Best Eclipse GlassFish Alternatives in 2026
The top Eclipse GlassFish alternatives are Open Liberty, WildFly and Azul Payara Server: 15 application servers our editors would look at instead of Eclipse GlassFish, in our ranking order.
Eclipse GlassFish: A free, security-focused Jakarta EE server with broad administration and deployment options. Where it falls short: requires JDK 21 or higher for GlassFish 8.0.4.
Switching from Eclipse GlassFish? For most application servers buyers the best Eclipse GlassFish alternative is Open Liberty, built for modern Java teams using containers and CI.
Why People Look for an Eclipse GlassFish Alternative
- 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
Quick Picks by What You Need
- Best overallOpen Liberty9.3
Modern Java teams using containers and CI
Visit Open Liberty - Best free optionOpen Liberty9.3
Has a free plan
Visit Open Liberty
All 15 Eclipse GlassFish Alternatives, Ranked
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.
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Best forModern Java teams using containers and CI
- Better than Eclipse GlassFish:
- Editor score 9.3 vs 9.0
A free, open-source Java runtime for containerized Jakarta EE, Java EE, and MicroProfile apps.
- Container support
- Admin console
- Clustering
9.3/10★★★★★Visit Open Liberty -
Best forJakarta EE teams wanting a free full server
- Better than Eclipse GlassFish:
- Editor score 9.1 vs 9.0
A free, self-hosted full server for Jakarta EE and MicroProfile teams.
- Container support
- Admin console
- Clustering
9.1/10★★★★★Visit WildFly -
Best forSupported Payara deployments needing observability
A supported Payara deployment option with strong clustering, containers, and observability.
- Container support
- Admin console
- Clustering
8.9/10★★★★☆Visit Azul Payara -
Best forOpen-source Tomcat-oriented Java deployments
A focused, open-source Tomcat extension for self-hosted Jakarta EE applications.
- Container support
- Clustering
8.8/10★★★★☆Visit Apache TomEE -
Best forEnterprises needing supported Liberty deployments
A supported Liberty deployment for enterprises running Java across hybrid environments.
- Container support
- Admin console
- Clustering
8.7/10★★★★☆Visit IBM Liberty -
Best forRed Hat estates needing enterprise Java support
A capable Jakarta EE server for Red Hat estates, with paid-only enterprise support.
- Container support
- Admin console
- Clustering
8.6/10★★★★☆Visit Red Hat -
Best forOracle-centric enterprise Java environments
A broad Jakarta EE server for Oracle-centric enterprises running business-critical Java applications.
- Container support
- Admin console
- Clustering
8.5/10★★★★☆Visit Oracle -
Best forIBM shops needing full Java EE operations
A full-platform Java EE server for organizations managing large enterprise workloads.
- Container support
- Admin console
- Clustering
8.4/10★★★★☆Visit IBM -
Best forEnterprises targeting OpenShift and major clouds
A Jakarta EE and MicroProfile platform for cloud, container, and clustered deployments.
- Container support
- Admin console
- Clustering
8.3/10★★★★☆Visit Fujitsu -
Best forAlibaba Cloud-native Java deployments
A managed Java runtime with enterprise APIs, clustering, containers, and Alibaba Cloud integrations.
- Container support
- Admin console
- Clustering
8.2/10★★★★☆Visit Alibaba Cloud -
Best forTraditional enterprise Java on diverse systems
A broad, proprietary Java server for enterprise deployments across Windows, Linux, Unix, and Docker.
- Container support
- Admin console
- Clustering
8.1/10★★★★☆Visit Apusic -
Best forEnterprise Java teams needing broad legacy support
A broad Java server for enterprise teams managing legacy and modern deployments.
- Container support
- Admin console
- Clustering
8.0/10★★★★☆Visit TongWeb -
Best forJEUS users needing clustered cloud-native Java
A Jakarta EE 8 server for clustered, cloud-native enterprise applications.
- Container support
- Admin console
- Clustering
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit TmaxSoft -
Best forLegacy Fujitsu Java application estates
A self-hosted Java server for legacy Fujitsu estates needing clustering and recovery.
- Admin console
- Clustering
7.8/10★★★★☆Visit Fujitsu -
Best forOpenEdge ABL application estates
A focused self-hosted server for deploying and scaling OpenEdge ABL estates.
- Container support
- Admin console
- Clustering
7.3/10★★★★☆Visit Progress
Eclipse GlassFish Alternatives: Common Questions
What is the best alternative to Eclipse GlassFish?
Open Liberty: #1 in our Application Servers ranking, with an editor score of 9.3 out of 10. A free, open-source Java runtime for containerized Jakarta EE, Java EE, and MicroProfile apps.
Is there a free alternative to Eclipse GlassFish?
Yes. Open Liberty, WildFly and Apache TomEE have a free plan or a free tier.
Why do people look for Eclipse GlassFish alternatives?
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.
How do I switch from Eclipse GlassFish?
Snapshot or back up the data and configs on your Eclipse GlassFish server. Create the new server with the same operating system and size, and add your SSH key. Copy the data across (rsync or your backup tool) and reinstall your apps or containers. Move the DNS records or IP references to the new server, test it, then cancel Eclipse GlassFish.
How to Switch from Eclipse GlassFish
- Snapshot or back up the data and configs on your Eclipse GlassFish server.
- Create the new server with the same operating system and size, and add your SSH key.
- Copy the data across (rsync or your backup tool) and reinstall your apps or containers.
- Move the DNS records or IP references to the new server, test it, then cancel Eclipse GlassFish.
Eclipse GlassFish vs Each Alternative
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | Java standard | Deployment model | Clustering | Admin console | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Eclipse GlassFish | Yes | Free | Jakarta_ee | Self_hosted | Yes | Yes | 9.0 |
| 1 | Open Liberty | Yes | Free | Both | Self_hosted | Yes | Yes | 9.3 |
| 2 | WildFly | Yes | Free | Jakarta_ee | Self_hosted | Yes | Yes | 9.1 |
| 3 | Azul Payara Server | No | Both | Self_hosted | Yes | Yes | 8.9 | |
| 4 | Apache TomEE | Yes | Free | Jakarta_ee | Self_hosted | Yes | 8.8 | |
| 5 | IBM WebSphere Liberty | Both | Both | Yes | Yes | 8.7 | ||
| 6 | Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform | No | Jakarta_ee | Both | Yes | Yes | 8.6 | |
| 7 | Oracle WebLogic Server | No | Jakarta_ee | Both | Yes | Yes | 8.5 | |
| 8 | IBM WebSphere Application Server | No | Both | Both | Yes | Yes | 8.4 | |
| 9 | Fujitsu Software Enterprise Application Platform | Jakarta_ee | Both | Yes | Yes | 8.3 | ||
| 10 | AliEE | No | Jakarta_ee | Managed | Yes | Yes | 8.2 | |
| 11 | Apusic Application Server | Both | Both | Yes | Yes | 8.1 | ||
| 12 | TongWeb Application Server | Both | Both | Yes | Yes | 8.0 | ||
| 13 | JEUS | Jakarta_ee | Both | Yes | Yes | 7.9 | ||
| 14 | Fujitsu Interstage Application Server | Both | Self_hosted | Yes | Yes | 7.8 | ||
| 15 | Progress Application Server for OpenEdge | None | Self_hosted | Yes | Yes | 7.3 |
Head-to-Head
- Eclipse GlassFish vs Open Liberty
- Eclipse GlassFish vs WildFly
- Eclipse GlassFish vs Azul Payara Server
- Eclipse GlassFish vs Apache TomEE
- Eclipse GlassFish vs IBM WebSphere Liberty
- Eclipse GlassFish vs Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update