GraalVM 25 has been released! The latest update based on JDK 25
Hello everyone! This is Jon, a technology blogger. I have some good news for Java developers. On September 16, 2025, Oracle officially released the latest version of GraalVM, GraalVM 25. This version is based on the latest version of Java, JDK 25. GraalVM is known as an advanced tool for running Java applications faster and more efficiently. This update includes improvements to Native Image configuration and enhanced support for multiple programming languages. For beginners, GraalVM provides a "polyglot" execution environment that is based on Java but can also handle languages such as Python and JavaScript. This allows developers to create applications with greater flexibility.
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What is GraalVM? A refresher on the basics for beginners
GraalVM is an extension of the high-performance JDK (Java Development Kit) developed by Oracle. The JDK is the basic toolkit for developing and running Java programs, but GraalVM is an evolution of it, particularly known for its "Native Image" feature. This is a technology that pre-compiles Java applications and converts them into native code, significantly shortening startup time and reducing memory usage. For example, this is useful when you want to quickly start up small services in a cloud environment.
GraalVM 25 supports all features of JDK 25, which was released on September 17, 2025. JDK 25 itself was only recently released to the public (GA) on September 16, 2025, and includes AI-related enhancements, performance improvements, and security improvements. GraalVM builds on this foundation and adds its own optimizations. On X (formerly Twitter), the developer community often posts about how "GraalVM is incredibly fast!" Actual benchmarks report a 10-60% speed increase over the previous JDK (this is a general trend based on past data).
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Key new features and updates in GraalVM 25
The release of GraalVM 25 coincided with the release of JDK 25. According to the official release notes, Oracle GraalVM 25 will be released on September 17, 2025, and will add support for Oracle Linux 10. Meanwhile, support for Oracle Linux 7 has ended, so users should consider updating. Also, GraalVM version 25.0.0 is compatible with components such as Graal Languages (multilingual support).
Here are some specific enhancements. According to an InfoWorld article (published September 24, 2025), the following are notable:
- Native Image settings improvementsNative Image is a feature that pre-compiles Java apps into native executables. This update makes it easier to configure, enabling developers to build faster applications with less effort. This can result in startup times up to 50x faster and memory usage down by 5x (based on typical scenarios).
- Polyglot runtime updates: The ability to run languages like Python, JavaScript, and WebAssembly alongside Java has been enhanced. For example, running Python scripts on GraalVM increases compatibility, making it useful for AI and web development. X's posts also discuss how this multilingual support is improving development efficiency.
- Vector API optimizations: Initial optimizations from JEP 470 (Support for PEM Cryptographic Objects) and JEP 338 (Vector API) from JDK 25 have been incorporated to improve performance in AI and machine learning tasks. For starters, the Vector API streamlines vector computations (a technique for processing large amounts of data in parallel).
- Other changes: Oracle GraalVM was the final version of the Java SE product in JDK 24, so subsequent updates will be available via My Oracle Support (MOS). InfoQ news (September 23, 2025) also points out that GraalVM has become independent of the Java release cycle.
これらのアップデートは、2025年9月15日のJavaニュースまとめでも強調されており、QuarkusやLangChain4jなどのフレームワークとの連携も進んでいます。時系列で振り返ると、JDK 25のGAリリースが9月16日、GraalVM 25が同日または翌日に続き、9月24日頃にメディアで詳報が出ています。
Who should use GraalVM 25?
GraalVM 25 is especially recommended for those developing cloud-native applications. When running Java apps in a containerized environment (e.g., Docker), Native Image helps conserve resources. Its integration with Python is also a strength for AI development. According to an InfoQ article (September 23, 2025), tools such as Gradle and JBang are also increasingly supporting JDK 25, making builds smoother when combined with GraalVM.
However, beginners should first download and try the Community Edition, which is available for free from the official website. Looking at the X developer posts, support for Virtual Threads (JEP 425) has been integrated into GraalVM, making it easier to handle parallel processing (handling multiple tasks simultaneously).
Summary and a word from Jon
GraalVM 25 is an attractive release that leverages the strengths of JDK 25 while enhancing Native Image and multilingual support. If you want to improve the efficiency of your Java development, please consider adopting it. Finally, if you want to streamline documentation creation with AI,Detailed article on Gammarecommend!
To sum up, this release marks an evolution of the Java ecosystem and is perfectly aligned with the trends of AI and cloud. It's great to see more options available to developers. Start by reading the official documentation and try incorporating it into your projects.
Reference sources
- GraalVM Community Edition 25 release notes: https://www.graalvm.org/release-notes/JDK_25/ (September 16, 2025)
- Oracle GraalVM 25 Release Notes: https://docs.oracle.com/en/graalvm/jdk/25/docs/release-notes/ (September 17, 2025)
- InfoWorld article: https://www.infoworld.com/article/4061937/graalvm-25-arrives-backed-by-jdk-25.html (September 24, 2025)
- InfoQ News: https://www.infoq.com/news/2025/09/java-news-roundup-sep15-2025/ (September 23, 2025)
- Medium記事: https://medium.com/@knpqvvzrb/graalvm-25-new-features-beyond-java-25-0a35da8c5be4 (2025年9月21日頃)
- JVM Weekly: https://www.jvm-weekly.com/p/java-25-and-graalvm-for-jdk-25-released (around September 19, 2025)
- Related posts from X (formerly Twitter) (general mentions based on trends in the developer community)