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IntelliJ IDEA VS Eclipse IDE

Compare IntelliJ IDEA VS Eclipse IDE and see what are their differences

IntelliJ IDEA logo IntelliJ IDEA

Capable and Ergonomic IDE for JVM

Eclipse IDE logo Eclipse IDE

Eclipse IDE for Java EE developers.
  • IntelliJ IDEA Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-20
  • Eclipse IDE Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-02-07

IntelliJ IDEA features and specs

  • Intelligent Code Completion
    IntelliJ IDEA offers advanced code completion features, which help to speed up coding by suggesting relevant keywords, variable names, and methods. It understands the context of the code, making suggestions more accurate and useful.
  • Powerful Refactoring
    IntelliJ IDEA provides an extensive set of refactoring tools that simplify code restructuring. Developers can easily rename, move, and change the signature of classes and methods without breaking the application.
  • Integrated Version Control
    Supports various version control systems such as Git, SVN, and Mercurial. This integration allows seamless code commits, merges, and history tracking directly within the IDE.
  • Rich Plugin Ecosystem
    Offers a vast library of plugins to extend its functionalities by adding support for additional languages, frameworks, and tools, making it highly customizable.
  • Built-in Terminal
    Includes a powerful built-in terminal that allows for command-line operations without leaving the IDE, improving workflow efficiency.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    IntelliJ IDEA is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux, providing consistency for developers who work across different operating systems.
  • Comprehensive Debugging
    Features advanced debugging tools that provide detailed inspection of variable states, stack traces, and execution flow, making it easier to identify and fix issues.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    Offers a highly intuitive and customizable user interface that simplifies navigation and enhances productivity.

Possible disadvantages of IntelliJ IDEA

  • Resource Intensive
    IntelliJ IDEA can be very demanding on system resources, such as RAM and CPU, which may affect performance on less powerful machines.
  • Steep Learning Curve
    New users may find it challenging to learn all of its features and settings, as the IDE offers a wide range of tools and options.
  • Cost
    While there is a free Community edition, the Ultimate edition with full features requires a paid license, which can be expensive for individual developers or small teams.
  • Occasional Sluggishness
    Users may experience occasional sluggish performance, especially with large projects or extensive usage of plugins.
  • Initial Setup Complexity
    Setting up IntelliJ IDEA for the first time, particularly for specific project configurations, can be time-consuming and complex.
  • Frequent Updates
    While regular updates are beneficial for security and new features, they can sometimes cause interruptions or require downtime to install.
  • Dependency on Plugins
    Some key functionalities may rely heavily on third-party plugins, which can sometimes lag in updates or lack sufficient documentation.

Eclipse IDE features and specs

  • Feature-Rich
    Eclipse IDE offers a wide array of tools and features such as code completion, syntax highlighting, refactoring, and debugging, which enhance productivity and ease of use for developers.
  • Platform Support
    Eclipse IDE supports multiple operating systems including Windows, Mac OS, and Linux, making it accessible to a wide range of users.
  • Plugin Ecosystem
    Eclipse has a robust and extensive plugin ecosystem, allowing developers to customize their development environment according to their specific needs.
  • Open Source
    Being an open-source project, Eclipse IDE is free to use and has a strong community of developers who contribute to its continuous improvement and support.
  • Versatility
    Eclipse supports development in a multitude of languages such as Java, Python, and C++, making it a versatile tool for different kinds of projects.

Possible disadvantages of Eclipse IDE

  • Performance
    Eclipse IDE can be resource-intensive and may suffer from performance issues, especially when running on machines with limited RAM and CPU power.
  • Complexity
    The extensive features and plugins can make Eclipse overwhelming for beginners, requiring a steep learning curve to become proficient in its use.
  • Slow Startup
    Eclipse often has a slow startup time compared to other IDEs, which can be frustrating for developers who need to quickly access their projects.
  • UI
    The user interface of Eclipse is often criticized for being cluttered and not as modern or intuitive as some other IDEs like Visual Studio Code or IntelliJ IDEA.
  • Update Management
    Managing updates and plugins can sometimes be cumbersome and may lead to compatibility issues, making it challenging to maintain a stable development environment.

Analysis of IntelliJ IDEA

Overall verdict

  • IntelliJ IDEA is widely considered to be one of the best IDEs available for Java and Kotlin development, providing a comprehensive suite of tools that cater to both professional developers and beginners.

Why this product is good

  • IntelliJ IDEA, developed by JetBrains, is highly regarded for its robust feature set, including intelligent code completion, deep static analysis, powerful refactoring tools, and a wide range of plugins. It supports multiple programming languages, mainly focusing on Java, Kotlin, and Android development. The integrated development environment (IDE) is appreciated for its intuitive interface and seamless integration with various build tools and version control systems, which enhances productivity and efficiency in software development.

Recommended for

  • Java Developers
  • Kotlin Developers
  • Android Developers
  • Software Engineers requiring advanced debugging and testing tools
  • Teams looking for integration with version control systems
  • Developers needing a customizable and extensible IDE

IntelliJ IDEA videos

Overview of IntelliJ IDEA

More videos:

  • Review - Why I Use IntelliJ IDEA
  • Review - Be More Productive With IntelliJ IDEA by Trisha Gee

Eclipse IDE videos

Eclipse IDE Review

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to IntelliJ IDEA and Eclipse IDE)
IDE
84 84%
16% 16
Text Editors
83 83%
17% 17
Developer Tools
97 97%
3% 3
IDEs And Text Editors
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare IntelliJ IDEA and Eclipse IDE

IntelliJ IDEA Reviews

Explore 9 Top Eclipse Alternatives for 2024
Developed by JetBrains, IntelliJ IDEA is a versatile Integrated Development Environment (IDE) initially built for Java and Kotlin, but extends its prowess to incorporate a myriad of other languages through plugins. A unique and user-centric environment favorably touted for its tuneability and keyboard shortcuts that enhance productivity, IntelliJ IDEA has grown to compete...
Source: aircada.com
Top 10 Android Studio Alternatives For App Development
IntelliJ IDEA is an IDE that was developed by JetBrains and is written in Java, Groovy, and Kotlin. It helps in building the IntelliJ IDEA community from the source code and also produces high-quality code.
The Best IDEs for Java Development: A Comparative Analysis
Intelligent Coding Assistance: What sets IntelliJ IDEA apart is its intelligent coding assistance. It seems to understand your code, predict your needs, and assist you with a range of development tasks from start to finish. By virtually mapping your Java projects, it can detect errors, suggest code variants, conduct refactoring, and more. It’s like having a coding assistant!
Source: dev.to
20 Best Diff Tools to Compare File Contents on Linux
Intellij Idea is an enterprise development, cross-platform software for multiple operating systems. It is used to review the differences between any two files, folders, text sources, or database objects, as well as between local files and their repository versions.
Source: linuxopsys.com
9 Of The Best Android Studio Alternatives To Try Out
IntelliJ IDEA, the routine tasks like coding, are handled by IntelliJ IDEA, which leads to accelerated development. It also allows the programmer to focus on functionality.

Eclipse IDE Reviews

We have no reviews of Eclipse IDE yet.
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing IntelliJ IDEA and Eclipse IDE, you can also consider the following products

Microsoft Visual Studio - Microsoft Visual Studio is an integrated development environment (IDE) from Microsoft.

Sublime Text - Sublime Text is a sophisticated text editor for code, html and prose - any kind of text file. You'll love the slick user interface and extraordinary features. Fully customizable with macros, and syntax highlighting for most major languages.

Xcode - Xcode is Apple’s powerful integrated development environment for creating great apps for Mac, iPhone, and iPad. Xcode 4 includes the Xcode IDE, instruments, iOS Simulator, and the latest Mac OS X and iOS SDKs.

VS Code - Build and debug modern web and cloud applications, by Microsoft

Android Studio - Android development environment based on IntelliJ IDEA

Eclipse - Eclipse is an open source community, whose projects are focused on building an open development platform comprised of extensible frameworks, tools and runtimes for building, deploying and managing software across the lifecycle.