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Azul Zulu vs SapMachine: catalog facts
Azul Zulu	SapMachine
Best for: Developers who need a specific Java version installed on any desktop OS	Best for: Developers and teams who want a free, vendor-supported Java runtime
Free The Zulu builds of OpenJDK are free to download from Azul.	Free Free to use in development and production, with no licensing fees or subscriptions.
Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line	Windows, macOS, Linux
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	Java SE certified and close to upstream OpenJDK Long-term support releases maintained by SAP All 3 strengths for SapMachine Java SE certified and close to upstream OpenJDK Long-term support releases maintained by SAP Covers macOS, Windows, Linux and AIX
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	Few differences from other OpenJDK builds beyond the maintainer
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 SapMachine sapmachine.io Catalog checked October 1, 2026

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