JBoss EAP vs WildFly: The definitive guide

This article provides a comprehensive comparison of JBoss EAP vs WildFly. Within this article, we will cover the main differences between the two application servers, which are the different support policies and the mapping of one version versus the other. Let’s dive into the heart of WildFly vs JBoss EAP !

JBoss EAP vs WildFly: the basic distinction

Firstly, the generic term JBoss or JBoss AS refers to the original name of the Community version Java application server. If you are looking for the old application server versions, they are archived here: http://jbossas.jboss.org/downloads

Since 2006, Red Hat provides commercial support for the JBoss Enterprise Application Server. Therefore, to disambiguate between the Community and Commercial version we use the term “WildFly” which refers to the Community version.

wildfly vs Jboss eap

In a nutshell, the following distinction applies:

  • WildFly: The Community version of the Application Server
  • JBoss EAP: The Enterprise version of the Application Server

jboss eap vs wildfly

For your records, please note that as of today March 2024 , the latest version of WildFly is 31.0.1.Final. On the other hand, JBoss EAP 8 is available since February 2024.

Is WildFly free of use in production?

There are no restrictions in using WildFly in production. On the other hand, if you are planning to do that, you are strongly advised to migrate to the latest version of WildFly, as those versions are not maintained by any community of developers.

Likewise, we recommend to be an active member of WildFly community if you want to deploy WildFly in an Enterprise context. For example by reporting bugs or submitting Pull Requests on the WildFly Project (available on Github ).

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Wildfly application server is not supported as a product by Red Hat. You can get help at various levels:

1) Through the Forum currently hosted in a Google Group https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/wildfly

2) Using StackOverFlow, setting as item “wildfly”: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/tagged/wildfly

Is JBoss EAP free of use in production ?

JBoss EAP includes additional enterprise features, support, certifications, training and maintenance. To access these enterprise-grade features and official support from Red Hat, a subscription is required, which involves a fee.

A Red Hat subscription ensures access to updates, patches, technical support, and additional enterprise-level functionalities, which may be crucial for production environments

WildFly vs JBoss EAP Enterprise versions

In the following table you can see the Java EE / Jakarta EE Compatibility Matrix for WildFly Application Server:

Application Server VersionEnterprise implementation
JBoss AS 7Java EE 6
WildFly 8 to WildFly 11Java EE 7
WildFly 12 to WildFly 13Java EE7 /Java EE 8 (Tech preview)
WildFly 14 to WildFly 16Java EE 8
WildFly 17 to WildFly 22Java EE 8 /Jakarta EE 8
WildFly 22 to WildFly 26Jakarta EE 8/ Jakarta EE 9
WildFly 27 to WildFly 31Jakarta EE 10

Please note that WildFly 27-31 has passed the Jakarta EE 10 TCK and its compatibility certification request has been approved by the Jakarta EE Spec Committee. So, since the version 27, WildFly is a Jakarta EE 10  Full/Core/Web platform compatible implementation.

JBoss Enterprise Application platform , on the other hand, is Red Hat’s supported application server. JBoss EAP is still an opensource project but if you want to use JBoss EAP in production with Red Hat’s support, then you need to activate a subscription.

The following Java EE versions are supported in the latest versions of the application server:

Application Server VersionJava EE / Jakarta EE version
JBoss EAP 5Java EE 5
JBoss EAP 6Java EE 6
JBoss EAP 7Java EE 8 / Jakarta EE 8
JBoss EAP 8 Jakarta EE 10

Mapping WildFly versions with JBoss EAP versions

Firstly, it is not possible to map exactly a version of the Community version (WildFly) with the corresponding version of JBoss EAP. This is due to the fact that they are maintained in separated branches. However, the following table shows which WildFly version is the baseline to build a JBoss EAP version:

JBoss EAP VersionWildFly / JBoss Version
EAP 6.0JBoss AS 7.1
EAP 6.1JBoss AS 7.2
EAP 6.2JBoss AS 7.3
EAP 6.3JBoss AS 7.4
EAP 6.4JBoss AS 7.5
EAP 7.0WildFly 10
EAP 7.1WildFly 11
EAP 7.2WildFly 14
EAP 7.3WildFly 18
EAP 7.4WildFly 23
EAP 8.0WildFly 28

Source code of WildFly and JBoss EAP

The Source code for WildFly is available on GitHub: https://github.com/wildfly/wildfly

JBoss EAP derives from the source code of WildFly. That does not mean that the source codes for both projects are identical. Some differences in functionality, security patches, etc. may exist to a varying degree.

You can download the Source code for JBoss EAP as zip archive from the following link: https://developers.redhat.com/products/eap/download .

From Red Hat Developer’s page you can also access other useful resources for JBoss EAP 8 such as Quickstarts, the Maven Repository, the JavaDocs and more.

Binary builds of WildFly vs JBoss EAP

The binaries of JBoss EAP and WildFly are available at the following locations:

Building MicroProfile applications using EAP vs WildFly

Another key difference between JBoss EAP and WildFly relates to the development of MicroProfile applications.

  • In WildFly, MicroProfile API are available out of the box in the full server distribution. The configuration files named standalone-microprofile.xml and standalone-microprofile-ha.xml can be used to develop Jakarta EE applications in combination with the MicroProfile API.
  • In JBoss EAP, MicroProfile API are included in the Eclipse MicroProfile Expansion Pack (JBoss EAP XP) which is available as a patch stream, when using JBoss EAP XP manager. Therefore, you need to install JBoss EAP XP on the top of JBoss EAP to have the supported MicroProfile API with EAP.

Conclusion

This article was a walk thorugh the crucial differences between JBoss EAP and WildFly. We have discussed the different product support policies, source code, binaries and their Enterprise specifications.

Disclaimer: This website is independently operated and is not affiliated with or maintained by Red Hat. The views expressed here are solely those of the author at the time of writing. It’s strongly recommended to consult Red Hat’s official website or seek professional guidance from Red Hat or certified professionals before implementing JBoss EAP in your systems. The author does not assume responsibility for any decisions or actions taken based on the information provided on this website.

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