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Using Oracle Java 17 under the Free License?

There are a few things you need to know NOW.

Get expert advice on how to migrate from Oracle Java 17.

Is Oracle Java 17
free to use?  

Yes, but only through September 2024. JDK 17 was released under Oracle’s No Fee Terms and Condition license model with a time limit for free usage. 

Are other free distributions of Java 17 affected? 

No. Distributions like the community edition of Azul Zulu Builds of OpenJDK 17 will remain freely available under existing open-source licenses. These builds are a great choice for developers or for organizations that have invested in their own Java support organizations. 

I’m using Oracle Java 17, what are my options?  

There is a lot to consider if you use Oracle JDK 17 to run enterprise applications, especially if those applications are critical to your business. After September the license for Oracle JDK 17 will revert to the Oracle Technology Network License Agreement (OTNLA) and users will have the following options for their applications:  

Here are your options.

Option 1

Follow the terms of OTNLA and pay for Oracle Java SE subscription.

The cost of OTNLA is based on the total number of employees across your organization – this includes full-time, part-time, and temporary employees, as well as those of your agents, contractors, outsourced personnel, and consultants who contribute to your internal business operations. 

Option 2

Move to the next Long Term Support Release (LTS) JDK 21.

However, you will only have a two-year window before you will need to move to JDK 25  if remaining on a free version is important to you (or if remaining on a free version is your preferred choice) to avoid potential implications related to Oracle JDK 21 reverting to OTNLA This requires upgrading to each successive LTS release every two years.

Also, depending on the age and complexity of your applications there is no guarantee that your application will run as expected on JDK 21.    

Option 3

Explore alternatives like
Azul, which offers a drop-in replacement for the
Oracle JDK 17.

Like Oracle Java SE, Azul Platform Core offers 365x24x7 support from Java experts along with both full Patch Set Updates and Critical Patch Updates on a strict SLA. Azul Platform Core is typically 70%+ less expensive than Oracle Java SE.