Developers are growing increasingly frustrated with Oracle Java pricing changes, new research suggests, with a significant number now considering migrating to reduce costs.
Findings from Azul’s 2026 State of Java survey show nine-in-ten Java developers are concerned about pricing, while roughly eight-in-ten plan to migrate to platforms such as OpenJDK due to rising costs.
Oracle bought Sun Microsystems in 2009, gaining control of Java and keeping access free for commercial users until a paid version was introduced several years later.
That was slowly cut back until 2023, when Oracle introduced employee-based pricing, charging on headcount rather than users.
The cloud computing giant formally ended free commercial support for Java in 2024, introducing audits and requiring users to upgrade and pay or shift to an alternative.
Azul’s findings mark the latest in a string of studies pointing toward a developer exodus, and the company said the situation has intensified over the last year.
All told, 81% of those polled said they had migrated, are in the process or plan to shift at least part of their Oracle Java work to a non-Oracle distribution. Nearly two-thirds said they plan to migrate their entire Java estate.
The main driver is cost (37%), followed by a preference for open source (31%), uncertainty caused by ongoing changes (29%), and the risk of an Oracle Java audit (26%).
Indeed, a fifth said they have already been subjected to an Oracle Java audit.
Azul said in a statement that enterprises are "prioritizing cost predictability, vendor independence, and long-term stability — driving widespread adoption of supported OpenJDK alternatives."
Just 7% said they weren't concerned about Oracle pricing, half the level recorded last year.
ITPro approached Oracle for comment on the Azul research, but did not receive a response by time of publication.
Beyond Oracle, enterprises are focused on using Java to cut cloud costs, with 97% of respondents saying they'd worked to cut public cloud costs, and 41% saying use of a high-performance Java platform is among their top strategies.
Java in the age of AI
The report also found the use of Java in AI was rising, with 62% of respondents revealing they use Java to code AI functionality, an increase from 50% of those polled last year.
Azul said that shows a shift toward integrating AI models with existing Java applications. Java is now "indispensable" for scaling AI workloads, the study noted.
And it goes both ways. Three-in-ten respondents say half of their Java applications now contain AI functionality, helped by Java-friendly AI libraries.
To help that continue, Java requires support for modern versions, built-in security, observability insights, support for large data access, and better integration with large language models, according to respondents.
Scott Sellers, co-founder and CEO at Azul, said the report shows Java “continues to prove its durability and strategic importance”.
“From powering the next generation of AI-driven applications to helping organizations regain control of cloud spend and modernize their estates, Java remains at the center of innovation and operational excellence.”
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Make sure to follow ITPro on Google News to keep tabs on all our latest news, analysis, and reviews.
You can also follow ITPro on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, and BlueSky.
Geekom A7 Max Review
Palo Alto Networks CEO hails ‘the end of identity silos’ as firm closes CyberArk acquisition
Software licensing is becoming a minefield for IT leaders – and it’s driving them into the arms of the open source community
‘It’s far from showing its age’: Java might’ve just turned 30, but it’s still going strong and here to stay
Java developers are facing serious productivity issues: Staff turnover, lengthy redeploy times, and a lack of resources are hampering efficiency – but firms are banking on AI tools to plug the gaps
