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Java Is Not Dead!

· 7 min read
Linh Nguyen
Linh Nguyen
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So, Java is dead. Again. For the 4996th time this year, apparently.

If I got one dollar every time I heard that phrase, I would be richer than Elon Musk in a matter of months. Seriously, I could probably buy Twitter myself and rename it back to something sensible.

The Uncomfortable Truth​

It is now the early part of 2026, and yet, Java is still among the most popular programming languages, and especially dominates in the enterprise zone. Like a cockroach surviving a nuclear winter, Java just keeps chugging along, powering banks, e-commerce giants, and probably the app that processes your coffee order.

You ask why, and I shall give you answers.

The Lukewarm Reality​

Java has existed for over 30 years now. Not too old compared to COBOL, but not too young to look shiny and cool like the new kids Go, Dart, etc...

Fun fact

Python is a few years older than Java (created in 1991, compared to Java being created in 1995). But because Python is more handsome concise, people think Java is the older one. It's like how everyone assumes the quiet kid in class is older because they seem so serious, while the loud, energetic one must be younger.

Being old means being widely adapted. And that means enterprises didn't want breaking changes. When you have a system processing millions of transactions per day, "move fast and break things" suddenly sounds like a lawsuit waiting to happen.

Sure, JVM costs some memory, and sure, startup time can be better, and its AWS bills could be higher than other languages. But it is hardened, battle proven, constantly optimized, intelligent enough to make your app stable, fast and durable, and its tools are mature.

There is little reason to tell a bank to just dump Java to use Go or .NET or Python. No real benefits, actually.

Remember When They Said...​

They once said: Applet is dead (it will get axed in JDK 26, scheduled to be released in March 2026), Flash is the future (spoiler alert: Flash got axed too). Turns out the web moved on, but Java didn't need applets to survive.

They said: Swing is ugly. And therefore, we now have React Native polluting everything, its RAM usage comparable to a single JVM instance. The irony is delicious.

But Wait, There's More​

But did Java just exist in already existing systems, tied to its legacy reputation?

Hmm, not quite.

Just because some ugly, bloated code was written by devs who got pressured by deadlines doesn't mean the language itself is bad. Ugly Python is still... ugly, if not a bit more due to indentation madness. Bad code is bad code, regardless of the language.

Starting from JDK 9 in 2017, Java entered the 6-months release cycle, bringing faster testing, faster feedback, and more transparent communication between users and the JDK team.

A lot of projects like Amber (enhance quality of life when writing code), Valhalla (code like a class, work like an int), and Loom (Virtual Threads) are actively making Java attractive. These aren't just cosmetic changes; they're fundamental improvements that make Java feel modern again.

From JDK 8 (itself was a big change in 2014) to JDK 21, a lot has changed. The development experience has increased significantly. Records, sealed classes, pattern matching, text blocks... these features make Java feel fresh.

So, for newer projects, Java is still a solid choice to start anew. There are still plenty of jobs available for Java developers all around the world.

Admit it, your eyes shine when you hear you can code in JDK 17 and Spring Boot 3.

Real World Examples​

Active cases like Netflix building and embracing its entire ecosystem in Java, or Amazon heavily using Java for AWS are examples of how Java is still very hot and sexy. These aren't legacy systems limping along; these are cutting edge platforms choosing Java:

Oh, Google uses Kotlin for Android apps, but nothing prevents you from using Java to write one. The compatibility is there, the tooling is there, the choice is yours. Though fair disclosure: over 90% of Android developers now prefer Kotlin for new development, Java remains fully supported and essential for maintaining existing codebases.

Beyond traditional enterprise, Java powers the entire big data ecosystem. Apache Hadoop and Apache Spark are Java-based, processing petabytes of data daily. The Hadoop market alone is projected to hit $196.53 billion in 2025. Java's reliability and performance make it increasingly popular for AI and machine learning platforms too. And let's not forget that tools like Elasticsearch, Cassandra and Kafka are written in Java, too!

Visiting JEP 0 Page and you will see a lot of Enhancement Proposals being made to make Java even better. The language is evolving, adapting, improving.

The Numbers Don't Lie​

Over 90% of Fortune 500 companies use Java. The language ranks #3-4 globally in popularity indices. An estimated 18.7 million Java developer jobs are projected between 2024-2026, with median salaries of $116,000 in the US, up 11% over five years.

The Real Java​

Java isn't a cool kid in the traditional sense, but it is a mature and responsible person who has seen enough of life and gained better appreciation for it. It's the friend who shows up on time, helps you move apartments, and actually remembers your birthday.

So, Java still being relevant is due to two main reasons:

  • Enterprise inertia;

  • Its new, shiny toys that are still very attractive to newer projects, as well as various improvements to the ecosystem.

The Verdict​

Is Java dead? Not quite.

Is Java cool? Probably not. Java is verbose. But the recent additions to the language will make coding in Java "sexier". Just don't use JDK 8 as a baseline; the new one is now JDK 17!

There is always a catch

If some recruiters tell you to work with a project using JDK 8 and Spring Boot 2, chances are high that it is a red flag job. Java got its bad reputation mostly from bloated, unstable and brittle old legacy codes, and chances are that you don't want to get stuck in such a project. JDK 17 is the new norm now. We don't live in the pre-Covid era anymore.

But What About...​

Python is cooler? Cool, but try making sense of GIL (recently became optional in the 3.14 version) or indentation, and unexpected runtime errors that only show up in production.

JavaScript is better? Why did they have to invent TypeScript then?

Kotlin replacing Java? Maybe, but not in a foreseeable future. Groovy and Scala tried to, and look where they are now (if TIOBE is reliable, then Scala is at #33 and Groovy is not even among the top 50).

Is Java fast? Its memory usage and startup time can be improved, but once everything is set, its speed, with a warm enough JVM, can be very close to native C/C++.

No language is perfect. Understanding advantages and tradeoffs, and you will see why people still choose Java in 2026.

Final Thoughts​

So yeah, Java is "dead" again. See you next week when someone writes another blog post declaring its demise for the 4997th time. I'll be over here, writing my Spring Boot application, deploying to production, and collecting my paycheck.

Java isn't going anywhere. Deal with it.