Replication backward compatibility
Applies to: 
SQL Server
Azure SQL Managed Instance
Backward compatibility is important to understand if you are upgrading, or if you have more than one version of SQL Server in a replication topology.
The general rules are:
- A Distributor can be any version as long as it is greater than or equal to the Publisher version (in many cases the Distributor is the same instance as the Publisher).
- A Publisher can be any version as long as it less than or equal to the Distributor version.
- Subscriber version depends on the type of publication:
- A Subscriber to a transactional publication can be any version within two versions of the Publisher version. For example: a SQL Server 2012 (11.x) Publisher can have SQL Server 2014 (12.x) and SQL Server 2016 (13.x) Subscribers; and a SQL Server 2016 (13.x) Publisher can have SQL Server 2014 (12.x) and SQL Server 2012 (11.x) Subscribers.
- A Subscriber to a merge publication can be any version equal to or lower than the Publisher version, which is supported as per the versions life cycle support cycle.
Replication matrix
Transactional and snapshot replication compatibility matrix
| Publisher | Distributor | Subscriber |
|---|---|---|
| Azure SQL Managed InstanceAUTD | Azure SQL Managed InstanceAUTD | Azure SQL Database Azure SQL Managed InstanceAUTD Azure SQL Managed Instance2022 SQL Server 2022 (16.x) SQL Server 2019 (15.x) |
| Azure SQL Managed Instance2022 | Azure SQL Managed InstanceAUTD Azure SQL Managed Instance2022 |
Azure SQL Database Azure SQL Managed InstanceAUTD Azure SQL Managed Instance2022 SQL Server 2022 (16.x) SQL Server 2019 (15.x) SQL Server 2017 (14.x) |
| SQL Server 2022 (16.x) | SQL Server 2022 (16.x) | Azure SQL Database Azure SQL Managed InstanceAUTD Azure SQL Managed Instance2022 SQL Server 2022 (16.x) SQL Server 2019 (15.x) SQL Server 2017 (14.x) |
| SQL Server 2019 (15.x) | SQL Server 2022 (16.x) SQL Server 2019 (15.x) |
Azure SQL Database Azure SQL Managed InstanceAUTD Azure SQL Managed Instance2022 SQL Server 2022 (16.x) SQL Server 2019 (15.x) SQL Server 2017 (14.x) SQL Server 2016 (13.x) |
| SQL Server 2017 (14.x) | SQL Server 2022 (16.x) SQL Server 2019 (15.x) SQL Server 2017 (14.x) |
Azure SQL Managed Instance2022 SQL Server 2022 (16.x) SQL Server 2019 (15.x) SQL Server 2017 (14.x) SQL Server 2016 (13.x) SQL Server 2014 (12.x) |
| SQL Server 2016 (13.x) | SQL Server 2022 (16.x) SQL Server 2019 (15.x) SQL Server 2017 (14.x) SQL Server 2016 (13.x) |
SQL Server 2019 (15.x) SQL Server 2017 (14.x) SQL Server 2016 (13.x) SQL Server 2014 (12.x) SQL Server 2012 (11.x) |
| SQL Server 2014 (12.x) | Azure SQL Managed InstanceAUTD Azure SQL Managed Instance2022 SQL Server 2022 (16.x) SQL Server 2019 (15.x) SQL Server 2017 (14.x) SQL Server 2016 (13.x) SQL Server 2014 (12.x) |
SQL Server 2017 (14.x) SQL Server 2016 (13.x) SQL Server 2014 (12.x) SQL Server 2012 (11.x) SQL Server 2008 R2 (10.50.x) SQL Server 2008 (10.0.x) |
| SQL Server 2012 (11.x) | SQL Server 2022 (16.x) SQL Server 2019 (15.x) SQL Server 2017 (14.x) SQL Server 2016 (13.x) SQL Server 2014 (12.x) SQL Server 2012 (11.x) |
SQL Server 2016 (13.x) SQL Server 2014 (12.x) SQL Server 2012 (11.x) SQL Server 2008 R2 (10.50.x) SQL Server 2008 (10.0.x) |
| SQL Server 2008 R2 (10.50.x) SQL Server 2008 (10.0.x) |
SQL Server 2022 (16.x) SQL Server 2019 (15.x) SQL Server 2017 (14.x) SQL Server 2016 (13.x) SQL Server 2014 (12.x) SQL Server 2012 (11.x) SQL Server 2008 R2 (10.50.x) SQL Server 2008 (10.0.x) |
SQL Server 2014 (12.x) SQL Server 2012 (11.x) SQL Server 2008 R2 (10.50.x) SQL Server 2008 (10.0.x) |
2022 Applies to Azure SQL Managed Instance configured with the SQL Server 2022 update policy. AUTD Applies to Azure SQL Managed Instance configured with the Always-up-to-date update policy.
Merge replication compatibility matrix
| Publisher | Distributor | Subscriber |
|---|---|---|
| SQL Server 2022 (16.x) | SQL Server 2022 (16.x) | SQL Server 2022 (16.x) SQL Server 2019 (15.x) SQL Server 2017 (14.x) SQL Server 2016 (13.x) SQL Server 2014 (12.x) SQL Server 2012 (11.x) SQL Server 2008 R2 (10.50.x) SQL Server 2008 (10.0.x) |
| SQL Server 2019 (15.x) | SQL Server 2022 (16.x) SQL Server 2019 (15.x) |
SQL Server 2019 (15.x) SQL Server 2017 (14.x) SQL Server 2016 (13.x) SQL Server 2014 (12.x) SQL Server 2012 (11.x) SQL Server 2008 R2 (10.50.x) SQL Server 2008 (10.0.x) |
| SQL Server 2017 (14.x) | SQL Server 2022 (16.x) SQL Server 2019 (15.x) SQL Server 2017 (14.x) |
SQL Server 2017 (14.x) SQL Server 2016 (13.x) SQL Server 2014 (12.x) SQL Server 2012 (11.x) SQL Server 2008 R2 (10.50.x) SQL Server 2008 (10.0.x) |
| SQL Server 2016 (13.x) | SQL Server 2022 (16.x) SQL Server 2019 (15.x) SQL Server 2017 (14.x) SQL Server 2016 (13.x) |
SQL Server 2016 (13.x) SQL Server 2014 (12.x) SQL Server 2012 (11.x) SQL Server 2008 R2 (10.50.x) SQL Server 2008 (10.0.x) |
| SQL Server 2014 (12.x) | SQL Server 2022 (16.x) SQL Server 2019 (15.x) SQL Server 2017 (14.x) SQL Server 2016 (13.x) SQL Server 2014 (12.x) |
SQL Server 2014 (12.x) SQL Server 2012 (11.x) SQL Server 2008 R2 (10.50.x) SQL Server 2008 (10.0.x) |
| SQL Server 2012 (11.x) | SQL Server 2022 (16.x) SQL Server 2019 (15.x) SQL Server 2017 (14.x) SQL Server 2016 (13.x) SQL Server 2014 (12.x) SQL Server 2012 (11.x) |
SQL Server 2012 (11.x) SQL Server 2008 R2 (10.50.x) SQL Server 2008 (10.0.x) |
| SQL Server 2008 R2 (10.50.x) SQL Server 2008 (10.0.x) |
SQL Server 2022 (16.x) SQL Server 2019 (15.x) SQL Server 2017 (14.x) SQL Server 2016 (13.x) SQL Server 2014 (12.x) SQL Server 2012 (11.x) SQL Server 2008 R2 (10.50.x) SQL Server 2008 (10.0.x) |
SQL Server 2008 R2 (10.50.x) SQL Server 2008 (10.0.x) |