What is the future of workgroup geodatabases in ArcGIS?

Workgroup geodatabases are entering their sunset phase within the ArcGIS ecosystem. Beginning in 2028, new versions of ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Enterprise will no longer support connecting to workgroup geodatabases. This marks the final phase in the retirement of ArcGIS Enterprise Workgroup licensing.

ArcGIS Enterprise 11.1 is the final release to support ArcGIS Enterprise Workgroup licensing. As part of the broader product transition, ArcGIS Enterprise Workgroup will be phased out alongside ArcGIS Desktop in March 2026. Please note that ArcGIS Desktop 10.8.x (including ArcMap and ArcCatalog) is the last version to support the creation and management of workgroup geodatabases.

While ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Enterprise 11.2 and later versions released before 2028 will continue to support connections to existing workgroup geodatabases, we strongly encourage customers to upgrade to a full ArcGIS Enterprise license and begin migrating workgroup geodatabases to enterprise geodatabases.

For more information refer to the following knowledgebase article: How to apply a full ArcGIS Enterprise license to ArcGIS Enterprise Workgroup