> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://developer.thunderbird.net/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://developer.thunderbird.net/releases/channels.md).

# Thunderbird Channels

Thunderbird provides releases through four distinct channels, each serving a unique purpose. Below are the channels, their corresponding branches, and a summary of their purpose:

* **Thunderbird Daily (main branch)**: Where development and testing begin, and new features are developed.
* **Thunderbird Beta (beta branch)**: The monthly stabilization release.
* **Thunderbird Release (release branch)**: The official monthly release.
* **Thunderbird ESR (esr\<version> branch)**: The official annual extended support release.

These four channels offer increasing levels of stability, increasing as code moves from Daily to Beta and being the highest in Release and ESR.