Microsoft Build of OpenJDK for Enterprises

The Microsoft Build of OpenJDK is a free distribution that runs the same Java your applications expect, with no license fee. For estates on Azure or the broader Microsoft stack, it offers platform alignment that can simplify support and operations while removing the per employee Oracle Java cost.

What it is

The Microsoft Build of OpenJDK is Microsoft's free distribution of OpenJDK. Microsoft uses Java extensively across its own services and ships the same builds for general use at no charge. Built from the OpenJDK source and tested for compatibility, it runs the same Java your applications already expect, with no code change for the same release in the large majority of cases. It is Java, offered free, with Microsoft standing behind the build.

Platform alignment as the advantage

The reason a buyer would choose this distribution over a neutral one is alignment. If your estate already runs on Azure, or leans on the Microsoft stack across development and operations, a runtime from the same vendor can simplify the operational picture: shared tooling, familiar support channels, and integration with the platform you already manage. That alignment does not change the runtime, which is standard Java, but it can reduce the friction of supporting it. For estates without that alignment, a community build such as Eclipse Temurin is an equally valid default, which is why many enterprises run more than one distribution and choose per workload.

What it costs

The runtime and its updates are free. There is no per employee metric and no subscription to renew, in contrast to the Oracle Java Universal Subscription that since January 2023 has been priced per employee and counts every full time and part time employee, every contractor, and every temporary worker regardless of who uses Java. Where a workload needs a contractual support response, enterprises typically obtain it through an existing Microsoft support relationship or a third party, rather than a separate runtime license. That keeps the runtime cost at zero and adds support only where it is warranted.

Where it fits in an estate

The Microsoft Build of OpenJDK fits best as the standard for the Azure aligned portion of an estate, sitting alongside a neutral default elsewhere. It covers the common long term support releases enterprises standardize on, so it can serve most server side and containerized workloads in that part of the estate without special handling. For how it compares with the other options, see our overview of eight Oracle Java alternatives compared in 2026, and for the AWS aligned equivalent, our look at Amazon Corretto for enterprise Java.

Migration considerations

Moving a workload to the Microsoft build is generally a runtime swap and a retest, because the source base is shared with Oracle Java SE. The effort is in inventory and testing discipline rather than application changes. Standardize on a long term support release, treat each move as a controlled change with a rollback path, and let the platform alignment carry the operational side.

Where this fits

Platform aligned distributions help you standardize the estate efficiently. For the full licensing context, read our Oracle Java licensing guide for 2026.