{"id":1013000000797,"date":"2026-11-11T14:24:52","date_gmt":"2026-11-11T14:24:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.version1.com\/en-us\/?p=1013000000797"},"modified":"2026-11-11T14:25:09","modified_gmt":"2026-11-11T14:25:09","slug":"oracle-cuts-java-se-prices-and-the-fine-print-matters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.version1.com\/en-us\/blog\/oracle-cuts-java-se-prices-and-the-fine-print-matters\/","title":{"rendered":"Oracle cuts Java SE prices and the fine print matters"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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On 8th<\/sup> of October 2026, Oracle<\/a> published a new Java Standard Edition (SE) Universal Subscription price list<\/a>. For the first time since the employee-based metric arrived in 2023, organisations with fewer than 3,000 employees can get pricing built to match their size. A company with 100 employees that would have paid $18,000 a year under the March 2023 list now pays $1,000.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n

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The old model charged $15 per employee per month for companies with 1 to 999 staff and $12 for those with 1,000 to 2,999. A ten-person firm paid the same per-head rate as a 900-person company which put undue pressure on the smaller company.<\/p>\n

The new model replaces that with flat annual bands: $100 for up to 10 employees, $1,000 for up to 100, and $10,000 for up to 500.<\/p>\n

Each employee from 501 to 2,999 then adds $147.20 per employee a year. Pricing for 3,000 employees and above stays as it was.<\/p>\n

\"Table<\/p>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n

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Pricing impact by organisation size<\/h2>\n \n

The savings are largest for the smallest firms and shrink as headcount grows. Above roughly 1,000 employees, the saving settles at about $55,000 to $60,000 a year.<\/p>\n

Three conditions come with the new prices. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

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Banding<\/h3>\n \n

The bands cannot be stacked, so a company with 200 staff must buy the 500-employee band, not two 100-employee bands<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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Processor limits<\/h3>\n \n

The processor allowance now depends on headcount, from 1,000 processors at 10 employees to 50,000 above 500<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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True-up requirement<\/h3>\n \n

If headcount exceeds the licensed number at any point during the term, the customer must buy more licences immediately rather than at renewal<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n

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Companies on the edge of a band need to watch their numbers closely. Moving from 100 to 101 employees raises the bill from $1,000 to $10,000.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n

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Summary<\/h2>\n \n
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Oracle has cut Oracle Java SE costs for organisations under 3,000 employees, with the largest reductions for firms under 100 staff. The savings come with three new constraints: non-stackable bands, headcount-linked processor limits, and an obligation to license mid-term growth.<\/p>\n

What this means for customers<\/strong><\/p>\n