The next generation of enterprise Java is here. The final version of Eclipse GlassFish 8 landed on 5 February 2026. It’s a big milestone and reinforces GlassFish as a top-tier, enterprise-grade platform for mission-critical systems. Backed by the commercial support and expertise of OmniFish, GlassFish 8 is not just an open-source project; it is a robust, production-ready solution designed for organizations that demand reliability, performance, and innovation.
The final version of Eclipse GlassFish 8.0.0:
Is Jakarta EE 11 Platform compatible*
Requires at least Java 21, tested on Java 21 and 25
Quality assured by OmniFish using a comprehensive test suite
* GlassFish 8.0.0 passed the Jakarta EE 11 TCK and the compatibility request will be raised as soon as the summary for all the tests suites is assembled together. The previous milestone release of GlassFish 8, released in December 2025, is already certified.
This release represents a significant leap forward, with support for the whole Jakarta EE 11 platform, the latest major version of Jakarta EE. GlassFish 8 builds upon the solid foundation of GlassFish 7.1 and introduces a host of new features that empower developers to build scalable, secure, and high-performance applications with ease. GlassFish continues to be at the forefront of the Jakarta EE ecosystem, with frequent updates and a strong commitment to modern Java standards.
Building on a Solid Foundation: A Look Back at GlassFish 7.1
To fully appreciate the advancements in GlassFish 8, it is important to remember the significant improvements introduced in GlassFish 7.1 recently. This release laid the groundwork for what is now possible, with key features such as:
MicroProfile Health: A completely new implementation, developed from scratch by the OmniFish team, providing standardized health check endpoints for cloud and Kubernetes deployments.
Enhanced Embedded GlassFish: The “microservice” GlassFish variant became a production-ready, lightweight alternative to the full server, with simplified command-line options and error handling.
Expanded MicroProfile and JMX Support: MicroProfile APIs (Config, Rest Client, JWT, and Health) and JMX monitoring were extended to Embedded GlassFish, bringing powerful capabilities to microservice and embedded deployments.
Performance and Security Enhancements: Faster startup times, improved JDBC pool throughput, JPMS compatibility, Java 25 support, and a transition to PKCS12 keystores by default all contributed to a more performant and secure platform.
GlassFish 8 takes all these features and enhancements to the next level.
What’s New in GlassFish 8: The Future of Enterprise Java
GlassFish 8 introduces a wave of new features that embrace the latest advancements in the Java ecosystem. Here are the highlights:
Full Jakarta EE 11 Support
GlassFish 8 is fully compliant with the Jakarta EE 11 specification, providing a complete and certified implementation of all its components. This means developers can leverage the full power of the latest enterprise Java standards, including:
Modernized APIs: Jakarta EE 11 continues to refine and modernize its APIs, with significant updates to Jakarta Persistence (JPA) 3.2, Jakarta Contexts and Dependency Injection (CDI), Jakarta Security, Jakarta Concurrency, Jakarta Faces, and Jakarta Servlet.
Java 21 and Java 25 Compatibility: The platform is aligned with modern Java versions, allowing developers to use the latest language features, including Java Records and Virtual Threads.
Jakarta Data Repositories: Data Access Made Simple
A groundbreaking addition in GlassFish 8 is the support for Jakarta Data repositories, a new specification that dramatically simplifies data access. This feature allows developers to work with both JPA entities and JNoSQL databases using a consistent, repository-pattern-based approach. Key benefits include:
Reduced Boilerplate Code: The repository pattern abstracts away much of the boilerplate code associated with data access, allowing developers to focus on business logic.
Flexible Repository Organization: Jakarta Data allows you to organize repositories based on your domain model and use cases. You can create repositories for individual entities, groups of related entities, or even cross-entity queries, giving you the flexibility to structure your data access layer according to your needs.
Flexible Pagination: Support for both offset-based and cursor-based pagination, providing flexibility for different performance and consistency requirements.
GlassFish 8 embraces the future of concurrency in Java with support for virtual threads in its HTTP thread pools and Managed Executors. This allows the server to handle a massive number of concurrent requests with minimal overhead, leading to significant improvements in scalability and performance for I/O-bound applications. Virtual threads represent a paradigm shift in how we think about concurrent programming, enabling developers to write simpler, more maintainable code that scales effortlessly.
Enhanced Security with MicroProfile JWT and Jakarta Security
Security is paramount in enterprise applications. GlassFish 8 delivers more flexible authentication options with the new version of Jakarta Security. It even goes beyond the standard Jakarta EE features and enhances integration between MicroProfile JWT and Jakarta Security to allow for even greater flexibility. This powerful integration allows developers to:
Inject MicroProfile JWT authentication mechanism: Seamlessly integrate JWT-based authentication mechanism as a standard Jakarta Security mechanism into their applications for modern API security.
Combine with built-in Jakarta Security mechanisms: Secure REST endpoints with JWT while using other Jakarta Security mechanisms to protect UI pages, providing a flexible and comprehensive security solution that adapts to diverse application architectures.
It’s worth remembering that GlassFish is more than just an open-source server. It is a robust, enterprise-grade production platform with active commercial support from OmniFish. This means you can rely on:
Frequent, timely updates: The OmniFish team is dedicated to the continuous improvement of GlassFish, ensuring it remains at the cutting edge of enterprise Java with regular releases and security updates.
Expert support and consulting: With commercial support from OmniFish, you have access to the expertise you need to build, deploy, and maintain mission-critical applications with confidence.
A strong commitment to modern Java standards: GlassFish is a leader in the Jakarta EE ecosystem, and its development is guided by a commitment to open standards, best practices, and the evolving needs of the enterprise Java community.
Moreover, the community of users and contributors of the Eclipse GlassFish project is much bigger than the OmniFish team, which means no vendor lock-in and a welcoming community of fellow developers happy to help each other.
Ready to get a trusted partner in your enterprise-grade Java solutions? Contact OmniFish today to learn about commercial support plans, consulting services, and how GlassFish can power your mission-critical applications.
Ready to get a trusted partner in your enterprise-grade Java solutions? Contact OmniFish today to learn about commercial support plans, consulting services, and how GlassFish can power your mission-critical applications.
Get Started with GlassFish 8 Today
GlassFish 8 is a testament to the vibrant and innovative spirit of the Jakarta EE community. With its powerful new features, enterprise-grade stability, and commercial support from OmniFish, GlassFish 8 is the ideal platform for your next generation of enterprise Java applications.
Download and Explore
Ready to experience GlassFish 8? Download the latest version and start building with the future of enterprise Java.
Whether you are upgrading from a previous version, deploying GlassFish 8 in production, or building a new application from scratch, OmniFish offers commercial support and consulting services to help you succeed.
If you remember GlassFish from years ago (before 2022) you may recall a platform that had fallen behind the times. That GlassFish is gone. Today’s GlassFish, backed by OmniFish’s commercial support and innovation, is a completely different platform.
Since 2022, GlassFish has undergone a remarkable transformation into a production-ready, actively maintained and innovative Jakarta EE platform. Our article on Levelling up from Payara: Why GlassFish Is much better provides an in-depth comparison with Payara Server that highlights GlassFish’s advantages in terms of update frequency, feature completeness, and commercial support—a huge contrast to the stagnation of the time before 2022. For comparison with other platforms, check out this comparison table on our page about GlassFish.
Considering a migration? Talk to OmniFish about upgrading from other application servers like Payara, WebLogic, WildFly, or TomEE. Our team can help you plan and execute a smooth migration to GlassFish.
Additional Resources
To further expand your knowledge of GlassFish 8 and Jakarta EE 11, we recommend exploring these additional resources:
About OmniFish — OmniFish is the company behind Eclipse GlassFish, providing commercial support, consulting, and expertise to organizations building mission-critical applications with Jakarta EE. With a commitment to open standards and continuous innovation, OmniFish ensures that GlassFish remains at the forefront of enterprise Java technology.
