Oracle Java vs Azul Platform
Oracle Java SE and Azul Platform both use the same OpenJDK technology. But they follow different commercial models. Oracle sells Java as an employee-based subscription.
Azul sells Java support based on actual usage. This one difference has a huge impact on cost and risk. For a full overview of all alternatives, read our guide Oracle JDK vs OpenJDK – Alternatives to Oracle Java.
Pro Tip: “Oracle prices people. Azul prices usage.”
What You’re Comparing
On the Oracle side, you have the Java SE Universal Subscription (Oracle’s Java license and support plan). On the Azul side, you have Azul Platform Core or Prime (Azul’s enterprise OpenJDK support offerings). Both options deliver the Java runtime with regular updates and security patches.
The big difference is how you pay for them. Oracle’s cost is tied to the number of employees in your organization. Azul’s cost is tied to the number of Java workloads – such as servers, virtual cores, or desktops – that you actually run.
In short, Oracle charges per person, while Azul charges per Java instance.
Cost Comparison – Real Financial Impact
Cost is often the deciding factor. The pricing models differ fundamentally between Oracle and Azul, and that drives different financial outcomes. Oracle charges a monthly fee per employee, regardless of how much Java each employee uses.
Azul charges an annual fee based on your Java runtime usage (for example, number of server cores or installations). The table below breaks down key factors in how these models impact your spend:
| Factor | Oracle Java | Azul Platform | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing Metric | All Employees | Servers, Cores, or Installations | Azul aligns cost with real usage |
| Support | Included with subscription | Included with subscription | Both offer full support & updates |
| Growth Cost | Scales up with every new employee | Scales with Java footprint growth | Oracle costs grow faster as you hire |
| Audit Leverage | High – entire company is in scope | Minimal – usage-based scope only | Big risk difference (Oracle vs Azul) |
In Oracle’s model, you pay even for employees who never use Java. Azul’s model lets you pay only for the servers and devices that actually run Java, eliminating much waste.
Oracle’s approach can also lead to surprise cost spikes as your workforce grows, whereas Azul’s costs stay tied to your actual Java footprint – something you control.
Pro Tip: “Headcount is not a licensing metric you control.”
5-Year Cost Scenario
Let’s look at a simple five-year cost example. Imagine a company evaluating a switch from Oracle to Azul. Below is an illustrative comparison of what five years of Java support might cost with Oracle’s subscription versus Azul’s support plan:
| Scenario | Year 1 | Year 3 | Year 5 | Total 5 Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oracle Subscription | $1.5M | $1.62M | $1.76M | ~$8.1M |
| Azul Support | $1.1M | $0.9M | $0.95M | ~$4.6M |
Over five years, Azul’s model in this scenario would cost around $4.6 million, versus approximately $8.1 million with Oracle.
That’s roughly a 45% savings. And Azul’s savings grow as headcount rises, because Oracle’s costs keep climbing with each additional employee. In other words, the larger (or faster-growing) your organization, the more you stand to save by switching to Azul.
Support and SLA Comparison
Both Oracle and Azul offer 24/7 enterprise-grade support for Java, but they differ in their approach. Oracle’s Java support is provided by a large, general Oracle support team with standard corporate SLAs. Azul, by contrast, is a company 100% focused on Java. Azul’s support engineers are Java specialists who often respond to critical issues just as fast, and sometimes even faster.
Many customers report that Azul delivers security patches and bug fixes (for example, fixes for newly discovered CVEs) promptly, sometimes more flexibly than Oracle’s quarterly schedule.
Be sure to check each vendor’s support SLAs—response times, coverage hours, and global support scope—to ensure they meet your needs. Both vendors provide solid support, but Azul’s Java-focused service may offer a more personalized touch for your specific Java environment.
How does Oracle compare to Coretto? – Oracle Java vs Amazon Corretto – Cost, Support & Fit.
Technical and Operational Fit
Since both Oracle and Azul builds are based on OpenJDK, they are virtually identical in terms of Java compatibility. An application running on Oracle’s Java will run on Azul’s Java with almost no differences.
Compatibility for Java 11 and newer is essentially 100%. This means switching your Java runtime from Oracle to Azul does not require you to rewrite your applications.
That said, any migration requires proper planning and testing. You should still validate your critical applications on the Azul JDK in a test environment before full deployment.
The main tasks are straightforward: update your Java runtime on servers and PCs (re-image them with Azul’s OpenJDK), run your test suites to confirm everything works (retest), and then deploy the updated runtime into production (redeploy). It’s an operational change, not a development project.
Pro Tip: “Migration takes planning, not rewriting.”
Risk and Control
One of the biggest differences between Oracle and Azul is in risk exposure and control. Oracle’s Java licensing comes with the risk of audits and compliance drama. Oracle is well-known for conducting software audits, and Java is now part of that playbook.
If you’re using Oracle’s Java without the proper subscription for every employee, you could face an audit and potential back-charges that cover your entire workforce. This gives Oracle significant leverage during compliance checks and renewals.
Azul’s model avoids that scenario. Azul does not audit customers in the aggressive way Oracle does. There’s no massive compliance dragnet involving your whole company. You purchase support for the Java runtimes you actually use, and that’s it. By switching to Azul, companies often neutralize Oracle’s audit leverage in Java.
Lower audit risk doesn’t mean you can ignore license management. You should still inventory your Java deployments and stay within your Azul usage limits. And if you use other Oracle products, maintain normal compliance discipline.
The good news is that with Azul, your Java licensing becomes a more transparent, manageable part of IT rather than a company-wide “gotcha.”
Here’s a quick side-by-side look at risk factors with Oracle versus Azul:
| Risk Area | Oracle Java | Azul Platform Java |
|---|---|---|
| Audit Pressure | High – frequent, broad audits | Low – little to no audit activity |
| Price Escalation | Medium – costs can rise over time (with workforce size) | Low – costs tied to usage; more predictable |
| Migration Effort | Low – staying requires no change | Medium – one-time migration project needed |
| Support Dependence | High – proprietary Oracle JDK; locked into one vendor | Moderate – OpenJDK-based; other support options exist |
As the table shows, staying with Oracle means higher audit risk and less control over future costs. Azul significantly lowers those risks by decoupling Java from a per-employee model.
The trade-off is the one-time effort to migrate, but once that’s done, you regain control. And because Azul uses an open standard (OpenJDK), you’re not locked into a single vendor’s ecosystem in the future.
Enterprise Migration Scenario
Real-world results help illustrate the impact of switching. For example, consider a manufacturing company with 20,000 employees that decided to migrate about 70% of its Java workloads from Oracle to Azul. The migration took careful planning and testing, but it was completed successfully.
The cost savings were dramatic: the company recouped its migration costs in roughly 14 months thanks to the much lower Azul support fees. By transitioning the majority of its Java usage to Azul, the firm effectively neutralized Oracle’s audit risk for Java.
At their next vendor review, Oracle had far less leverage because Java was no longer a pressure point. In short, the move paid for itself and freed the company from a major compliance worry.
When to Stay vs When to Move
Choosing between Oracle and Azul ultimately depends on an organization’s specific needs and risk appetite.
There are situations where sticking with Oracle’s Java might be the safer choice, and others where moving to Azul’s support delivers clear benefits. Here are some guidelines:
Stay with Oracle if you need:
- Seamless integration with Oracle’s full stack and certified Oracle products.
- Absolutely zero change in your Java environment (if even minor differences or a migration project are not acceptable).
- An environment already deeply tied to Oracle tools, where you prefer one vendor for everything.
Move to Azul if you want:
- Lower and more predictable Java licensing costs.
- Relief from Oracle’s audit and compliance risks surrounding Java.
- Support terms and flexibility tailored to your actual Java workloads (pay for the runtimes you use, not for idle users).
Pro Tip: “If Java is a commodity, buy it like one.”
Migration Readiness Checklist
Switching from Oracle to Azul requires preparation. A well-planned migration can avoid disruptions and ensure you capture the savings.
Use this checklist to get ready:
- ✅ Inventory every Java runtime: Identify all servers, VMs, containers, and desktops running Java in your organization.
- ✅ Identify Oracle-dependent systems: Pinpoint if any applications explicitly require Oracle’s JDK (for example, certain Oracle enterprise software might bundle Java).
- ✅ Test OpenJDK compatibility: Verify that your key applications run smoothly on an OpenJDK-based distribution like Azul. Most will, but it’s critical to test in a staging environment.
- ✅ Build a five-year TCO model: Compare the total cost of ownership of staying with Oracle vs moving to Azul over multiple years, including subscription costs and one-time migration effort.
- ✅ Align renewal timing with your plan: Time your migration around your Oracle Java subscription renewal or expiration. Avoid signing a long Oracle renewal if you plan to switch soon.
- ✅ Prepare internal communications: Educate your teams (development, operations, procurement) about the change. Guide new update processes, support contacts, and reasons for the switch.
Final Take
Both Oracle and Azul will deliver a fully functional Java platform. The difference is in how you pay and how much control you retain.
Oracle’s Java SE subscription might make sense only for organizations with extremely low growth and a deep dependency on Oracle. For most organizations, Azul’s model provides Java without surprise costs or compliance headaches.
By switching to Azul, companies shift their spending from a per-employee tax to a usage-based investment. You get the same Java technology and reliable support, but with more predictable costs.
It’s about regaining control over your Java estate and budget. You shouldn’t be paying for “Java shelfware” or losing sleep over audits of your Java runtime.
Pro Tip: “Your Java runtime shouldn’t decide your IT budget.”
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