As of February 1, 2026, AWS Bedrock's Extended Access pricing is officially in effect. If you're running legacy models in production, your bill may have already changed.

The reaction from teams running production AI workloads has been predictable:

• Wait, my models are costing more now?
• What exactly triggers Extended Access?
• How much time do I have before EOL?

This post breaks everything down clearly:

1. What the Bedrock model lifecycle actually looks like
2. What Extended Access means for your costs and operations
3. Which models are affected right now
4. Your two migration strategies
5. Practical guidance for teams that need to act

The Bedrock Model Lifecycle - The Basics

Active

The model provider is actively maintaining this version. New features, security patches, and improvements are ongoing. This is where you want to be.

Legacy

The warning light. A model enters Legacy state at least 6 months before EOL. During this phase:

• No new Provisioned Throughput can be created
• New customers can't access the model
• Existing customers may lose access due to inactivity

Extended Access (NOW ACTIVE)

This is the new phase that went live on February 1st. For models with EOL dates after February 1, 2026, there's a public extended access period within the Legacy state:

• Kicks in after a minimum of 3 months in Legacy
• Continues until EOL (minimum 3 more months)
• Premium pricing applies — for Anthropic models you can expect rates up to 2x standard pricing
• Active users can continue using the model

End-of-Life (EOL)

Game over. Requests to the model fail. Your applications break. Migration should have happened months ago. The model lifecycle guarantees at least 12 months from launch to EOL. But with Extended Access pricing, the last 3+ months now cost significantly more.

What Extended Access Actually Changes

From the AWS documentation:

"After a minimum of 3 months in the Legacy state, a model will enter the public extended access portion of the Legacy period. During this public extended access period, active users of a Legacy model can continue to use it until the EOL date (for a minimum of 3 months), but you should expect higher pricing."

What this means in practice

Before Extended Access existed:

• Model goes Legacy → 6 months warning → EOL
• Pricing stays constant until the lights go out

With Extended Access (now live):

• Model goes Legacy
• After 3+ months: Extended Access begins with premium pricing
• 3+ more months: EOL

You're paying a migration tax if you don't move off legacy models in time.

What this does NOT mean

• Models aren't being removed faster. At least for now
• You won't be cut off immediately.
• It's not retroactive without notice.

Which Models Are Affected Right Now

Here's what's happening this week:

Claude 3.5 Sonnet v1 & v2: ALREADY IN EXTENDED ACCESS

These models went Legacy on August 25, 2025. Extended Access started December 1, 2025. EOL is March 1, 2026.

If you're running Claude 3.5 Sonnet in production, you've been paying premium rates for over two months. EOL is less than a month away.

Claude 3.7 Sonnet: JUST ENTERED EXTENDED ACCESS

Launched February 24, 2025. Went Legacy on October 28, 2025. Extended Access started January 27, 2026. EOL is April 28, 2026.

Extended Access pricing kicked in one week ago. You have about 12 weeks before EOL.

Claude Opus 4: EXTENDED ACCESS COMING SOON

Went Legacy on October 1, 2025. Extended Access starts March 1, 2026. EOL is May 31, 2026.

You still have time to migrate before premium pricing hits, but only 26 days.

Your Two Migration Strategies

You have two viable paths. The right answer depends on your budget, risk tolerance, and operational bandwidth.

Option 1 : Migrate Now to Active Models (Stop the Bleeding)

Move to the latest model version immediately.

Why choose this path:

Pros

• Stop paying premium prices today
• Access to latest capabilities and improvements
• Cleaner maintenance posture long-term
• Often better performance at similar or lower cost

Cons

• Requires testing and validation cycles
• Model behavior differences may require prompt adjustments
• Coordination with application teams needed

Recommended replacement path:

• Claude 3.5 Sonnet → Claude Sonnet 4.5
• Claude 3.7 Sonnet → Claude Sonnet 4.5
• Claude Opus 4 → Claude Opus 4.1

This is the "stop paying the tax" path.

Option 2 : Accept Extended Access Costs (Buy Time)

Pay the premium to keep legacy models running while you prepare a proper migration.

Why choose this path:

Pros

• No immediate code changes required
• Maintains stability for critical workloads
• Gives time for thorough testing of replacement models
• Useful when migration resources are constrained

Cons

• Higher costs (potentially 2x or more) every day you wait
• Still need to migrate before EOL
• Premium pricing eats into AI budget
• Clock is ticking

This is the "buy time at a price" path.

Draftt's Recommendation

Here's how to evaluate your next step:

If you're running Claude 3.5 Sonnet

Migrate immediately. EOL is March 1st, less than a month away. Claude Sonnet 4.5 is the recommended replacement.

If you're running Claude 3.7 Sonnet

Migrate this month. Extended Access pricing started this week. Every week you wait costs you more. You have until late April, but why pay the premium?

If you're running Claude Opus 4

Migrate before March 1st. Extended Access hasn't started yet. This is your window to avoid premium pricing entirely. Move to Claude Opus 4.1 now.

What matters most

Extended Access isn't a penalty. It's a pricing signal. The model providers are telling you: newer models exist, they're better, and cheaper. Staying on old versions has a cost.

If you're still running Claude 3.5 Sonnet, you're paying a migration tax AND racing against a March 1st deadline.

This isn't about panic. It's about understanding that every day on a legacy model now has a measurable cost sometimes 2x or more for the same work, and acting accordingly.

Are you tracking model deprecations across your infrastructure? Draftt.io customers get automated alerts when their Bedrock models enter Legacy or Extended Access states with migration timelines and cost impact analysis.