Oracle is changing the way it charges for commercial support for Java SE. In the past, users purchased a one-time perpetual license and paid an annual fee for support. But starting in July, the vendor will switch to a monthly support model.
The new fees run $25 per month per processor for servers and cloud instances or $2.50 per month per user for PCs. Volume discounts are available for both programs, and users can sign up for multi-year subscriptions. Personal, non-commercial use of Java SE is still free.
Users who choose to let subscriptions lapse will lose their rights to use the software and will no longer have access to Oracle support. Oracle recommends switching to the open source OpenJDK software if you choose not to renew your subscription.