Understanding Java Licensing & the Best Open-Source Alternatives
Java is one of the most popular programming languages in the world. However, a common question developers and organizations still ask is:
“Is Java free anymore, or do we need to pay Oracle?”
In this article, we’ll clarify:
- What “Java” really means today
- Oracle Java licensing changes
- Whether Java is free or paid
- The best free Java alternatives you can safely use
What Do We Mean by “Java”?
Before talking about cost, it’s important to understand that Java is not a single thing.
Java consists of:
- Java Language Specification – Open and free
- Java Virtual Machine (JVM) Specification – Open and free
- Java Implementations (JDKs) – Multiple vendors
Oracle owns the Java trademark, but Java itself is not owned exclusively by Oracle.
Is Java Free from Oracle?
Short Answer:
✅ Yes, Java is free
❌ Oracle JDK is not always free
Let’s break it down.
Oracle Java Licensing – The Reality
1️⃣ Oracle JDK (Before Java 8)
- Free for development and production
- Widely used without cost
2️⃣ Oracle JDK (Java 8 → Java 16)
- Free for development
- Paid for commercial production use
3️⃣ Oracle JDK (Java 17+)
Oracle introduced a subscription-based model:
- Pricing is per employee
- Even if only a few servers run Java
- Can be expensive for enterprises
👉 Oracle JDK requires a paid subscription for commercial use
So… Is Java Still Free?
✅ YES — Java is free if you use OpenJDK-based distributions
OpenJDK is:
- Open source (GPL v2 + Classpath Exception)
- Maintained by multiple vendors
- Production-ready
- Fully compatible with Oracle Java
Oracle itself contributes to OpenJDK.
Best Free Java Alternatives to Oracle JDK
Here are the most trusted and widely used free Java distributions:
5
🔹 1. OpenJDK (Community)
- Official open-source reference implementation
- No commercial support
- Best for learning and experiments
🔗 Ideal for: Education, personal projects
🔹 2. Eclipse Temurin (Adoptium)
- Formerly AdoptOpenJDK
- Enterprise-grade builds
- Free long-term support (LTS)
🔗 Ideal for: Production systems
🔹 3. Amazon Corretto
- Free, long-term supported OpenJDK
- Used internally by AWS
- Regular security updates
🔗 Ideal for: Cloud & AWS workloads
🔹 4. Microsoft OpenJDK
- Free and fully supported
- Used by Azure services
- Great Windows integration
🔗 Ideal for: Azure + Windows environments
🔹 5. Azul Zulu OpenJDK
- Free community edition
- Optional paid enterprise support
- Excellent performance tuning
🔗 Ideal for: Performance-critical systems
Comparison Table – Oracle JDK vs Alternatives
| Feature | Oracle JDK | OpenJDK / Temurin / Corretto |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | ❌ Paid for commercial use | ✅ Free |
| Open Source | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Production Ready | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Security Updates | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Vendor Lock-in | ❌ High | ✅ None |
Should You Stop Using Oracle JDK?
✔️ Recommended:
- Switch to Eclipse Temurin or Amazon Corretto
- Same performance
- Same JVM
- Zero licensing risk
❌ Avoid:
- Oracle JDK in production without a paid subscription
- Untracked Java installations in enterprises
How to Check Which Java You Are Using
java -version
Example output:
OpenJDK Runtime Environment (Eclipse Temurin)
or
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (Oracle)
Final Verdict
🟢 Java is FREE
🔴 Oracle JDK is NOT always free
🟢 OpenJDK alternatives are SAFE & FREE
If you’re a developer, architect, or startup founder:
You can continue using Java without paying Oracle — legally and safely.