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IntelliJ IDEA

JetBrains IDE for Java and Kotlin: free core features, with a paid Ultimate subscription for the rest.

Try IntelliJ IDEA (opens the IntelliJ IDEA website in a new tab)

Our verdict

IntelliJ IDEA is for Java and Kotlin developers who want a full IDE with built-in inspections, a debugger and test runner, and who may pay for Ultimate. Skip it if you want a lightweight editor or a fully open-source download.

What it does well

  • Core features are free after the 30-day Ultimate trial ends
  • Runs on Windows, macOS and Linux
  • Works with agents including Claude Agent, Codex, Gemini CLI and Junie

Where it falls short

  • Advanced tooling stops when an Ultimate subscription ends
  • Organizations pay US$719 per user per year for Ultimate
  • Free core is aimed at Java and Kotlin development
The IntelliJ IDEA website
The official IntelliJ IDEA website, 16 October 2026.

IntelliJ IDEA is JetBrains' Java and Kotlin IDE. Since version 2025.3 it is a single unified product instead of separate Community and Ultimate editions. The core is free, and the help pages say it now includes more than the former Community Edition. Everyone gets a free 30-day Ultimate trial on install, then can subscribe or keep using the free core. It runs on Windows, macOS and Linux.

Ultimate is a subscription priced in US dollars on the buy page. Individuals pay US$199 for the first year, US$159 for the second and US$119 from the third year on, or US$19.90 per month. Organizations pay US$719 per user per year or US$71.90 per month. Prices are shown before tax. Free licences exist for students, classrooms and non-commercial open-source work, with approval.

JetBrains publishes the open-source part of its IDEs in the intellij-community repository, which it says is under Apache 2.0 with JetBrains Open-Source Build Terms. The IntelliJ IDEA you download is a unified product that includes Ultimate features under a subscription, so it is not treated as open source here.

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Last updated 16 October 2026. Facts checked against the official site on 16 October 2026. How we make money