IntelliJ IDEA
Amsterdam, Netherlands
What it is
IntelliJ IDEA is an IDE for professional Java and Kotlin development, available for Windows, macOS, and Linux. It provides context-aware code completion, static analysis, and automated refactoring. Its JVM debugger includes breakpoints, variable inspection, expression evaluation, and step-by-step execution. Gradle and Maven integrations support building, packaging, testing, and deployment tasks.
The IDE integrates with Git, Mercurial, Perforce, and Subversion, and lets users process GitHub pull requests. Plugins from JetBrains Marketplace can extend support for languages, frameworks, and technologies. Core Java and Kotlin functionality remains free after the included 30-day Ultimate trial. The Ultimate subscription adds advanced tools and integrations and costs $100.00 for the first year, $199.00 for the second year, and $159.00 per year from the third year onward. Listed minimum hardware includes a 4-core x86_64 or arm64 CPU, 8 GB of RAM, and 10 GB of disk space.
For and against
For
- Core Java and Kotlin functionality remains free.
- Includes a JVM debugger and integrated testing tools.
- Integrates with Gradle and Maven.
- Available for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Against
- Ultimate subscription costs $100.00 for the first year.
- Minimum listed memory is 8 GB RAM.
- Ultimate trial lasts 30 days.
The verdict
IntelliJ IDEA pairs Java and Kotlin coding tools with debugging, build, and version-control integrations. Its free core and paid Ultimate subscription have distinct feature and pricing terms to consider.
Who it suits
It suits developers working in Java or Kotlin who want coding assistance, debugging, build-tool integrations, and version-control support in one IDE. The free core may suit those who do not need the Ultimate subscription’s advanced tools and integrations.
Plans and prices
Free feature set
Core Java and Kotlin development features · advanced functionality excluded
Read 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com
IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate individual
Advanced tools and integrations · individual use
Read 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com
IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate annual
Ultimate features · reviewer-reported annual price
Read 15 Oct 2026 · trustradius.com
IntelliJ IDEA core
Core functionality for Java and Kotlin
Read 29 Sep 2026 · jetbrains.com
IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate subscription
Advanced tools and integrations · 30-day trial
Read 29 Sep 2026 · jetbrains.com
On the record
- AI features
- The 2026.1 release adds prompt-driven actions for explaining code, generating documentation and making code changes inside the editor.jetbrains.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Build tools
- It integrates with Gradle and Maven for building, packaging, testing, and deployment tasks.jetbrains.com · read 29 Sep 2026
- Closed components
- IntelliJ IDEA includes closed-source plugins on top of the open-source IntelliJ Platform, so the complete product is not wholly open source.plugins.jetbrains.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Code intelligence
- The IDE provides context-aware navigation, inspections, refactorings and debugging across a project.jetbrains.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Coding assistance
- The IDE provides context-aware code completion, static code analysis, and automated refactorings.jetbrains.com · read 29 Sep 2026
- Debugger
- It includes a JVM debugger with breakpoints, variable inspection, expression evaluation, and step-by-step execution.jetbrains.com · read 29 Sep 2026
- Docker integration
- Docker support covers image creation, container execution, Docker Compose, and public or private registries from inside the IDE.jetbrains.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Documentation depth
- JetBrains publishes installation, security, update, Docker, Kubernetes and extensive plugin-SDK documentation, with source documentation hosted on GitHub.github.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Extensibility
- Plugins can add support for other languages, frameworks, and technologies through JetBrains Marketplace.jetbrains.com · read 29 Sep 2026
- Framework support
- G2 lists dedicated support for Spring, Spring Boot, Jakarta EE, JPA, Reactor and other popular frameworks.g2.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Free functionality
- Core IntelliJ IDEA functionality remains free, and users can continue using it after the 30-day Ultimate trial without subscribing.jetbrains.com · read 29 Sep 2026
- Integrations catalog
- G2 lists integrations including GitHub, GitLab, Git, Docker, Kubernetes, Maven, Gradle, Jenkins, Jira, databases, Copilot, Claude and Gemini Code Assist.g2.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Intended users
- JetBrains describes IntelliJ IDEA as the leading IDE for professional Java and Kotlin development.jetbrains.com · read 29 Sep 2026
- Java and Kotlin support
- IntelliJ IDEA provides professional Java and Kotlin tooling and first-class Spring integration.jetbrains.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Kubernetes integration
- The Kubernetes plugin lets users inspect cluster resources, jump to definitions and view pod logs, supporting Kubernetes 1.26 through 1.34.jetbrains.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: AI complaints
- Trustpilot reviewers complain that AI credits can be consumed rapidly, AI output can be unreliable and AI pricing feels excessive.trustpilot.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: bugs and updates
- TrustRadius reviewers report recurring Maven failures after updates that sometimes require IDE repair or reindexing.trustradius.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: complexity
- Reviewers say the large feature set can overwhelm beginners and has a learning curve.softwareadvice.com · read 15 Oct 2026
