How Netflix uses Java - 2026 edition

This is the 2026 update of How Netflix Uses Java. In this session, you’ll see how Java powers your favorite Netflix shows and take away practical lessons for leveraging Java more effectively in your own organization. The Netflix architecture and the way we use Java is always changing.

On top of that, Java itself and the OSS ecosystem are evolving faster than ever. Come learn how Netflix is using Java in 2026 and what benefits and challenges we’re seeing running most of our services on the latest Java releases. We’ll explore how we build services with Spring Boot, DGS/GraphQL, and gRPC, and how we manage dependencies to keep more than 3,000 Java services consistently updated across frameworks, libraries, and JDK versions. You’ll hear our experiences with new runtime features such as generational ZGC, Virtual Threads, and AOT for faster startup. Finally, we’ll look at how Java plays a critical role in leveraging AI in our services.