Java 11 is getting long in the tooth, so many developers are moving to the next oldest version that's still supported, Java 17. Here's what's different.

The next LTS release will be Java 21 in 2023. With JDK 17, Oracle will allow free use of Oracle JDK binaries in production for three years, one year past the next LTS.

If you get a chance, download and install Java 17 and check out all the new features this new LTS release provides. You’ll be impressed by how much Java has matured since the 2018 release of Java 11.

More than 35% of Java applications are using Java 17 in production, up from 9% in 2023, according to New Relic’s 2024 State of the Java Ecosystem report.

According to New Relic’s annual State of the Java Ecosystem report, over 35% of applications in production use Java 17.