Java LTS Strategy Is Broken: How Oracle’s License Changes Force Your Hand

Stop paying for Java twice. Discover how Red Hat’s OpenJDK support gives you control, stability, and cost certainty without vendor lock-in.

[Updated 5/1/25 with comments from Simon Ritter, compare comments! Thanks Simon!]

If you're running Java in production, you're making LTS decisions every few years. But what used to be a simple “wait for the next Oracle LTS” now comes with a catch and a cost. It's time to talk about who really controls your Java destiny.

OpenJDK Isn’t just a Build — It’s a Battlefield

Let’s clear the fog: OpenJDK is the reference implementation of Java. It’s open source and governed by the OpenJDK community. That part’s simple.

What’s not simple is what happens next: who builds it, who patches it, who supports it and under what terms.

Here are the main players:

• Oracle JDK: Built from OpenJDK, but with proprietary licensing. Includes commercial features and usage constraints depending on version.

• Red Hat OpenJDK: Enterprise-grade OpenJDK builds with long-term support, included in RHEL and OpenShift subscriptions.

• Eclipse Temurin (Adoptium): Free OpenJDK binaries built by the community (including Red Hat and IBM). No commercial support unless paired with a vendor like Red Hat.

Same codebase. Very different tradeoffs.

Oracle’s Java Licensing: "Free" Comes With an Expiration Date

If you’re using Oracle JDK, you’re likely affected by Oracle’s evolving and restrictive licensing model.

Here’s the current state:

• Java 21 is provided under the Oracle No-Fee Terms and Conditions (NFTC) license.

• Update 17.0.13 and later are provided under the Oracle Technology Network License Agreement (OTNLA)

• The NFTC license allows free commercial use of the JDK, but only until 12 months after the next LTS release.

That means:

• Java 17 was only free until September 2024

• Java 21 is only free until September 2026

After that, you're cut off from updates unless you subscribe to Oracle's Java SE Universal Subscription, priced per employee per year (source).

Important: This applies to all employees, not just developers. So if you have 1,000 employees, you're paying for 1,000 licenses.

This isn’t just licensing complexity. It’s vendor lock-in by design.

What Red Hat Actually Supports—and for How Long

Red Hat offers OpenJDK builds with a support model that actually fits how enterprises operate.

1. Long-Term Support (LTS) You Can Count On

Red Hat usually supports each OpenJDK version for a minimum of 6 years, and often more. This includes:

• Backported CVE fixes

• Performance and bug updates

• Binary compatibility across releases

Compare the latest details on Red Hat's official support matrix.

2. Extended Lifecycle Support (ELS)

Red Hat’s ELS program allows customers to continue receiving security fixes and limited bug patches beyond the standard lifecycle. Find more details in the Lifecycle overview page.

• You get critical CVEs fixed even if you're on older versions

• ELS is ideal for systems where upgrade cycles stretch beyond 5–6 years

• It’s an add-on, not forced, and not priced per employee

3. Support for Eclipse Temurin Too

Red Hat is also a commercial support provider for Eclipse Temurin (the Adoptium project’s OpenJDK distribution). That means:

• You can use Temurin binaries in production

• And still get enterprise-grade support from Red Hat

• Ideal for companies who want to avoid vendor lock-in but still need SLAs

In short: Red Hat supports OpenJDK the way Oracle used to—minus the licensing drama.

Why This Matters: Oracle’s LTS Cadence vs. Enterprise Reality

Oracle now releases an LTS JDK every two years. That’s great for innovation. But here’s the catch: the NFTC license for each version expires one year after the next LTS.

This means:

• You only get 24 months of overlap before you’re expected to upgrade

• Or you lose access to updates and fall off the support cliff

• Or you start paying the per-employee tax

Compare that to Red Hat’s model:

• Six years of support per JDK version

• Option to extend to more years with ELS

• No forced upgrades or surprise license switches

Enterprise teams don’t need a new LTS every two years. They need predictable upgrade windows, CVE coverage, and the freedom to schedule migrations on their timeline, not a vendor’s schedule.

Choose Control Over Lock-In

Here’s the takeaway for Java developers and platform architects:

If you:

• Run Java apps in production

• Care about predictability

• Want to avoid license audits

• Already use RHEL or OpenShift

Then Red Hat OpenJDK is the smart default.

It gives you:

• Years of stable support

• Predictable timelines

• No per-user fees

• Freedom to upgrade on your terms

Stop defaulting to Oracle JDK. Unless you truly need Oracle-specific tools, there’s no upside to choosing a build that expires after 12 months and locks you into a license meter.

Final Word: Don’t Let Java Become Your Next Oracle DB

Java is still one of the best platforms for enterprise development. But the way you consume it can either give you freedom—or create a new layer of unnecessary cost and complexity.

Red Hat supports Java the way it should be: long-lived, open source, and built for how enterprises actually work.

You deserve a Java that respects your timeline, your budget, and your architecture and not one that locks you in.