What Is a Software Version Number?

Understand in 5 minutes how to read every version correctly

Have you ever seen versions like 26.0.0.10301, 17.4.1, 3.13.1, 1.28.4+exp.sha.41af286, 26.2.0-beta.3 or 2.0.0-alpha.7 and wondered what they actually mean?

The version number is not decorative. It is the identity of every release and, when properly structured, tells you at a glance whether the update is safe or requires caution.

What you should ask your vendor or development team

• Do you strictly follow Semantic Versioning 2.0?
• How do you name your alpha/beta/rc versions?
• What build format do you use and why?
• Do you release patch updates at least once a month?
• Is there automated testing and a rollback plan?

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