Java Development Kit (JDK):

JDK stands for Java Development Kit and it is essentially used for developing Java based applications as it is a software developing environment. It is an amalgamation of several tools crucial for app development. It includes the Java Runtime Environment, a compiler specially for Java (javac), an interpreter, a document generator called Javadoc and a plethora of several other tools needed by an app developer to develop a Java based application.

Java Runtime Environment (JRE):

JRE stands for Java Runtime Environment which is often referred to as ‘Java RTE’. It is a part of the JDK and it provides a suitable runtime environment for code execution. It provides the basic minimum requisites for executing a Java based application. The JRE is constituted of the Java Virtual Machine (JVM), core classes and other supporting files.

Difference between JDK & JRE:

Java Development Kit, as the name suggests is a kit of several necessary tools that is of extreme importance to Java developers. This kit is responsible for providing an environment to develop and run (execute) the Java based program. Also, this kit is comprised mainly and broadly of two things:

1. Java Runtime Environment
2. Development tools (to help develop the program)

Java Runtime Environment (JRE), on the other hand, is an installation package that, unlike JDK provides an environment only for executing a Java program, but not for developing it. Since JRE only lets the Java program to be executed, thus only end users of the program can use JRE as there is no developmental component for the use of developers (like in JDK).