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Azul Zulu vs Oracle JDK: catalog facts
Azul Zulu	Oracle JDK
Best for: Developers who need a specific Java version installed on any desktop OS	Best for: Java developers who want Oracle's official JDK builds
Free The Zulu builds of OpenJDK are free to download from Azul.	Free + paid options Downloads are available from Oracle, with paid Java SE subscriptions for commercial support.
Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line	Windows, 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	Official Java builds from Oracle, including long-term support releases Full toolchain: compiler, runtime and command-line tools All 3 strengths for Oracle JDK Official Java builds from Oracle, including long-term support releases Full toolchain: compiler, runtime and command-line tools Commercial support available
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	Oracle's licensing terms are more restrictive than OpenJDK builds Commercial support requires a paid subscription
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Not open source
License: GPL-2.0 with Classpath Exception	License not stated
Not stated if an account is needed	Not stated if an account is 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 Oracle JDK oracle.com/java Catalog checked October 1, 2026

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