Menu

The world’s go-to tool for rapid development, testing, and prototyping of Java Card apps

Download

An award-winning, open-source development tool that has had a say in how we communicate, travel, and pay.

Testing Java Card applications used to be a tedious process. After compiling a project, a developer would have to convert to a CAP file and then deploy that file to a smart card with special hardware. In total this process took around 15 minutes every single time they made changes to the app.

JCardSim has sped things up. Its library sits alongside your app and tests it in an instant. As an open source Java card simulator, JCardSim has helped thousands around the world to create apps more efficiently. And in the process it has influenced the development of e-passports, e-SIMs, and applications for smart cards, among others.


Why we decided to open source JCardSim

Before JCardSim there was no comprehensive, open-source solution for developing Java Card applications. And we knew it was something that developers would find useful. After all, we’d been there ourselves.

We also knew that releasing JCardSim as an open-source project would mean reaching and helping more people. An easily accessible Java card simulator would result in more useful applications that millions could enjoy.

So, helping the developer community was our main motivation. But after the release it soon became clear that JCardSim was helping people in even more ways than we had imagined. We learned that its code was being taught in Universities, for example.

In recent years, JCardSim’s reach has grown further still. It has become the go-to tool for people developing Java Card applications. Those working on the evolution of passports, ID cards and chip and pin bank cards. In other words, a lot of what you can find inside your wallet.

Some of the organizations using JCardSim

Audi logo Idemia logo Thales logo HP logo Infineon logo Axiad logo Yubico logo
Oracle logo

Duke’s Choice Award Winner

JCardSim’s influence inside and outside the Java Card community was recognised by Oracle in 2013. They chose it as the recipient of their prestigious Duke’s Choice Award.


The Duke's Choice Award celebrates innovation using Java technology. It aims to put small developer shops and individual developers on an equal footing with global giants. It’s a prize we were thrilled to receive and one that we’re still extremely proud of today.

How JCardSim is making a difference around the world.

JCardSim has made many day-to-day moments more seamless and secure. Its code has helped the development of biometric passports, so you can skip the long queues at arrivals. It’s used in the telecom industry to help customers to receive a virtual SIM card in seconds. And JCardSim’s influence in the testing of chip and pin bank cards means there’s less waiting around to pay for your coffee each morning.

Thousands of Java Card engineers can now test and develop their apps in a fraction of the time they used to. That means they can get them to market much more quickly. The code that sits behind JCardSim is now being taught in universities. And students at those universities can test their theories without having to buy any hardware.

Introducing JCardSimGP

JCardSim GP is a module for JCardSim that enables the Global Platform specification. You can use GP API for working with secure channels and interacting with the Global Platform registry.

Get a quote

Ready to get started?

Our other products