Java Professionals Prefer Long Term Support: Java 11 and Java 17 Leading Over Java 8
According to Azul’s recent survey on Java usage trends, Java 11 and Java 17 emerge as the preferred choices among Java professionals, primarily due to their Long Term Support (LTS) status. Oracle designates LTS versions to receive extended support and updates over several years, ensuring stability and security for enterprise applications. Java 11, released in September 2018, and Java 17, released in September 2020, captured significant adoption rates of 48% and 45% respectively, reflecting their robust performance and reliability in production environments.
In contrast, Java 8, despite being an LTS version since its release in March 2014, remains widely used, with 40% of respondents still relying on it. This persistence likely stems from Java 8’s established compatibility and maturity, making it a stable choice for legacy systems and applications that have yet to migrate to newer versions. However, the survey highlights a gradual shift towards newer LTS releases, indicating a positive trend towards adopting modern Java features and enhancements.
The survey also reveals that a substantial 85% of respondents utilize an LTS version of Java, underscoring the industry’s preference for long-term stability and support in their development and deployment strategies. Moreover, 64% of respondents reported using multiple Java versions concurrently, showcasing a diverse landscape where organizations manage compatibility across different projects and application environments.
Azul’s findings suggest that the transition from Java 8 to newer LTS versions signifies a strategic move by application teams to leverage enhanced capabilities and performance improvements introduced in subsequent releases. This shift is seen as overcoming initial challenges introduced with Java 9, which marked a significant departure with its modularization efforts in September 2017.
Azul found that Java 11, released in September 2018, and Java 17, released in September 2020, were used by 48% and 45% of respondents, respectively. Java 8, an LTS version released in March 2014, trailed at 40%. These findings were published in the Azul State of Java Survey and Report 2023 on October 24. The report is based on a worldwide survey of 2,062 Java professionals and users of Java-based applications conducted in May and June.
Azul found that 85% of respondents used an LTS version of Java, meaning the Java version is backed by several years of support from Oracle, and 64% used more than one Java version. Azul said it was encouraged to see critical mass move beyond Java 8 to more recent LTS versions, adding this likely indicated that application teams had moved beyond interoperability issues introduced in Java 9, which arrived in September 2017.
Given Oracle’s release cadence, which includes new Java versions every six months and LTS versions every two years, organizations often prioritize LTS releases for their production environments. These versions provide extended support periods and stability enhancements, aligning with enterprise requirements for long-term software sustainability and reliability.
The latest milestone, JDK 21, released in September as an LTS version, continues this tradition by offering updated features and security patches essential for maintaining robust Java applications in dynamic and evolving IT landscapes. As Java continues to evolve, the industry’s adherence to LTS versions underscores a commitment to stability, security, and compatibility, ensuring Java remains a cornerstone technology for modern software development and deployment strategies.