Only around one in ten Oracle Java customers are likely to stick around following costly licensing changes Big Red made to its development and runtime environments in January 2023, according to research.

A report from Dimensional Research found the percentage of Oracle Java users considering switching to alternative JVMs or JDKs based an open approach increased from 72 percent in 2023 to 88 percent in 2024. The proportion wanting to leave Oracle reached 92 percent in France and 95 percent Germany.

"This growing dissatisfaction reflects a pressing need for cost-effective alternatives that align with tight IT budgets. Oracle’s pricing model has not only fueled concerns about affordability but also spurred organizations to reexamine their long-term strategies for managing Java licensing and support costs, driving a search for more predictable and sustainable options," the newly published study, sponsored by open Java support and platform provider Azul, said.

[1]

Oracle got Java with its [2]$7.4 billion acquisition of Sun Microsystems in 2009. It first introduced two new licensing models for its commercial Java platform, Standard Edition (Java SE), in April 2019, when it began charging license fees for previously free Java. Two years ago, [3]Oracle changed its Java SE subscription model , shifting from a per-user or per-processor basis to a per-employee basis. Critics called the move "predatory" as organizations that were using little Java but which had a large number of employees could be hit hard by the cost increase.

[4]

Later in 2023, [5]research from Gartner showed that costs could be between two and five times greater under the new licensing model, for using the same software.

[6]Oracle emits 603 patches, names one it wants you to worry about soon

[7]It's been 20 years since Oracle bought two software rivals, changing the market forever

[8]Oracle's revised Java licensing terms 2-5x more expensive for most orgs

[9]Experts warn of steep increase in Java costs under changes to Oracle license regime

A number of alternatives to Oracle exist for running OpenJDK applications in production, including Bellsoft Liberica, IBM Semeru, or Azul Platform Core.

In a canned remark, Scott Sellers, co-founder and CEO at Azul, said: "Our report shows organizations are actively seeking ways to optimize their Java deployments to drive operational efficiency and cost predictability. As Java continues to be the backbone for business-critical applications in the enterprise, we’re seeing important trends — from the growing interest in Oracle Java alternatives to cloud optimization strategies, improvements in DevOps productivity, and innovation with AI."

The Register has asked Oracle to comment. ®

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[2] https://www.theregister.com/2009/04/20/oracle_buys_sun/

[3] https://www.theregister.com/2023/01/27/oracle_java_licensing_change/

[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Z5petoV9VxBt4bCF0Gq81AAAAIw&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0

[5] https://www.theregister.com/2023/07/24/oracle_java_license_terms/

[6] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/23/oracle_patch_linux/

[7] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/02/twenty_years_since_oracle_bought_peoplesoft/

[8] https://www.theregister.com/2023/07/24/oracle_java_license_terms/

[9] https://www.theregister.com/2023/01/27/oracle_java_licensing_change/

[10] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/