If you don't want to use Oracle's proprietary build, you can use OpenJDK. Projects like Adoptium (formerly AdoptOpenJDK) provide free, open-source builds of Java 8 that are functionally identical for most users and do not require an account. Installation Steps for Windows and Mac
Most modern browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Edge) no longer support the Java plugin due to security concerns. To run Java applets today, you often need to use a specialized browser or the "Internet Explorer mode" in Microsoft Edge.
Finding older versions of Java can be tricky because Oracle prioritizes the latest security updates. However, you can still access these archives for free. 1. The Oracle Java Archive