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If I want to keep my software (be it an application or even a game for Windows) free for me as developer/publisher as well as my users/clients what should I do (use)/can I even do that today?

To download the JDK you have two options (that I know of): OpenJDK / jdk.java.net and Oracle JDK. Am I right to assume that you can use everything from OpenJDK free of charge for commercial use as well, while Oracle JDK depends how they stand, some are free while for some you need a subscription (JDK 17/18 says that they are free under NFTC while for JDK 8 you need a subscription)?

As for JRE, can I download Java from here (version: Windows Offline (64-bit)) and add it in a folder with the software, to check if the user/client has it or not, and prompt an install it they don't have it?

Mark Rotteveel
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Devorious
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    see [Why isn't it required to provide comments/feedback for downvotes, and why are proposals suggesting this so negatively received?](https://meta.stackoverflow.com/q/357436/16320675) - this *topic* - I do not mean that specific Question - is very *old* on StackOverflow... – user16320675 Jul 09 '22 at 07:21

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To download the JDK you have two options (that I know of)

Oh, heck no. There's Temurin by Adoptium, Zulu by Azul Systems, Coretto by Amazon. Other vendors include Red Hat, IBM, SAP, BellSoft, Microsoft, Oracle, Pivotal, etc.

Am I right to assume that you can use everything from OpenJDK free of charge for commercial use as well

Yes. But note that they stop supporting it when a new version comes out. I'd use Adoptium or Coretto instead.

Basil Bourque
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rzwitserloot
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  • By "they stop supporting it" do you mean that when a new version comes out they are still free but don't get any more new updates (for features/security)? – Devorious Jul 09 '22 at 05:57
  • @sValentin OpenJDK is formally a "source-only" project, where the various vendors that participate in the project (Oracle, Microsoft, Eclipse Adoptium, Azul, etc) are responsible for releasing actual binaries and providing support. – Mark Rotteveel Jul 09 '22 at 06:22