JamVM can be configured to use the GNU Classpath or the OpenJDK Java class library and recent versions support object finalization, Soft/Weak/Phantom References, the Java Native Interface (JNI) and the Reflection API.

This enables JamVM to be installed as an alternative Java Virtual Machine to hotspot when using OpenJDK.

[2] In 2006, JamVM was used by Google's Android team during development of the application framework.

The eventual Android successor, Dalvik, was under development at this time, and at the start of 2007 the two were interchangeable.

A few months later, Dalvik was established as the primary Android virtual machine and JamVM was disabled.