Which JDK Distribution Should You Use in 2026?

Every JDK in this guide is built from the same OpenJDK source code, and the certified ones run your application the same way. So why are there so many, and does the choice matter? It does, but not for the reasons people expect. What differs is how long each vendor keeps shipping free security updates, the licence you run under in production, the platforms and container images on offer, and who you can call when something breaks.

This guide compares ten JDK distributions on exactly those points, then covers GraalVM and what the choice means for a Spring Boot project. Support dates, licences and images come from each vendor’s own pages, checked in October 2026.

What actually differs between JDKs

• How long updates stay free. Each vendor decides how long it patches each long-term support (LTS) release. For Java 25 the published dates range from early 2026 to late 2032.
• The production licence. Most builds use the GPLv2 with the Classpath Exception and are free forever. Oracle JDK is free only for a limited time per release.
• Certification. Builds that pass the Java Technology Compatibility Kit (TCK, or JCK) are certified as compatible with the Java SE specification.
• Platforms. Alpine (musl), Windows on ARM, RISC-V, s390x and AIX are where distributions differ most.
• Container images. Official, maintained images and their base operating systems.
• Paid support. Whether you can buy it, and whether the price is published.
• Extras. JavaFX, CRaC for fast startup, the OpenJ9 JVM, or native images.

Which Java version?

The LTS releases are Java 8, 11, 17, 21 and 25. Java 27, released in September 2026, is a feature release that only gets about six months of updates, and the next LTS is planned to be Java 29 in September 2027. For a new project, choose Java 25. Spring Boot 3.x and 4.x both need Java 17 or later.

Quick comparison

Which one should you choose?

• No special requirements: Eclipse Temurin. It is vendor-neutral, free, and the default almost everywhere.
• Long free updates with a published date: Amazon Corretto, with Java 25 patched until October 2032.
• Running on AWS: Amazon Corretto. On Azure: Microsoft Build of OpenJDK.
• RHEL or OpenShift with a Red Hat subscription: Red Hat build of OpenJDK.
• Spring Boot images built with buildpacks: BellSoft Liberica, which they already use.
• Windows on ARM: Microsoft Build of OpenJDK, Azul Zulu or Liberica.
• Low memory use in dense container deployments: IBM Semeru, with OpenJ9.
• Paid support including Java 6 or 7: Azul.
• Inside SAP: SapMachine.
• Oracle JDK: only if you have a Java SE subscription, or you are on the newest releases and will move on before the free period ends.

The distributions, A to Z

What about GraalVM?

GraalVM used to be pitched as a faster, drop-in JDK. That changed in 2025. GraalVM for JDK 24 was the last version licensed and supported as part of Oracle’s Java SE products, and the optional Graal JIT compiler was removed from Oracle JDK 25.

GraalVM itself continues in two editions, both including Native Image. Oracle GraalVM is free under the GraalVM Free Terms and Conditions, except its 17.0.13 and 21.0.13 updates and later, which moved to an OTN licence. GraalVM Community Edition is GPLv2 with the Classpath Exception. Since 25.1, both ship a new feature release every month rather than every six months.

Reach for GraalVM when you want a native executable with fast startup and low memory, for example for a CLI tool or a scale-to-zero service. BellSoft’s Liberica Native Image Kit and Red Hat’s Mandrel are downstream builds of GraalVM CE aimed at exactly that. For everything else, use one of the regular JDKs above.

Choosing a JDK for Spring Boot

Spring Boot does not recommend a vendor; its only requirement is Java 17 or later. Spring Boot 3.5 supports up to Java 25, and Spring Boot 4.x up to Java 27. Any certified build runs your application the same way, so the decision mostly comes down to how you build and deploy.

Container images from bootBuildImage

./gradlew bootBuildImage and mvn spring-boot:build-image use Paketo buildpacks, which install BellSoft Liberica by default. Spring Boot passes your project’s Java version to the buildpacks, so a project compiled for Java 25 gets a Java 25 runtime. To use another vendor, list its buildpack before the Java buildpack:

tasks.named("bootBuildImage") {
    buildpacks = ["paketo-buildpacks/adoptium", "urn:cnb:builder:paketo-buildpacks/java"]
}

<plugin>
    <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
    <artifactId>spring-boot-maven-plugin</artifactId>
    <configuration>
        <image>
            <buildpacks>
                <buildpack>paketo-buildpacks/adoptium</buildpack>
                <buildpack>urn:cnb:builder:paketo-buildpacks/java</buildpack>
            </buildpacks>
        </image>
    </configuration>
</plugin>

Paketo also has buildpacks for Amazon Corretto, Azul Zulu, Eclipse OpenJ9, GraalVM, Microsoft OpenJDK, Oracle JDK and SapMachine. Setting buildpacks replaces the builder’s default list, which is why the Java buildpack has to be listed too.

Writing your own Dockerfile

Use a runtime image and pin the major version in the tag:

FROM eclipse-temurin:25-jre
COPY build/libs/app.jar /app/app.jar
ENTRYPOINT ["java", "-jar", "/app/app.jar"]

Switching JDKs locally with SDKMAN!

SDKMAN! installs and switches between distributions per shell or per project. Each identifier ends with a vendor suffix; run sdk list java for the current versions, then install one:

sdk list java
sdk install java 25.0.5.0+8-tem   # Temurin, SDKMAN!'s default
sdk env init                      # pin the JDK for this project in .sdkmanrc

Red Hat’s build is not listed in SDKMAN!; Red Hat’s GraalVM build, Mandrel, is (-mandrel).

Frequently asked questions

How this comparison was put together

Support dates, licences, platforms, container images and prices come from each vendor’s own website, lifecycle pages, licence pages and container registries, checked in October 2026. Vendors revise these dates, so check the vendor’s page before committing to one for years. If something here is out of date, tell me on GitHub.