Breaking Down the True Cost of Staying on SQL Server 2016

When support ends, risk does not just increase; it becomes harder to control. If you are still on SQL Server 2016, the question is no longer “Is this dangerous?” It is, “How much longer can you afford to delay?”

Let us break down what that delay is really costing you.

Extended Security Updates (ESUs)

Microsoft offers a fallback for those who are not ready to upgrade: Extended Security Updates. But ESUs come with a catch several in fact.

• You pay more each year.Year one of ESU coverage costs about 75 percent of your license. Year two jumps to 100 percent. By year three, you are paying more than the original license just to keep the old system patched.
• You get security updates, nothing else.You get security updates, nothing else. No performance tuning. No bug fixes. No new features.
• You stay in old architecture. Even with patches, SQL Server 2016 lacks support for modern frameworks, containerized deployments, and hybrid visibility.

ESUs are not a strategy. They are a bill to buy time.

Staff time and system overhead

Running outdated systems quietly drains your team’s time and energy. You need more manual patching, more scripting, and more support from your senior DBAs, all for a system that is steadily falling behind.

• Routine tasks take longer. Troubleshooting in older environments means digging through logs, not clicking dashboards.
• Every change is riskier. Without active support, even small adjustments like updating a stored procedure can have unknown side effects.
• Your infrastructure is aging. Legacy systems run on hardware that is harder to replace, harder to cool, and more expensive to power.

You are not just spending money. You are spending hours you will never get back.

Cyber insurance and liability exposure

Insurers are not looking the other way anymore.

• Most cyber liability policies now require proof of vendor support for core systems.
• If you are breached and still using SQL Server 2016 without ESU or controls, your coverage might not apply.
• Regulators and auditors increasingly flag unsupported databases as automatic non-compliance under PCI DSS, HIPAA, and GDPR.

In short, if something goes wrong, you are on the hook and your coverage may not save you.

Real-World Cost Comparison

Here is what the numbers often look like over three years:

Note: These are estimates. Actual cost depends on server count, ESU licensing tier, hardware age, and migration complexity.

This table is not about saving pennies. It is about deciding whether you want your IT budget to go toward patching risk or building something you can rely on.

Want to calculate this for yourself?

Many teams ask if buying Microsoft’s Extended Security Updates (ESUs) is enough to remain compliant.

The answer? Sometimes.

Try answering these:

• How many production servers still run SQL Server 2016?
• Are they covered by ESUs or running unsupported?
• What is your cost per hour of unplanned downtime?
• How many compliance audits will you face in the next 12 months?

Even rough estimates are usually enough to show this: doing nothing is no longer the cheapest option.