---
title: Beta and release candidate versions
---

import TabItem from "@theme/TabItem";
import Tabs from "@theme/Tabs";

You can test upcoming authentik versions before they are released as stable. There are two types of pre-release versions available:

- **Release Candidates (RC)**: Near-final versions that are feature-complete and undergoing final testing before a stable release. RCs are more stable than Beta versions and are recommended for testing in staging environments.
- **Beta versions**: Early builds that include new, or experimental features and may introduce bugs or breaking changes.

It is recommended to upgrade your installation to the latest stable release before switching from stable to an RC or Beta version.

:::warning
Downgrading from RC or Beta versions is not supported. It is recommended to take a backup before upgrading, or test these versions on a separate installation. Upgrading from RC or Beta versions to the next stable release generally works, but is not officially supported.
:::

## Release Candidate (RC) versions

Release candidates are available for testing before major version releases. To use an RC version, you need to specify the exact RC tag (e.g., `2025.10.0-rc3`).

<Tabs
  defaultValue="docker-compose"
  values={[
    {label: 'Docker Compose', value: 'docker-compose'},
    {label: 'Kubernetes', value: 'kubernetes'},
  ]}
  groupId="platform">
  <TabItem value="docker-compose">
Add the following block to your `.env` file, replacing `2025.10.0-rc3` with the desired RC version:

```shell
AUTHENTIK_TAG=2025.10.0-rc3
```

Next, pull the image and redeploy:

```shell
docker compose pull
docker compose up -d
```

  </TabItem>

  <TabItem value="kubernetes">
Add the following block to your `values.yaml` file, replacing `2025.10.0-rc3` with the desired RC version:

```yaml
image:
    tag: 2025.10.0-rc3
    # pullPolicy: Always to ensure you always get the latest version
    pullPolicy: Always
```

Next, run the upgrade commands:

```shell
helm repo update
helm upgrade authentik authentik/authentik -f values.yaml
```

  </TabItem>
</Tabs>

## Beta versions

Beta versions provide early access to major new features that are still in active development.

<Tabs
  defaultValue="docker-compose"
  values={[
    {label: 'Docker Compose', value: 'docker-compose'},
    {label: 'Kubernetes', value: 'kubernetes'},
  ]}
  groupId="platform">
  <TabItem value="docker-compose">
Add the following block to your `.env` file:

```shell
AUTHENTIK_IMAGE=ghcr.io/goauthentik/dev-server
AUTHENTIK_TAG=gh-next
AUTHENTIK_OUTPOSTS__CONTAINER_IMAGE_BASE=ghcr.io/goauthentik/dev-%(type)s:gh-%(build_hash)s
```

Next, run the upgrade commands below.

  </TabItem>

  <TabItem value="kubernetes">
Add the following block to your `values.yml` file:

```yaml
authentik:
    outposts:
        container_image_base: ghcr.io/goauthentik/dev-%(type)s:gh-%(build_hash)s
image:
    repository: ghcr.io/goauthentik/dev-server
    tag: gh-next
    # pullPolicy: Always to ensure you always get the latest version
    pullPolicy: Always
```

Next, run the upgrade commands below.

  </TabItem>
</Tabs>

<Tabs
  defaultValue="docker-compose"
  values={[
    {label: 'Docker Compose', value: 'docker-compose'},
    {label: 'Kubernetes', value: 'kubernetes'},
  ]}
  groupId="platform">
  <TabItem value="docker-compose">

```shell
docker compose pull
docker compose up -d
```

  </TabItem>

  <TabItem value="kubernetes">

```shell
helm repo update
helm upgrade authentik authentik/authentik -f values.yaml
```

  </TabItem>

</Tabs>

:::info
If you are upgrading from an older Beta release to the most recent Beta release, you might need to run `kubectl rollout restart deployment`, because Helm needs to recreate the pods in order to pick up the new image (the tag doesn't change).
:::

## Verifying the installation

To verify whether the upgrade was successful, go to your Admin panel and navigate to the Overview dashboard. There, you can check the version number to ensure that you are using the RC or Beta version you intended.
