View all IDE Alternatives
Best Free Alternatives to IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate
Stop paying $19.90/mo or $199/yr. Discover professional-grade tools that won't break your budget.
Category: IDEVerified for 2025
Top Recommended Replacements
VS Code
FREEBest Lightweight Multi-Language Alternative
Why we like it
Unmatched extension ecosystem; significantly faster startup than IntelliJ; 'Language Support for Java' by Red Hat has reached feature parity for 90% of standard tasks.
Keep in mind
Lacks the deep, out-of-the-box 'architectural awareness' of IntelliJ; multi-module project management can feel fragmented.
Cursor
FREEBest for AI-Native Development
Why we like it
AI is the core, not a plugin; can 'read' your entire codebase to answer complex questions; 'Composer' mode writes multi-file features instantly; compatible with all VS Code extensions.
Keep in mind
Less robust for deep JVM-specific refactoring and enterprise profiling compared to IntelliJ's 20 years of static analysis.
Zed
FREEBest for Extreme Speed & Performance
Why we like it
Built in Rust with GPU acceleration; the fastest editor on the market with near-zero latency; native collaborative 'multiplayer' coding; supports AI through local or cloud models.
Keep in mind
Windows support is still maturing in late 2025; plugin ecosystem is significantly smaller than VS Code or JetBrains.
JetBrains Fleet
FREEBest for Polyglot & Remote Development
Why we like it
The 'Next-Gen' JetBrains IDE; lightweight 'Editor' mode switches to 'Smart' mode for full backend power; native support for remote dev environments like Space and GitHub Codespaces.
Keep in mind
Still lacks some of the hyper-specialized enterprise plugins found in the classic IntelliJ IDEA.
Eclipse IDE
FREEBest for Open Source Purists
Why we like it
The most powerful workspace management for massive, multi-million line monorepos; 100% free; highly extensible for specialized industrial domains (automotive/embedded).
Keep in mind
User interface feels like a relic of the early 2000s; configuration 'hell' is common when mixing modern build tools.
Apache NetBeans
FREEBest Out-of-the-Box Java Experience
Why we like it
Includes everything needed for Maven/Gradle/Ant projects without any setup; excellent visual GUI builder (Swing/JavaFX); very stable for government and academic environments.
Keep in mind
Development pace is slower than JetBrains or Microsoft; lacks the advanced AI assistance found in 2025 rivals.
BlueJ
FREEBest for Learning OOP
Why we like it
Unique visual representation of classes and objects; allows interacting with objects without writing a 'main' method; zero distraction for students.
Keep in mind
Not a professional tool; lacks basic productivity features like code completion for complex libraries.