Free JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate alternatives
IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate is a paid Java and web development IDE from JetBrains, used by professional developers for large codebases. The Ultimate edition is a paid licence that many developers only need for enterprise frameworks. Visual Studio Code is a free editor with a large extension ecosystem, while Eclipse IDE is free and open source.
Best free alternative to JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate: Visual Studio Code. Free editor with Git, debugging and a terminal, with Java support added through extensions.
Side by side
| Option | What you get | What you miss |
|---|---|---|
| Visual Studio Code | Free editor with Git, debugging and a terminal, with Java support added through extensions. | Ultimate's deep Java refactoring, database tools and built-in Spring and framework support. |
| Eclipse IDE | Free, open-source Java IDE with refactoring, debugging, Maven and Git support. | IntelliJ's smarter code completion, more polished interface and built-in framework tooling. |
Questions people ask
What is the best free alternative to JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate?
Visual Studio Code. Free editor with Git, debugging and a terminal, with Java support added through extensions.
Is there a free version of JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate?
Not a full one, but Visual Studio Code and Eclipse IDE are free and cover most of what JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate does.
What do you miss with a free JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate alternative?
Ultimate's deep Java refactoring, database tools and built-in Spring and framework support.