BellSoft
BellSoft is a private Java infrastructure company and major OpenJDK contributor that provides Liberica JDK, Alpaquita Linux, and Hardened Images as a TCK-verified Oracle JDK alternative for enterprise developers and DevOps teams running containerized Java workloads.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersSan Jose, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What BellSoft does
BellSoft is a privately held Java infrastructure company founded in 2015 and a major contributor to the OpenJDK project. Its core product, Liberica JDK, is a TCK-verified, open-source distribution of Java SE positioned as an Oracle JDK drop-in replacement, offered free with paid enterprise support subscriptions. The company has built a layered product stack around the runtime: Alpaquita Linux (a Java-optimized Linux distribution), Liberica Native Image Kit (GraalVM-based native compilation), Liberica Mission Control (performance monitoring), and Hardened Images (pre-hardened, near-zero CVE container images for Java, Go, Python, and other workloads). Specializations include Liberica JDK Lite (30% less RAM for cloud), Performance Edition (10% speedup for JDK 8/11), CRaC support, Embedded builds, and legacy Java 6/7 support.
BellSoft firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- BellSoft
- Legal name
- BellSoft
- Website
- https://bell-sw.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- BellSoft is a private Java infrastructure company and major OpenJDK contributor that provides Liberica JDK, Alpaquita Linux, and Hardened Images as a TCK-verified Oracle JDK alternative for enterprise developers and DevOps teams running containerized Java workloads.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
BellSoft industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Java Runtime & Development Tools
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (513210), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cloud-Native Development (Containers, Kubernetes, Microservices) (BPAEACAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Developer Tooling & SDK Platforms (BPAMAOAD)
Keywords
Where BellSoft is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Jose
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
BellSoft business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Enterprise Support Subscriptions: BellSoft offers paid support plans for Liberica JDK, Alpaquita Linux, and Liberica Native Image Kit targeting enterprise customers. These subscription plans provide 24/7 technical support from Java experts along with security updates and maintenance.
- Hardened Container Images: Pre-hardened, security-focused container images with technical support across OS and JDK layers, positioned as a value-added product for enterprise container deployments.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Enterprise Support for Liberica JDK |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
BellSoft product offering
Product offeringCore offering
BellSoft develops and distributes Liberica JDK, a TCK-verified, free open-source Java SE implementation that serves as an Oracle JDK drop-in replacement with enterprise-grade support. Around it the company bundles Alpaquita Linux (a Java-optimized Linux base), BellSoft Hardened Images (pre-hardened, near-zero CVE container images), and the Liberica Native Image Kit (GraalVM-based native compilation tooling), sold individually or as a unified Java runtime platform for cloud, container, and Kubernetes deployments.
Product overview
BellSoft offers a unified Java runtime platform built around Liberica JDK as the core product, complemented by Alpaquita Linux as an optimized OS layer, and Hardened Images as a security-focused container solution. The portfolio includes specialized flavors (Performance Edition, Lite for cloud, CRaC support, Embedded, legacy 6/7 support), tooling (Liberica Native Image Kit for GraalVM-based native compilation, Liberica Mission Control for monitoring), and various container image offerings (Alpaquita Containers, Spring Boot-optimized containers, Liberica JDK containers). The company positions itself as an Oracle JDK alternative trusted by enterprises, providing TCK-verified builds with cryptographic signing, 24/7 support, and security coverage across both OS and JDK layers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Liberica JDK: Free, open-source implementation of Java SE with enterprise-grade support and TCK-verified compatibility, serving as an Oracle JDK alternative
- Alpaquita Linux
- Liberica Native Image Kit
- BellSoft Hardened Images
Products and services
- Liberica JDK Free, open-source, TCK-verified Java SE implementation that serves as a drop-in Oracle JDK replacement with cryptographic signing, verified builds, and optional enterprise-grade 24/7 support; targeted at enterprises running production Java workloads.
- Alpaquita Linux Small, secure, and reliable Linux distribution specifically optimized for Java workloads; the only OS purpose-built for Java and used as the foundation for BellSoft's container images. Targeted at enterprises and developers running Java in containers, VMs, and bare metal.
- BellSoft Hardened Images Pre-hardened, vendor-maintained container images with near-zero CVEs for Java, Go, Python, and more, built on Alpaquita Linux and designed to minimize attack surfaces and support compliance in Kubernetes environments; the only provider delivering near-zero vulnerability containers with support across both OS and JDK layers, targeted at security-conscious enterprises.
- Liberica Native Image Kit GraalVM-based tool that compiles Java applications into fast, lightweight native executables to improve startup time and reduce memory footprint; targeted at Java developers building cloud-native and serverless applications.
- Liberica Mission Control Tool for monitoring, diagnostics, and management of Java application performance, targeted at Java developers and SREs running production JVM workloads.
- Alpaquita Containers Small and secure container images built on Alpaquita Linux, available for Java, Go, Python, and C workloads, targeted at developers optimizing resource usage in containerized deployments.
- Containers with Liberica JDK Prebuilt container images that combine Liberica JDK with popular Linux distributions, targeted at Java developers seeking ready-to-run containerized Java environments.
- Containers for Spring Boot Pre-configured Alpaquita-based container images specifically optimized for Spring Boot applications, saving up to 30% on resource usage; targeted at Spring Boot developers and teams running Java microservices.
- Liberica JDK 6 & 7 Legacy Java runtime distributions with security updates for Java 6 and 7, targeted at enterprises with long-lived older applications requiring continued security patches.
- Liberica JDK for Embedded Java runtime distribution optimized for embedded systems with resource constraints, targeted at developers building Java applications on embedded and IoT devices.
Quantifiable outcome
- Up to 30% less RAM usage with Liberica JDK Lite compared to standard JDK
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use BellSoft
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
BellSoft technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
BellSoft partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Red HatcoreRed Hat launched Project Hummingbird in response to BellSoft's survey findings on container security. The project creates a catalog of minimal, hardened container images aimed at reducing attack surfaces and achieving 'zero-CVE' applications. BellSoft's research on pre-hardened images influenced this Red Hat initiative, demonstrating market education impact.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
BellSoft competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Azul Systems: Direct commercial JDK competitor offering Zulu OpenJDK builds and Azul Platform Prime (high-performance JDK). Closest comparable to BellSoft in the commercial-JDK-support category, serving enterprise Java shops seeking Oracle JDK alternatives.
- Eclipse Adoptium (Temurin): Community-driven, TCK-verified OpenJDK distribution backed by the Eclipse Foundation. Competes with Liberica JDK as a free, standards-compliant alternative for developers; differs from BellSoft in lacking commercial enterprise support as the core offering.
- SAP (SapMachine): SAP's OpenJDK build with enterprise support for SAP customers. Directly comparable to Liberica JDK as a vendor-maintained OpenJDK distribution, though BellSoft has broader cross-industry positioning.
Broad incumbents
- Oracle (Java): The dominant incumbent in commercial Java with Oracle JDK, GraalVM, and Java SE subscriptions. BellSoft's value prop of 'Oracle JDK drop-in replacement at up to 70% lower cost' is directly positioned against Oracle's pricing and licensing.
- Red Hat (IBM): Distributor of Red Hat Build of OpenJDK and initiator of Project Hummingbird (hardened container images) — a project BellSoft's research directly influenced. Broad incumbent across enterprise Linux, middleware, and now container security.
- Amazon (Corretto): Amazon's free, multi-platform OpenJDK distribution optimized for AWS. A free hyperscaler-backed alternative that pressures paid support economics across the entire commercial JDK category, including BellSoft.
- Microsoft (Microsoft Build of OpenJDK): Microsoft's free OpenJDK distribution. Another free hyperscaler-backed alternative that competes with Liberica JDK at the free tier and pressures paid-support economics across the Java ecosystem.
- Snyk: Multi-product developer security platform including container and open-source security scanning. Adjacent competitor to BellSoft's Hardened Images in container security, though Snyk focuses on scanning/detection rather than pre-hardened base images.
Emerging players
- Chainguard: Well-capitalized startup specializing in hardened, minimal container images with near-zero CVEs. Most direct competitor to BellSoft's Hardened Images product line, with stronger venture backing and brand recognition in the container security category.
Regional players
- Alibaba (Dragonwell): Alibaba's OpenJDK distribution optimized for large-scale e-commerce and cloud workloads. Comparable to BellSoft Liberica JDK as an OpenJDK build with enterprise support, but primarily serves the Chinese market and Alibaba Cloud ecosystem.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
BellSoft social profiles
Digital presenceBellSoft financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
BellSoft leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
BellSoft funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
BellSoft M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about BellSoft
What does BellSoft do?
BellSoft develops and distributes Liberica JDK, a TCK-verified, free open-source Java SE implementation that serves as an Oracle JDK drop-in replacement with enterprise-grade support. Around it the company bundles Alpaquita Linux (a Java-optimized Linux base), BellSoft Hardened Images (pre-hardened, near-zero CVE container images), and the Liberica Native Image Kit (GraalVM-based native compilation tooling), sold individually or as a unified Java runtime platform for cloud, container, and Kubernetes deployments.
Is BellSoft a public or private company?
BellSoft is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was BellSoft founded?
BellSoft was founded in 2015. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is BellSoft based?
BellSoft is headquartered in San Jose, United States, in the North America region.
How does BellSoft make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Enterprise Support Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are hardened Container Images.
Who are BellSoft's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Azul Systems, Eclipse Adoptium (Temurin) and SAP (SapMachine). Broad incumbents are Oracle (Java), Red Hat (IBM), Amazon (Corretto), Microsoft (Microsoft Build of OpenJDK) and Snyk. Chainguard is listed as an emerging player. Alibaba (Dragonwell) is listed as a regional player.
Does BellSoft have an API?
No public API is recorded for BellSoft.
What industry is BellSoft in?
BellSoft's product category is Java Runtime & Development Tools. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAEACAD, Cloud-Native Development (Containers, Kubernetes, Microservices), with a secondary code of BPAMAOAD, Developer Tooling & SDK Platforms. Its NAICS code is 513210 and its SIC code is 7372.