Oracle asked about your Java? Build the inventory in an hour.
Find what to remove before you answer. Oracle's Java license reviews ask for every deployment by version, and the subscription is priced per employee, not per server. RuntimeClear is an open-source, read-only scanner plus an in-browser report that inventories Oracle Java across servers, laptops, container images and CI pipelines, shows which builds fall under paid terms, which are one update away (JDK 21 from the October 20, 2026 update), and how to move each one to a free OpenJDK build.
No account, no agent, no upload. The scanner makes no network calls; the report runs entirely in your browser.
What changes, and what doesn't
Oracle licenses each Oracle JDK update under the terms in force when it ships. The September 2026 date changes the terms for JDK 21 updates released after it. It does not reach back into builds already released.
| Release line | Builds | License | Commercial production use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oracle JDK 8 | 8u202 and earlier | Binary Code License (BCL) | Free for general-purpose computing |
| Oracle JDK 8 | 8u211 and later (Apr 2019 →) | OTN | Paid license |
| Oracle JDK 11 | every Oracle JDK 11 build | OTN | Paid license |
| Oracle JDK 17 | 17 – 17.0.12 | NFTC | Free |
| Oracle JDK 17 | 17.0.13 and later (Oct 2024 →) | OTN | Paid license |
| Oracle JDK 21 | 21 – updates released through Sept 2026 | NFTC | At risk free as installed; the next update is not |
| Oracle JDK 21 | October 2026 CPU and later | OTN | Paid license |
| Oracle JDK 25 | updates through Sept 2028 | NFTC | Free same cliff, two years later |
What a license review asks for
Oracle's formal Java audit letters request global employee counts, deployments by version, installation inventories, and virtualization and cloud details (Tactical Law Group, April 2026). RuntimeClear produces the inventory part. Talk to counsel before sending anything to Oracle.
Builds you already have keep their terms
An Oracle JDK 21 build released under the No-Fee Terms and Conditions was licensed under NFTC. Oracle's wording applies OTN to subsequent JDK 21 updates, so nothing on disk turns into a paid license on October 1 by itself.
The exposure arrives with the next update
From the October 2026 Critical Patch Update, Oracle JDK 21 updates ship under the Java SE OTN License. They usually arrive without anyone deciding: auto-updaters, :21 or :latest image tags, setup-java with distribution: oracle, package repos, golden images.
Some builds are already under OTN today
Oracle JDK 8u211 and later, every Oracle JDK 11 build, and Oracle JDK 17.0.13 and later are OTN-licensed now. The OTN license allows personal and development use; commercial production use needs a Java SE subscription.
The subscription counts employees, not installs
Oracle's Java SE Universal Subscription is priced per employee, and its definition of employee includes full-time, part-time and temporary staff plus certain contractors, not just people who run Java. The price follows headcount, not the number of machines running Java.
- Java Downloads, JDK 21: “JDK 21 will receive updates under the NFTC, until September 2026 … Subsequent JDK 21 updates will be licensed under the Java SE OTN License.”
- Oracle JDK License FAQ: license by release (8u211+, 11, 17.0.13+, 21, 25).
- Oracle No-Fee Terms and Conditions (NFTC)
- Oracle Technology Network License Agreement for Oracle Java SE (OTN)
- Oracle Java SE Support Roadmap
- Oracle Java SE Universal Subscription global price list (PDF)
This is a summary to help you find installs, not legal advice. Oracle's pages and your agreements with Oracle are what count.
How it works
A single script per platform, a JSON file per host, and a report page that never sends that JSON anywhere.
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Run the open-source scanner on each host
Read-only, no network calls, no root required. It reads Java home directories and their
releasefiles, package databases,PATH, runningjavaexecutables and, if you point it at a repo, the single matching lines of Dockerfiles, Kubernetes and Compose YAML, CI workflows, SDKMAN, Gradle and Maven toolchains. Read the script first; it is one file, MIT-licensed, on GitHub.Linux · macOS (bash 3.2+)$ curl -fsSLO https://raw.githubusercontent.com/techbuilddreams/runtimeclear/v1.0.1/runtimeclear.sh $ less runtimeclear.sh $ bash runtimeclear.sh --out scan.json --repo ~/src/my-service
Windows (PowerShell 5.1+)PS> Invoke-WebRequest https://raw.githubusercontent.com/techbuilddreams/runtimeclear/v1.0.1/runtimeclear.ps1 -OutFile runtimeclear.ps1 PS> notepad .\runtimeclear.ps1 PS> powershell -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File .\runtimeclear.ps1 -Out scan.json
Add
--anonymize(-Anonymize) to replace hostnames with a hash. Release checksums are published with each tagged version on GitHub. -
Drop the JSON files into the report page
Open the report tool and drag in one file or a few hundred. Classification runs in your browser against a versioned rules file; the files are never uploaded. You immediately see host count, installs, references and how many findings fall into each status.
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Get findings, a migration runbook and an audit-ready PDF
- Each finding with the product, the license it falls under, why, what to do, and a link to Oracle's page
- Replacement commands grouped by platform: apt, dnf/yum, Homebrew, winget, Dockerfile base images, GitHub Actions, SDKMAN, Gradle and Maven toolchains
- A cost-exposure estimate from Oracle's public per-employee price list
- A printable report with your organization name, date and rules version, for your records or your auditor
The count is free. The report is $149.
The scanner and the summary counts cost nothing and stay that way. Pay once when you want the details, the runbook and the document.
| Feature | Free$0 | Report$149 one org | MSP$399 up to 10 orgs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open-source scanner (Linux, macOS, Windows, repos) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Hosts, installs, references and status counts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Every finding with product, license, reason and action | Locked | Yes | Yes |
| Migration runbook with copyable commands | Locked | Yes | Yes |
| Cost-exposure estimate | Locked | Yes | Yes |
| Printable PDF report | No | 1 organization | 10 organizations |
| Hosts per organization | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Access on this browser | Always | 12 months | 12 months |
| Get the scanner | Buy report · $149 | Buy MSP · $399 |
Three ways to find Oracle Java
If you already run a software-asset platform that fingerprints Java, use it. RuntimeClear is for the teams that don't, or that need an answer this week.
| Criterion | By hand | Agent-based inventory platform | RuntimeClear |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setup | find, registry queries and a spreadsheet, written per OS | Deploy an agent or collector to every endpoint, often after a procurement cycle | One script per host, run by whoever already has shell access |
| Containers and CI | Only if someone remembers to grep the repos | Varies by product; many inventory installed software, not Dockerfiles or workflow files | Dockerfiles, Compose, Kubernetes YAML, GitHub/GitLab CI, SDKMAN, Gradle, Maven |
| License interpretation | You read Oracle's terms against each version string | Some map versions to licenses; many report versions only | Versioned rules with a citation per rule; anything uncertain is marked needs review |
| Where data goes | Wherever the spreadsheet goes | Vendor cloud or on-prem server | Nowhere: JSON on your disk, processed in your browser |
| Ongoing monitoring | No | Yes: continuous | No: point-in-time. Re-run when you need a fresh picture |
| Cost | Engineer time | Typically an annual subscription | $0 for counts, $149 or $399 once |
Questions sysadmins ask first
Is this legal advice?
No. RuntimeClear is an educational inventory tool. It maps what it finds to Oracle's published license terms and links the pages it relies on. Your contracts with Oracle, and your counsel or licensing contact, decide what applies to you.
Are you affiliated with Oracle?
No. RuntimeClear is built by Tech Build Dreams LLC and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Oracle. We don't sell Oracle licenses and we don't get paid by any JDK vendor.
Does anything leave my network?
The scanner makes no network calls. It writes one JSON file on the host, and you decide where that file goes. The report page reads the file with your browser's File API and classifies it in JavaScript on your machine. Nothing from the scan is uploaded.
The only server call is after payment: the page sends your Stripe checkout reference to our server to confirm the purchase. It contains no scan data. Details in the privacy policy.
Does it cover Docker, Kubernetes and CI?
Yes, as references. Point the scanner at a repository with --repo and it records the matching line from Dockerfiles (for example container-registry.oracle.com/java/jdk), Compose and Kubernetes YAML, GitHub Actions setup-java with distribution: oracle, GitLab CI, .sdkmanrc, .tool-versions, and Gradle and Maven toolchains. It does not pull or inspect image layers; run the scanner inside a running container if you need to see what is actually installed there.
What about Java bundled with Oracle products or third-party apps?
Some vendors ship a JDK inside their product, and some Oracle products include a restricted-use Java license. The scanner can see those installs but can't see your contracts, so they are marked needs review. Check with the application vendor or your Oracle licensing contact before changing or removing them.
What if Oracle changes the rules?
Every rule lives in one versioned rules file with a citation and the date it was last checked. The report shows the rules version and date on screen and on the PDF. When Oracle changes its terms we update the file; re-open the report and your existing scan files are re-classified.
What does “at risk” mean exactly?
The install or reference is free to use today, but it is set up to move onto OTN-licensed builds: an Oracle JDK 21 that gets updated, an enabled Java auto-updater, a floating image tag or a CI step that resolves to Oracle's latest JDK 21. Pinning or switching it before the October 2026 update keeps it free.
How do refunds work?
Email lsramos@techbuilddreams.com within 14 days of purchase. We refund in full, no questions. See the refund policy.
Run the scanner on one host now. If it finds nothing, you've spent a few minutes and $0.