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Azul Zulu vs GraalVM: catalog facts
Azul Zulu	GraalVM
Best for: Developers who need a specific Java version installed on any desktop OS	Best for: Java developers building fast-starting services and small container images
Free The Zulu builds of OpenJDK are free to download from Azul.	Free Free to download; the source code is published in the oracle/graal repository.
Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line	Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line
Builds for every current long-term Java version, back to Java 8 Packages for Windows, macOS and Linux from one page All 3 strengths for Azul Zulu Builds for every current long-term Java version, back to Java 8 Packages for Windows, macOS and Linux from one page Based directly on OpenJDK	Native Image builds fast-starting, low-memory executables First-class support in Spring Boot, Micronaut, Helidon and Quarkus All 4 strengths for GraalVM Native Image builds fast-starting, low-memory executables First-class support in Spring Boot, Micronaut, Helidon and Quarkus Works as a drop-in JDK with existing Java tools Truffle framework for running other languages
A runtime and toolkit, with no graphical tools of its own Many vendors ship near-identical OpenJDK builds, so the choice is often about support	Native Image compilation is slower than a normal Java build Native executables include only reachable code, so reflection-heavy code needs configuration
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: GPL-2.0 with Classpath Exception	License: GPL-2.0 with Classpath Exception
Not stated if an account is needed	No account needed
Offline features available	Offline features available
Official website Full listing and sources Sources for Azul Zulu azul.com/downloads Catalog checked October 2, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for GraalVM graalvm.org Catalog checked October 1, 2026

“Not stated” means we have not confirmed it. Features can vary by device and plan.