Why Choose OpenJDK?
Since Oracle changed its licensing model, most developers have shifted to OpenJDK distributions. They are 100% free for commercial use, open-source, and performance-certified. At SoftStash, we only recommend clean, high-performance builds.
🚀 Direct Download Links (LTS Versions)
Here are the most reliable sources for the three major Long-Term Support (LTS) versions.
1. Adoptium (Temurin) - Top Recommendation
Backed by the Eclipse Foundation, this is the most popular community-led distribution.
- JDK 21 (Latest LTS): Download Java 21
- JDK 17 (Stable LTS): Download Java 17
- JDK 8 (Legacy LTS): Download Java 8
2. Azul Zulu - Best for Compatibility
Great for Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3) and specialized architectures.
- Java 21: Azul Zulu JDK 21 Downloads
- Java 17: Azul Zulu JDK 17 Downloads
- Java 8: Azul Zulu JDK 8 Downloads
3. Amazon Corretto - Cloud Optimized
Production-ready distribution used by Amazon to run AWS.
- All Versions: Download Amazon Corretto
📊 Quick Comparison: Which Version Do You Need?
| Version | Released | Status | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JDK 21 | 2023 | Current LTS | Best for new projects and Virtual Threads. |
| JDK 17 | 2021 | Standard LTS | The most common version for enterprise apps (Spring Boot 3+). |
| JDK 8 | 2014 | Legacy LTS | Only for maintaining old or legacy systems. |
🛠️ Pro-Tip: Manage Versions with SDKMAN!
If you frequently switch between Java versions, don’t use manual installers. Use SDKMAN! (for macOS, Linux, and Windows WSL):
# Install SDKMAN
curl -s "[https://get.sdkman.io](https://get.sdkman.io)" | bash
# Install and use JDK 21
sdk install java 21.0.2-tem
sdk use java 21.0.2-tem