Oracle announced on June 14, 2023 that Oracle GraalVM for JDK 17, JDK 20 and later releases would be available under the GraalVM Free Terms and Conditions (GFTC). Subject to those terms, the announcement allowed commercial production use and redistribution without charge. That announcement is not a blanket statement that every GraalVM distribution, release, component or support service is free: Oracle GraalVM and GraalVM Community Edition have different licenses, and current Oracle documentation adds important release and Native Image qualifications.
What Oracle announced in June 2023
Oracle’s announcement, dated June 14, 2023, said Oracle GraalVM for JDK 17, JDK 20 and subsequent releases—including quarterly security updates—would be available under GFTC. Oracle described the terms as allowing use, including commercial production use, subject to the license conditions. Redistribution was permitted provided no fee was charged. Oracle also said earlier releases were unaffected by the change. Read Oracle’s announcement.
Shaun Smith, identified in the announcement as leading GraalVM product management at Oracle Labs, said: “Oracle is making Oracle GraalVM for JDK 17, Oracle GraalVM for JDK 20, and subsequent releases available for free!”
The release schedule described in that 2023 announcement was specific to that moment: JDK 17 was to remain available under GFTC until one year after the subsequent LTS release, while JDK 20 was to be available until superseded. Treat that as a historical policy statement, not a promise about current releases or future availability.
How is GraalVM licensed?
“GraalVM” refers to more than one distribution. Oracle GraalVM is based on Oracle JDK and is licensed under GFTC, subject to its conditions. GraalVM Community Edition is a separate distribution licensed under GPL version 2 with the Classpath Exception. Individual components can have their own licenses, so the distribution name alone does not answer every licensing question. Oracle’s GraalVM FAQ and GraalVM 25 licensing documentation describe these distinctions.
| Question | Oracle GraalVM | GraalVM Community Edition |
|---|---|---|
| Underlying distribution | Based on Oracle JDK, according to Oracle’s licensing manual. | A distinct Community Edition distribution; Oracle’s cited licensing description does not identify it as based on Oracle JDK. |
| Distribution license | GFTC, subject to its conditions. | GPL version 2 with the Classpath Exception. |
| Component licenses | May vary by component; check the selected release’s terms. | May vary by component; check the selected release’s terms. |
| Support entitlement | Not established by GFTC permission alone; verify the release’s support terms. | Not established by the distribution license alone; consult the project’s support information. |
The table summarizes the distinction; it is not a substitute for the full license applicable to a particular download.
Rank #2
Can you use Oracle GraalVM in production?
The 2023 announcement said GFTC permitted commercial production use, subject to the applicable license conditions. Oracle’s current high-level description likewise presents GFTC as permitting commercial and production use, with redistribution allowed without a fee. The exact terms for the release you plan to deploy control, however; review its license rather than relying only on the word “free.” Oracle’s FAQ provides the general licensing context.
Permission to use a release is different from an entitlement to receive updates or support. Oracle directs entitled customers seeking updates for earlier releases to My Oracle Support. Check the current release’s support documentation and your organization’s entitlements separately from its license. See Oracle’s licensing manual and the GraalVM support page.
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Oracle’s licensing manual, last updated in April 2026, identifies GraalVM for JDK 24 as the final version licensed and supported as part of Oracle Java SE products. That changes the context from the 2023 announcement, which discussed JDK 17, JDK 20 and subsequent releases. For a current deployment, use the specific version’s current licensing and support documentation rather than extrapolating the original announcement’s release schedule.
Native Image in Oracle GraalVM 25
Oracle’s GraalVM 25 documentation identifies Native Image as Early Adopter technology. It says Native Image may be used in production under the subscription, but is not covered by Oracle’s standard warranty. Native Image compiles applications ahead of time into native binaries. These statements concern this component and release context; they should not be read as a general rule for all GraalVM versions or all components.
Rank #4
Other components listed for version 25
Oracle identifies the GraalVM compiler and support for Java, Scala and Kotlin among Oracle GraalVM 25’s core components. Optional language packs are installed separately. C and C++ are supported through the LLVM Interpreter. Component availability and status can differ by release, so consult the documentation for the exact version and platform you intend to use. Oracle’s GraalVM 25 manual provides the version-specific details.
How to evaluate a GraalVM deployment
- Identify the distribution. Confirm whether the download is Oracle GraalVM or GraalVM Community Edition; their licenses are not interchangeable.
- Pin the exact release. Record its JDK version and whether it is an LTS or non-LTS release. Do not treat the 2023 release schedule as a current commitment.
- Read the release’s license. Check the applicable GFTC or Community Edition license, plus any separate terms for components you use.
- Separate use rights from support. Confirm how you may use the software, then independently verify update access, support coverage and any subscription requirements.
- Check Native Image terms if applicable. For Oracle GraalVM 25, account for its Early Adopter designation, subscription condition for production use, and warranty exclusion.
- Review redistribution plans. The GFTC summary permits redistribution without charging a fee; check the complete release terms before distributing software or images.
- Verify platform support. Confirm the operating system and architecture for the specific release against Oracle’s JDK 25 supported platforms information and relevant GraalVM documentation.
Bottom line on the “free GraalVM” announcement
Oracle’s June 2023 move made specified Oracle GraalVM releases available under GFTC, with commercial production use allowed subject to conditions and no-fee redistribution permitted. It did not make Oracle GraalVM and Community Edition the same product, turn license permission into a support entitlement, or eliminate release-specific terms. The practical answer depends on the exact distribution, version, components, platform and support arrangement.
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