What’s the Difference Between Oracle JDK and OpenJDK? A Complete Guide

Java and the JDK

Java is one of the most popular and widely used programming languages today. The Java Development Kit (JDK) comes in two main distributions: Oracle JDK and OpenJDK.

What Is a JDK?

The JDK (Java Development Kit) is a software development platform for building Java applications and applets. Its components include the Java Runtime Environment (JRE), the Java interpreter/loader, the compiler ( javac), the archiver ( jar), the documentation generator (Javadoc), and other tools needed for Java development.

What Is Oracle JDK?

Oracle JDK is the product of Oracle Corporation after acquiring Sun Microsystems. It provides the underlying virtual machine system for developing various applications and is used on embedded devices, phones, enterprise servers, and supercomputers. Oracle maintains both the Oracle JDK and the Oracle JRE.

History of Java SE Releases

JDK Test Release – 1995

JDK 1.0 – January 1996

JDK 1.1 – February 1997

J2SE 1.2 – December 1998

J2SE 1.3 – May 2000

J2SE 1.4 – February 2002

J2SE 5.0 – September 2004

Java SE 6 – December 2006

Java SE 7 – July 2011

Java SE 8 (LTS) – March 2014

Java SE 9 – September 2017

Java SE 10 (18.3) – March 2018

Java SE 11 (18.9 LTS) – September 2018

Java SE 12 (19.3) – March 2019

Versions in italics are no longer supported. Before Java SE 7, major releases occurred roughly every two years; the transition from Java SE 6 to Java SE 8 took five years, and from Java SE 8 to Java SE 11 took three years. Starting with Java SE 10, a six‑month release cadence was introduced, but only some releases are long‑term support (LTS) versions, with LTS releases now scheduled every three years.

What Is OpenJDK?

OpenJDK is a free and open‑source Java platform initiated by Sun Microsystems in 2006 and later sponsored by Oracle. It includes the Java class libraries, compiler, runtime environment, and virtual machine.

OpenJDK Versions

OpenJDK 6 – based on JDK 7, modified to provide an open‑source Java 6

OpenJDK 7 – released July 28, 2011

OpenJDK 7u – updates for JDK 7

OpenJDK 8 – March 18, 2014

OpenJDK 8u – updates for JDK 8

OpenJDK 9 – September 21, 2017

JDK project releases – March 10‑20, 2018

JDK project releases – September 11‑25, 2018

JDK project version 12 – stable release

Oracle JDK vs OpenJDK

1. Release Cycle OpenJDK follows a six‑month release schedule, while Oracle JDK provides a new LTS version roughly every three years, offering long‑term support for enterprise users.

2. License Oracle JDK is distributed under the Oracle Binary Code License Agreement, whereas OpenJDK uses the GNU General Public License v2 with a linking exception. Oracle’s license restricts commercial use of public updates for Java 8 after January 2019, while OpenJDK remains fully open‑source.

3. Overall Output Both builds share the same code base, but Oracle JDK often shows better JVM performance and responsiveness. OpenJDK releases more frequently, which can introduce occasional instability.

Feature Differences

Oracle Java includes flight recorder, Java Task Control, and Application Class Data Sharing, while OpenJDK provides a font renderer. Oracle Java emphasizes stability for enterprise users and offers advanced garbage‑collection options and rendering tools; OpenJDK has fewer GC options and slower graphics rendering but benefits from a large open‑source community.