Java Development Kit (JDK)
a software development kit that provides a set of tools and libraries for developing Java applications
- essential for developers who want to write, compile, and run Java code
- you will need to download this when developing Java applications
Java Runtime Environment (JRE)
A package that provides the libraries JVM needs to run Java applications
- does not include development tools, making it suitable for users who only need to run Java programs without developing them
- Install the JRE when you only need to run Java applications but not develop them
- subset of the JDK