# Ensure Postgres databases run a supported major version

- Source: https://support.icompaas.com/support/solutions/articles/a_1793876668548207-ensure-postgres-databases-run-a-supported-major-version
- Section: [Solutions](https://support.icompaas.com/support/solutions) › [Render Cloud](https://support.icompaas.com/support/solutions/c_1793875953948152) › [Checks](https://support.icompaas.com/support/solutions/folders/f_1793875960840493)
- Last updated: 2026-11-05
- Publisher: iCompaas, Inc. (https://www.icompaas.com)

**Description**

Ensure every Render Postgres database runs PostgreSQL 15 or newer. Render supports major versions 13 to 18 for new databases, and the default for new databases is the latest version, currently 18.

**Rationale**

Older PostgreSQL major versions stop receiving security fixes from the PostgreSQL project, so known vulnerabilities stay open. Running version 15 or newer keeps the database on a version that is still maintained and patched.

**Impact**

-   The database keeps receiving security fixes
    
-   Access to newer PostgreSQL features
    
-   Upgrading causes downtime and should be tested first
    

**Default Value**

Databases stay on the major version they were created with until they are upgraded. New databases default to the latest supported version (currently 18).

**Pre-Requisites**

-   Admin or Developer role (Admin for protected environments)
    
-   A planned maintenance window
    
-   Applications tested against the new version
    

**Remediation**

**Test Plan**

1.  Sign in to the Render Dashboard at [https://dashboard.render.com](https://dashboard.render.com/).
    
2.  From your workspace home (or project), click the Postgres database to open it.
    
3.  On the Info page, check the PostgreSQL version.
    
4.  If the version is lower than 15, follow the implementation steps.
    

**Implementation Steps**

1.  Test your application against the target PostgreSQL version.
    
2.  Sign in to the Render Dashboard at [https://dashboard.render.com](https://dashboard.render.com/).
    
3.  From your workspace home (or project), click the Postgres database to open it.
    
4.  On the Info page, click the PostgreSQL version number to open the upgrade page.
    
5.  Follow the steps to upgrade in place. The database is unavailable during the upgrade, which usually takes less than an hour.
    

**Backout Plan**

1.  An in-place upgrade cannot be reversed. If needed, restore a backup to a new database on the previous version.
    

**Reference**

-   [https://render.com/docs/postgresql-upgrading](https://render.com/docs/postgresql-upgrading)
    
-   [https://render.com/docs/postgresql-creating-connecting](https://render.com/docs/postgresql-creating-connecting)

## Related compliance guidance

- [SOC 2 compliance: a practical implementation guide for cloud-native SaaS teams](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/soc-2-trust-services-criteria): Configuration checks like this one are the technical half of a SOC 2 / ISO 27001 programme — the guide shows where they fit, what else an auditor expects, and how to evidence them.
- [ISO/IEC 27001:2022 compliance: a practical implementation guide](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/iso-27001-2022): ISO 27001 Annex A.8 (technological controls) is where cloud hardening evidence lands; the guide shows how to run the ISMS around it.