In this brief article, we will discuss along-discussed topic (“is JBoss EAP free?”), trying to clarify it as much as possible.
First of all, JBoss EAP is an Open Source product, therefore you can have access to the source of it: https://github.com/jbossas/jboss-eap7/tree/7.3.x
If you have an active subscription with Red Hat for JBoss EAP, then you can access to:
- Binary download for a specific version at https://access.redhat.com/downloads/ which includes the base version and all patches created for that version.
- Enterprise support from Red Hat
On the other hand, if you are simply testing/developing applications, then you can have access to the Red Hat developer program, aka $0 subscription which is available at: https://developers.redhat.com/products/eap/download
As you might notice, there are two major differences:
- You can access the binary installation files but not to the patches available for that server release
- You are on your own, as far as support is concerned.
If you want to compare JBoss EAP with its upstream version (WildFly Application Server), then check this tutorial: What is the difference between JBoss EAP, WildFly and JBoss AS ?
