If your team runs Jira Data Center to keep sprint data on its own infrastructure, Atlassian just closed that option to anyone who isn't already a customer. On March 30, 2026, Atlassian stopped selling new Jira Data Center licenses — no new customers, no exceptions. If you're mid-evaluation of self-hosted project tools, this changes your shortlist.
The timeline, in plain terms
March 30, 2026 — New Jira Data Center licenses are no longer sold. If you don't already hold one, you can't buy one.
March 30, 2028 — Existing Data Center customers lose the ability to renew or expand their licenses. This is the real deadline for anyone currently self-hosting Jira.
2029 — Data Center goes read-only. No more security patches, no more updates, and no supported path back to a self-hosted Jira.
Why this matters even if you're not a Data Center customer yet
The obvious read is that this only affects existing Data Center customers. It doesn't. It affects anyone who assumed Jira would always have a self-hosted tier to fall back on if Cloud pricing, data residency, or compliance requirements changed later. That fallback is now closed to new entrants. If keeping sprint data on your own server is a real requirement and not a nice-to-have, Data Center is off the table, full stop.
What Atlassian is actually pushing you toward
Atlassian's stated path for Data Center customers is Cloud. That's a reasonable option if your compliance posture allows a third party to host sprint and backlog data. It isn't if it doesn't. Air-gapped environments, contractual data-residency clauses, and regulated industries that can't move planning data off-premises are exactly the customers Data Center existed for, and Cloud doesn't solve their problem.
What actually changes for self-hosted teams
This is the gap Spryn's self-hosted licence was built for: one-time payment, unlimited seats, runs on your own server, no sunset date, because self-hosted is the only distribution Spryn ships, not a fading tier next to a Cloud upsell. If you're comparing options because of this announcement, spryn.io/spryn-vs-jira has a direct feature and pricing comparison against Jira, and spryn.io/get-started has current self-hosted pricing.
What to do before March 2028
Already on Data Center: you have time, but not unlimited time. Renewals and expansions stop being sellable in two years, and every year closer to that date narrows your negotiating position and your migration runway. Start evaluating alternatives now, not in 2027.
Evaluating tools today: cross Data Center off the shortlist. It isn't buyable as a new customer, so filter directly for self-hosted tools that don't have a sunset clause built into the licence.
FAQ
Can I still buy Jira Data Center to self-host our sprint data?
Not as a new customer. Atlassian stopped selling new Jira Data Center licenses on March 30, 2026, and existing customers can only buy renewals or expansions until March 30, 2028, before the product goes read-only in 2029. If keeping data on your own server is the actual requirement, Spryn's self-hosted licence is a live option — one payment, unlimited seats, no sunset date.
What happens to my existing Jira Data Center licence?
Nothing immediately. You can keep renewing and expanding until March 30, 2028. After that date, Atlassian's stated plan is Cloud migration — there is no supported self-hosted renewal path once the window closes.