Compare JDK vs JRE vs JVM

In this article, we will see the comparison between JDK, JRE and JVM.

Introduction

While talking about the Java programming language, we usually hear the terminologies like JDK, JRE and JVM.

To understand the difference between these terminologies, let’s see a use case.

Two types of users use the Java programming language. The first ones are Developers, who develop the software in Java, and the second ones are the end-users, who use this software for various purposes.

JVM

JVM stands for Java Virtual Machine.

It is a virtual machine that executes Java bytecode.

All JVMs can understand the bytecode and convert it to respective executable instructions. This makes Java a platform-independent language.

JRE

JRE stands for Java Runtime Environment.

Two types of users use the Java programming language. Developers and end-users. End-users use JRE to run the applications.

The end-users do not need to develop or compile the software. The end-user can directly run it using the JRE.

JRE contains some sets of libraries and JVM.

JDK

JDK stands for Java Development Kit.

Two types of users use the Java programming language. Developers and end-users. Developers can use JDK to develop and run applications.

The developer needs to write a Java program. He needs to compile it and debug it. Once it is written and compiled successfully, He can try running it. All this can be done with JDK i.e. Java Development Kit.

JDK contains the javac Java Compiler, debugging tools, JRE and JVM.

Let’s see the following diagram to understand the JDK vs JRE vs JVM.