Best JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA Alternatives 2026

IntelliJ IDEA provides comprehensive tools and integrations for Java, Kotlin, Groovy, Scala, and Android development, ensuring high productivity.

This IDE offers advanced code analysis, refactoring tools, and debugging capabilities, enabling developers to write cleaner, more efficient code. It supports various build systems, version control systems, and deployment options, making it a versatile choice for professional developers.

6
Top Alternatives
10
User Reviews
4.5
Avg. Rating

Recent Reviews

AJ
Alice Johnson
Software Engineer

"IntelliJ IDEA is a powerhouse IDE. Its code completion and refactoring tools are unparalleled. Worth every penny."

BW
Bob Williams
Backend Developer

"Solid IDE for Java development. The plugin ecosystem is fantastic, and debugging is a breeze. Could be a bit lighter o..."

CB
Charlie Brown
Frontend Engineer

"It's okay. I mostly use VS Code for frontend, but IntelliJ's Java support is undeniable. The UI feels a bit clunky some..."

JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA

jetbrains.com

A powerful IDE for JVM languages, known for its smart code completion and extensive plugin ecosystem. Ideal for enterprise development.

Platform Highlights

  • Intelligent code completion
  • Extensive plugin ecosystem
  • Built-in refactoring tools
  • Resource intensive
  • Paid version required for full features
Global Rank
#2342
Monthly Users
1M+
Founded
2000
Model
Freemium
Revenue Share
N/A
Content Policy
N/A
Creator Satisfaction 85%

Based on 12,000+ creator reviews

JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA Alternatives

Compare top code editors & ides platforms with detailed reviews and ratings

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1

Visual Studio Code

Recommended Free

A lightweight but powerful source code editor with built-in support for many languages and a large extension ecosystem.

Windows, macOS, Linux, Web
Free Option
code.visualstudio.com
4.7 (0 reviews)
90% recommend
AJ
Alice Johnson
Software Engineer

"Visual Studio Code is my go-to IDE. The extensions ecosystem is incredibly rich, allowing me to customize my development..."

Match Score
85%
2

Eclipse

Free

A widely used open-source IDE, especially popular for Java development, offering a vast array of plugins and customization options.

Windows, macOS, Linux
Free Option
eclipse.org
4.0 (0 reviews)
70% recommend
AJ
Alice Johnson
Software Engineer

"Eclipse has been my go-to IDE for over a decade. Its extensibility through plugins is unparalleled, allowing me to tailo..."

Match Score
80%
3

Sublime Text

Freemium

A sophisticated text editor for code, markup, and prose. Known for its speed, ease of use and powerful features.

Windows, macOS, Linux
Freemium Option
sublimetext.com
4.3 (0 reviews)
80% recommend
AJ
Alice Johnson
Web Developer

"Sublime Text is my go-to text editor for all my web development projects. Its speed and responsiveness are unmatched, ev..."

Match Score
65%
4

Neovim

Free

A hyper-extensible text editor based on Vim. It seeks to improve usability and extensibility with a modernized architecture.

Windows, macOS, Linux
Free Option
neovim.io
4.6 (0 reviews)
88% recommend
AJ
Alice Johnson
Software Engineer

"Neovim has completely revolutionized my coding workflow. The speed and customizability are unparalleled. I especially ap..."

Match Score
60%
5

Brackets

Free

An open-source code editor for web design and development, built by Adobe. Focuses on front-end development.

Windows, macOS, Linux
Free Option
brackets.io
3.9 (0 reviews)
72% recommend
AJ
Alice Johnson
Front-End Developer

"Brackets is my go-to code editor for front-end development. The live preview feature is a lifesaver, allowing me to see..."

Match Score
45%
6

Notepad++

Free

A free source code editor and Notepad replacement that supports several languages. Lightweight and efficient for quick edits.

Windows
Free Option
notepad-plus-plus.org
4.2 (0 reviews)
78% recommend
AB
Alice Brown
Software Engineer

"Notepad++ is an absolute essential for any developer. Its syntax highlighting for a vast array of languages is incredibl..."

Match Score
40%
User Reviews

What users say about JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA

Real experiences from our community of users who have tried JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA and its alternatives.

4.5
Average Rating
10
Total Reviews
85%
Would Recommend
AJ
Alice Johnson
Software Engineer • 1 month ago
Verified User

IntelliJ IDEA is a powerhouse IDE. Its code completion and refactoring tools are unparalleled. Worth every penny.

Verified Purchase
BW
Bob Williams
Backend Developer • 1 month ago
Contributor

Solid IDE for Java development. The plugin ecosystem is fantastic, and debugging is a breeze. Could be a bit lighter on resources.

Verified Purchase
CB
Charlie Brown
Frontend Engineer • 1 month ago
User

It's okay. I mostly use VS Code for frontend, but IntelliJ's Java support is undeniable. The UI feels a bit clunky sometimes.

DM
Diana Miller
QA Engineer • 1 month ago
Verified User

Makes my job so much easier. The integration with testing frameworks is top-notch. Highly recommended for Java QA.

Verified Purchase
ED
Ethan Davis
DevOps Engineer • 1 month ago
Contributor

Good for managing configurations and deployments. The built-in terminal is a plus. I find it a bit overwhelming at first.

Verified Purchase
FG
Fiona Green
Full Stack Developer • 1 month ago
User

My go-to IDE for everything Java-related. The Spring Boot support is incredible, and the database tools are very helpful.

GH
George Harris
Data Scientist • 1 month ago
Verified User

Decent IDE, but I prefer others for Python. Works well enough for simple Java projects though.

Verified Purchase