Choosing a JDK Distribution Java 11 is available from multiple OpenJDK distributions. All are TCK-certified and binary-compatible; the differences are support timelines and add-ons. Distribution Vendor Java 11 Support Until Notes Eclipse Temurin Adoptium Oct 2027 Community standard, most downloaded Amazon Corretto Amazon Aug 2024 (free), extended via AWS Best choice for AWS workloads Azul Zulu Azul Systems 2026+ Wide platform coverage Microsoft Build of OpenJDK Microsoft 2024 Best for Azure Oracle JDK 11 Oracle Oct 2024 (free LTS) Commercial support until 2026 GraalVM CE 21 Oracle/GraalVM Community Native image + polyglot; JDK 21-based For most teams: Eclipse Temurin 11 — widest platform support, longest free support window, backed by a vendor-neutral foundation.

JDK Distribution Options Multiple vendors ship Java 17 JDK builds. All pass the TCK (Technology Compatibility Kit) — they are functionally equivalent for development. Distribution Provider Notes Eclipse Temurin Adoptium / Eclipse Recommended default; fully open-source Amazon Corretto AWS Free; optimized for AWS Lambda and EC2 Microsoft Build of OpenJDK Microsoft Windows and Azure optimized Oracle JDK 17 Oracle Free for development; commercial license for production Azul Zulu Azul Commercial support available; free binaries GraalVM CE 22.

Choosing a Java 8 Distribution Getting your environment right before writing a single line of code saves hours of debugging compiler errors and version conflicts later. This article covers every distribution option, all three major build tools, and both popular IDEs — including the specific settings that trip up most developers when first configuring Java 8. Oracle stopped providing free Java 8 updates for commercial use in January 2019. Multiple vendors now ship free, production-quality Java 8 builds: