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SDKMAN! vs asdf: catalog facts
SDKMAN!	asdf
Free The open-source application is available without a license fee.	Free Free and open source under the MIT licence.
macOS, Linux, Command line	macOS, Linux, Command line
Installs JDKs from many vendors and switches between them instantly Project files pin the exact SDK versions a repository needs	One tool and one .tool-versions file replaces nvm, rbenv, pyenv and friends Plugin ecosystem covers hundreds of runtimes and CLI tools
Unix shells only; Windows needs WSL or Git Bash Depends on the project's own version catalogue being up to date	Shim indirection adds startup latency and occasionally confuses tooling Plugin quality varies since each is community-maintained
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: Apache-2.0	License: MIT
Not stated if an account is needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Not stated if it works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 22, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 22, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.