 2019 R2 reached end of life on 6 August 2023. Versions 2022 and 2022 R2 reach end of life on 7 May 2027.
- PowerBuilder 2022 R3 is the long-term support release, with end of life no sooner than 8 January 2031.
- The bigger risk is usually the code: DataWindow-heavy applications whose business rules few people still understand.
What happened to PowerBuilder?
PowerBuilder dates from 1991. It was built for client-server business applications on Windows, and a lot of back-office software from the 1990s and 2000s was written in it.
PowerBuilder came to SAP with its acquisition of Sybase. Then, on 5 July 2016, Appeon announced that it had signed an agreement with SAP SE "to develop a new generation of the PowerBuilder development platform". Under that agreement, Appeon "will be responsible for developing, selling and supporting its own offering powered by PowerBuilder technology" (Appeon's announcement, checked on 16 October 2026).
So PowerBuilder didn't die. Appeon took over development and support and has kept releasing versions. On 8 January 2024 it announced that PowerBuilder 2022 R3 was generally available and "will receive long-term support" (checked on 16 October 2026).
PowerBuilder end of life dates, by version
These dates come from Appeon's release history and its end-of-life notices for 2022 and 2022 R2 and 2019 and 2019 R2, all checked on 16 October 2026.
| PowerBuilder version | End of mainstream maintenance | End of life | Appeon's migration path |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 and 2019 R2 | 6 August 2022 | 6 August 2023 | "2019 R3 (LTS version), 2021, or 2022" |
| 2022 and 2022 R2 | 7 May 2026 | 7 May 2027 | "2022 R3 LTS or above" |
| 2022 R3 (long-term support) | No sooner than 8 January 2029 | No sooner than 8 January 2031 | Current long-term support release |
Appeon lists the 2022 and 2022 R3 dates for the Windows, English edition. If you run a different edition, check Appeon's pages for yours.
If you run 2022 or 2022 R2, you're already past mainstream maintenance, with until 7 May 2027 to move. Appeon's path is 2022 R3 or later.
If you're still on 2019, note that its notice lists 2022 as a target, and 2022 itself now reaches end of life in May 2027. Aim at 2022 R3 or later instead.
The 2022 R3 dates say "no sooner than". They're minimums, and Appeon hasn't fixed the final dates.
What Appeon's support levels mean
Appeon's end-of-life policy (checked on 16 October 2026) says that during Standard Support, Appeon provides product fixes for at least 24 months for a non-LTS version and at least 60 months for an LTS version. That gap is why the LTS label matters when you pick an upgrade target.
Between end of mainstream maintenance and end of life, Appeon offers Premium Support "at an additional cost". That's where a 2022 or 2022 R2 shop sits today, and the window closes on 7 May 2027.
The policy also says Appeon may change it on 180 days' written notice, so put your version's dates in the risk register and recheck them at each review. Auditors ask about end-of-life software too; we cover those risks in the risks of running end-of-life software.
What is PowerBuilder used for, and is it still used?
PowerBuilder is used to build database applications: data-entry screens, lookups, reports and batch jobs over a relational database. Typical examples are internal systems for order processing, billing, claims, scheduling or inventory.
It is still used, mostly in applications that have run for years and still do their job. The classic Windows desktop screens look dated, which is usually what people mean by "outdated". The tool is current; the applications built with it are often decades old.
The harder problem is the code
Upgrading PowerBuilder is mostly a product question. Knowing what your applications do is the bigger problem.
The center of most PowerBuilder applications is the DataWindow, a single object that holds a SQL query, the layout that shows its results, and the rules for validating and saving changes. It let small teams build working screens fast. It also spreads business rules around: DataWindow expressions and column validation rules, event scripts on windows, shared user objects, and stored procedures in the database.
A long-lived PowerBuilder application was usually built by several developers over many years, and some of the people who knew why each rule exists may have moved on. What's left is code that works and that few people can change with confidence. If one or two people still hold that knowledge, get it written down whatever you decide about versions. Teams with old VB6 applications are in the same position: the tool is the easy part.
Your options
| Option | What changes | When it fits | Main risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upgrade to 2022 R3 or later | Same application on a supported PowerBuilder release | The application works and the business wants to keep it | Old debt moves across; third-party controls and DLLs need checking first |
| Pay for Premium Support and plan | Nothing yet | You're on 2022 or 2022 R2 and need time before 7 May 2027 | The window ends at end of life, so the plan has to land in time |
| Move to .NET or the web | New application on a new stack | The business wants to leave PowerBuilder, or change how the process works | Rules in DataWindows and scripts get lost if nobody maps them first |
Upgrading to a supported release is usually the cheapest move, and it puts you back inside Appeon's policy. Test it properly, because a version jump can surface behavior old code relied on without anyone noticing.
A planned move to .NET or the web is a much bigger project. Each DataWindow has to be split into its query, its screen and its rules, then rebuilt. Start by mapping the business rules, not by choosing the target framework. We set out what to find first in before you rewrite a legacy system.
What the 30-day assessment tells you
Before you choose between an upgrade and a move, know what your PowerBuilder code actually does. The 30-day assessment is fixed in scope, at a price agreed before we start. Over 30 days we go through the PowerBuilder libraries, DataWindows, event scripts, user objects and stored procedures, along with the architecture around them, and map how the applications fit together with the database and the other systems they talk to. We find the hidden architectural debt, such as one rule coded three different ways in three DataWindows, and flag the security and compliance gaps, such as database credentials kept in plain text.
The report says in plain language what is broken and what it would take to fix it, including whether a move to 2022 R3 is enough or a larger change is due. Your own team can act on it, or we can do the upgrade or migration as a separate project with its own scope and price. The report holds up whichever route you take.