The best java development kits, according to hackers
3 java development kits were recommended on Hacker News between November 2025 and November 2026. We rank them by how many separate people recommend each one, and 1 earns the Hacker Approved badge.
Top pick
The most recommended java development kit with the badge. Each figure is 2 people. RecommendsCriticizes One comment
Steady language and runtime improvements
Free, open-source Java implementation that people use as their default JDK, praised for steady language and runtime improvements. Critics point to Oracle's influence and gaps against other JVMs.
All 3 java development kits, ranked
Select a column heading to sort. Approval share is recommenders out of everyone who gave an opinion; the tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs. Months counts the months, out of 13, in which someone recommended it.
| Rank | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | OpenJDK | 23 | 7 | 77% | 10 | — | Approved |
| 2 | JDK | 8 | 13 | 38% | 2 | — | — |
| 3 | Java Development Kit (JDK) | 6 | 3 | 67% | 4 | — | — |
How we rank
Rank is the number of separate people who recommend a product in a Hacker News comment over the past year. Someone who praises the same java development kit in five threads counts once.
The badge goes to java development kits that at least 10 people recommend, with recommenders outnumbering critics at least 2 to 1, recommended in at least 4 of the 13 months.
Rankings are never for sale. We may earn a commission when you buy through our links. It never changes the order.