GraalVM 25.1.3

Release Date: June 25, 2026

GraalVM 25.1.3 has been released on June 25, 2026, bringing a new disassembly tool, JIT compilation recording and replaying support, and continued reductions in Native Image output sizes — including a "Hello World" binary now weighing just 6.5 MB.

Remember when GraalVM started as a research project at Oracle Labs, promising a universal virtual machine that could run JavaScript, Python, Ruby, and Java side by side? What began in 2018 as an ambitious polyglot experiment has evolved into the primary high-performance JDK for modern cloud-native workloads. GraalVM 25.1.3 is the latest proof point in that journey.

The 25.1 Line: Monthly Feature Releases

Starting with version 25.1, GraalVM adopted monthly feature releases alongside quarterly Critical Patch Updates (CPUs). This shift means developers get new capabilities faster than ever before. GraalVM 25.1.3 is the third patch in this cadence, corresponding to the June 2026 CPU cycle.

In the 25.1 release train, Oracle GraalVM and GraalVM Community Edition are distributed as separate offerings for the first time, with Community Edition continuing as the free, open-source option. Both share the same core technology — the Graal JIT compiler, the Native Image ahead-of-time compilation pipeline, and the polyglot API.

New in 25.1.3

JIT Compilation Recording and Replaying

A significant addition in this release is the ability to record JIT compilations performed by the Graal compiler and replay them later. This capability is invaluable for debugging performance regressions, comparing compiler behavior across different workloads, and reproducing hard-to-trigger compiler bugs. Developers can enable recording via a JVM flag and inspect the captured compilation data with the included analysis tools.

New Disassembly Tool

GraalVM 25.1.3 ships a new disassembly tool that provides detailed insights into the native code generated by the Graal compiler. This tool helps developers understand exactly what machine code their Java or JVM-based language code compiles down to — making it easier to optimize hot paths and identify unexpected compilation outcomes. The disassembly output includes annotated source mappings, register allocation information, and inlining decisions.

Native Image Size Reductions

The Native Image team continues its relentless focus on output size. A simple "Hello World" native executable now clocks in at approximately 6.5 MB, down from over 8 MB in earlier 25.x releases. These size reductions come from improved dead code elimination, smarter link-time optimization (LTO), and a more aggressive default compilation configuration. For real-world microservices, users can expect similarly meaningful savings.

Performance Improvements

Startup time: Native Image applications see further reductions in cold-start latency, particularly on ARM64 architectures
Memory footprint: Improved garbage collection ergonomics reduce peak resident set size by up to 12% in containerized workloads
Compilation throughput: The Graal JIT compiler benefits from optimized method inlining heuristics, yielding up to 8% better steady-state throughput on compute-intensive benchmarks

Other Changes

Updated OpenJDK 25 base with the June 2026 CPU security fixes
Improved Truffle framework API stability for language implementors
Enhanced profiling support in the VisualVM integration
Bug fixes in the native-image agent for automatic reflection configuration
Better error messages when building native images with unsupported features

What It Means

GraalVM 25.1.3 continues the trajectory that began with the very first GraalVM releases: making Java fast everywhere, from serverless functions to long-running services. The new JIT recording and disassembly tools give performance engineers the visibility they need, while the steady Native Image size reductions make GraalVM increasingly attractive for edge computing and resource-constrained environments.

Download GraalVM 25.1.3 from the official website or use SDKMAN to manage your installation. As always, the Community Edition remains free for development and production use.