Palo Alto Networks PA-500 end of life
PA-500 · also known as PA-500, PA500, PA 500
Status
Checked 1 Oct 2026PA-500 no longer receives security fixes. If it's still running your office firewall, plan a replacement now.
- 1End of sale 31 Oct 2018 (8 years ago)
- 2Last date of support 31 Oct 2023 (3 years ago)
Key dates
Every date links to Palo Alto Networks' own page| Milestone | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|
| End of sale | 31 Oct 20188 years ago | Vendor bulletin ↗ |
| End of software maintenance | Not announced | – |
| End of vulnerability support | Not announced | – |
| Last date of support | 31 Oct 20233 years ago | Vendor bulletin ↗ |
Palo Alto's End-of-Sale and End-of-Life dates are shown as end of sale and last date of support. Last supported software: PAN-OS 8.1.
What this means for your business
- No new security patches: newly found vulnerabilities stay open on an internet-facing device.
- Cyber insurance questionnaires increasingly ask whether any equipment is unsupported or past end of life.
- No vendor support for faults, so a failure can mean days without a working firewall.
- This is general information, not legal or insurance advice.
Replacement options
Palo Alto Networks' named successor: PA-400 Series or PA-500 Series (source).
Vendor-neutral options to consider:
- Fortinet FortiGate (entry range)
- Ubiquiti UniFi Cloud Gateway
- MikroTik RouterOS appliances
The right replacement depends on your sites, users and licensing, and is often cheaper than a like-for-like swap.
Keep or replace? Quick checklist
- Is it your internet-facing firewall?
- Do you have remote staff connecting through it?
- Is your cyber insurance renewal in the next 6 months?
- Do you store client or financial data behind it?
- Is it running old firmware, or does it have no active vendor licence?
Two or more “yes” answers on an unsupported or soon-to-be-unsupported device is a good reason to get advice.
Frequently asked questions
Is the PA-500 still safe to use?
Not for a business network. Palo Alto Networks no longer issues security fixes for the PA-500, so new vulnerabilities will not be patched.
What replaced the PA-500?
Palo Alto Networks' own bulletin names the PA-400 Series or PA-500 Series as the replacement. The right choice still depends on your sites, users and licensing.
Where do these dates come from?
From Palo Alto Networks' own lifecycle bulletins. Each date in the table links to its source, with the date we last checked it. Always confirm with Palo Alto Networks before making decisions.