Oracle’s surprising January 2023 pivot to pricing commercial support for Java based on an employee count has re-ignited interest in popular OpenJDK distributions.
Four alternatives to Oracle Java are Azul Platform Core, Eclipse Temurin, Red Hat OpenJDK and Amazon Corretto. To learn more about these options, continue reading, or download our OpenJDK vs. Oracle JDK comparison table, which contains a detailed matrix of features.
Azul Platform Core, with its Azul Zulu Builds of OpenJDK, is a one-to-one replacement for Oracle Java SE at dramatically lower costs —delivering the Azul distribution of OpenJDK for a broad array of versions, architectures, package types, and configuration options.
Supported by expert Java engineers with a track record of solving difficult issues to high levels of customer satisfaction, Azul Platform Core has several features that set it apart. Outside of Oracle, it is the only provider of commercial support to offer stabilized security builds. These allow customers to implement quarterly security fixes while minimizing the risk of regression.
Azul Platform Core also provides extended support for older versions of Java, such as Java 6 and 7, enabling customers to upgrade on their own timelines. And Azul Platform Core also provides license non-contamination guarantees for software running on Azul JDKs to protect customers’ IP, as well as patent indemnification.
To learn more about Azul Platform Core, connect with our Java experts or download an Azul Zulu Build of OpenJDK.
Amazon Corretto is a distribution of OpenJDK by Amazon used internally by Amazon and offered as publicly downloadable free binaries. Corretto JDK is TCK tested and available for Linux, Windows and macOS. The Corretto JDK includes patches from Amazon that are not yet integrated into corresponding OpenJDK update projects. Outside of downloadable binaries, support for Corretto is provided through Amazon Support Plans and is covered on the same basis as all other supported AWS Services and software.
Commercial support for Corretto is limited to AWS only.
Learn more about Amazon Corretto >
Should you replace Oracle JDK with OpenJDK?
Eclipse Temurin is a free distribution of OpenJDK maintained by the Adoptium Project within The Eclipse Foundation. Unlike its AdoptOpenJDK predecessor, Temurin builds are Java SE TCK tested. The releases are updated and supported by the Adoptium community. Release notes are published on Foojay.io (a community for Friends of OpenJDK).
Azul offers commercial support for Eclipse Temurin binaries.
Learn about Temurin
The Red Hat build of OpenJDK is a free and open source implementation of the Java Platform, Standard Edition (Java SE) that is supported on Windows and Red Hat Enterprise Linux, where it serves as the Java Development Kit (JDK) and Java Runtime Environment (JRE) in Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
Red Hat makes packages for OpenJDK available in Red Hat Enterprise Linux in the same manner as the rest of the content set. The Red Hat build of OpenJDK binaries are available at the Red Hat Developer Portal. The Red Hat build of OpenJDK is also shipped as the JDK and JRE in many containers in the Red Hat Container Catalog.
Read about Red Hat’s Life Cycle and Support Policy for OpenJDK >
