Sadly, while Java is otherwise careful to enforce various standards, anyone is free to call whatever they like LTS. OpenJDK (the source of most JDK distribution

Sadly, while Java is otherwise careful to enforce various standards, anyone is free to call whatever they like LTS. OpenJDK (the source of most JDK distributions) has no concept of LTS (e.g., you'll find no mention of LTS here: https://openjdk.java.net/projects/jdk/11/ https://openjdk.java.net/projects/jdk/11/). Different vendors can call LTS whatever they like, and what that actually entails depends on the vendor. If we define LTS to at least include long-term maintenance in the form of bug and security fixes of the entire JDK, then no one offers a free LTS. Free offerings that call themselves LTS are just builds of the OpenJDK Updates project, that backports fixes from mainline, and so only includes fixes for the intersection of the old version and the current one (i.e. no "free LTS" offers patches for, say, CMS or Nashorn, and multiple other components that exist in 11 or 8 but not in 16). "Free LTS" offerings are only recommended for legacy hobby projects. Important production software should use either the current version (free) or buy an LTS service for an old version from some trusted vendor. The only version that is fully and freely maintained is the current one, and it also offers the cheapest upgrade process and the best performance. Don't think that if the vendor calls something LTS and ships updates that include some fixes you're actually getting some fully-maintained JDK. BTW, AdoptOpenJDK is not affiliated or involved with OpenJDK, and is made by an IBM team that is exceptionally uninvolved and unfamiliar with OpenJDK compared to all other OpenJDK distributions (Oracle, Red Hat, SAP, Azul, Bellsoft, and Amazon).