For most enterprise production environments, the latest version is Java 25 , released in September 2025. Core Versions Overview (as of May 2026) Version Type Java Version Release Date Support Status Latest Feature Release Java 26 March 17, 2026 Non-LTS (6 months support) Latest LTS Release Java 25 September 16, 2025 Supported until 2030+ Previous LTS Release Java 21 September 2023 Supported until 2028+ What’s New in Java 26?
Choosing a Java version depends entirely on your role:
As of mid-2024, there are two specific versions that hold the title of "Latest," depending on your needs: what is java latest version
However, if you ask, "What is the latest version of Java?" the answer is no longer a single number. Since 2017, Java has moved to a rapid release cycle, resulting in a dual-stream environment: a stream for enterprise stability and a non-LTS stream for bleeding-edge features.
: Released September 2023. Still widely supported and stable, but no longer the most recent LTS. 🛠️ Java Requirements for PaperMC Since 2017, Java has moved to a rapid
Java 24 introduces several important preview and final features:
Released in , Java 22 is the newest feature release. It is technically the "latest" version of the JDK (Java Development Kit). 🛠️ Java Requirements for PaperMC Java 24 introduces
For production stability, most teams still use Java 21 (LTS). Java 25 (LTS) is expected in September 2026.
Released in , Java 21 is the current Long-Term Support (LTS) version. For most enterprises and commercial projects, this is the "latest version" that matters.
: Released March 2026. This is a short-term feature release.