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OpenJDK vs Azul Zulu: catalog facts
OpenJDK	Azul Zulu
Best for: Developers who need a standard JDK to build and run Java applications	Best for: Developers who need a specific Java version installed on any desktop OS
Free Free under the GPL; Oracle also sells a commercially licensed JDK built from the same code.	Free The Zulu builds of OpenJDK are free to download from Azul.
Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line	Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line
Reference implementation of the Java Platform Free production-ready builds for three desktop platforms All 3 strengths for OpenJDK Reference implementation of the Java Platform Free production-ready builds for three desktop platforms Open development with public source and proposals	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
Oracle's OpenJDK builds are only updated for a short time per release Older versions such as JDK 17 need builds from other vendors for updates	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
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: GPL-2.0 with Classpath Exception	License: GPL-2.0 with Classpath Exception
No account needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Offline features available	Offline features available
Official website Full listing and sources Sources for OpenJDK openjdk.org Catalog checked October 1, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for Azul Zulu azul.com/downloads Catalog checked October 2, 2026

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