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Head-to-head · Application Servers

Open Liberty vs Eclipse GlassFish

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 4 checks side by side
Higher score Open Liberty #1 in Application Servers 9.3/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 3 features Visit Open Liberty
Eclipse GlassFish #3 in Application Servers 9.0/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 3 features Visit GlassFish

Open Liberty leads on 0 checks, Eclipse GlassFish on 0, and 4 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 4 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreOpen Liberty · 9.3/10
  • Free planboth

Open Liberty scores higher on our rubric for application servers: 9.3 against 9.0 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #3.

On java standard, Open Liberty gives you Both where Eclipse GlassFish offers Jakarta_ee.

Open Liberty is the better fit for modern Java teams using containers and CI. Eclipse GlassFish is the better fit for free Jakarta EE deployments needing security depth.

  • Open Liberty fits best

    Modern Java teams using containers and CI

  • Eclipse GlassFish fits best

    Free Jakarta EE deployments needing security depth

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Open Liberty 9.3/10 Visit ↗ Eclipse GlassFish 9.0/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.3 9.0
Ranking #1 in Application Servers #3 in Application Servers
Best for Modern Java teams using containers and CI Free Jakarta EE deployments needing security depth
Pricing model Free Free
Starting price Free plan Free plan
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud, Self-hosted Self-hosted, Cloud
Platforms Windows, macOS, Linux Windows, macOS, Linux
Support Live chat, Phone, Tickets, Community, Docs · 24/7 Community, Docs
Built for Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Open Liberty 3/3 · Eclipse GlassFish 3/3
Clustering ✓ ✓
Admin console ✓ ✓
Container support ✓ ✓
Specs
Java standard Both Jakarta_ee
Deployment model Self_hosted Self_hosted
Supported operating systems Windows, macOS, Linux Linux, macOS, UNIX, Windows
Our review
Pros
  • Composable support for Jakarta EE, Java EE, and MicroProfile
  • Dev mode provides automatic application and configuration updates
  • Docker, Kubernetes, observability, clustering, Maven, and Gradle support
  • Free, open-source Jakarta EE Platform and Web Profile implementations
  • Clustering, load balancing, embedded deployment, and REST administration
  • TLS, RBAC, realms, and audit logging support security-focused deployments
Cons
  • Self-hosted deployment requires teams to manage the runtime environment
  • Enterprise support is separate from the free open-source runtime
  • No built-in AI features
  • Requires JDK 21 or higher for GlassFish 8.0.4
  • Self-hosted deployment leaves installation and operations to your team
  • Its focus on Jakarta EE may not fit non-Jakarta application stacks
Our verdict

Open Liberty is an open-source Java application server runtime for developing and running cloud-native applications and microservices. It is suited to Java teams that need Jakarta EE, Java EE, or MicroProfile features across Windows,…

Read the review →

Eclipse GlassFish is an open-source application server for developing and deploying Jakarta EE applications and web services. It offers both full and Web Profile distributions, making it relevant for teams that need Jakarta EE runtime…

Read the review →
  1. Open LibertyApplication Servers 9.3Free plan
  2. Eclipse GlassFishApplication Servers 9.0Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Open Liberty — where it wins

    • Composable support for Jakarta EE, Java EE, and MicroProfile
    • Dev mode provides automatic application and configuration updates
    • Docker, Kubernetes, observability, clustering, Maven, and Gradle support

    Where it doesn't

    • Self-hosted deployment requires teams to manage the runtime environment
    • Enterprise support is separate from the free open-source runtime
    • No built-in AI features

  • Eclipse GlassFish — where it wins

    • Free, open-source Jakarta EE Platform and Web Profile implementations
    • Clustering, load balancing, embedded deployment, and REST administration
    • TLS, RBAC, realms, and audit logging support security-focused deployments

    Where it doesn't

    • Requires JDK 21 or higher for GlassFish 8.0.4
    • Self-hosted deployment leaves installation and operations to your team
    • Its focus on Jakarta EE may not fit non-Jakarta application stacks

More comparisons

All application servers comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update