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IntelliJ IDEA VS OpenJDK

Compare IntelliJ IDEA VS OpenJDK and see what are their differences

IntelliJ IDEA logo IntelliJ IDEA

Capable and Ergonomic IDE for JVM

OpenJDK logo OpenJDK

OpenJDK is the free version of the Java development platform.
  • IntelliJ IDEA Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-20
  • OpenJDK Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-14

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.

OpenJDK features and specs

  • Open Source
    OpenJDK is an open-source implementation of the Java Platform, Standard Edition, making it freely available for anyone to download, modify, and distribute.
  • Wide Adoption and Community Support
    It is the reference implementation of Java SE, backed by a large community and supported by major companies like Oracle, ensuring regular updates and security patches.
  • Compatibility
    OpenJDK is considered the official reference implementation for Java SE and is compatible with the Java standard, ensuring that applications run consistently across implementations.
  • No Licensing Fees
    Being open-source, OpenJDK does not require licensing fees, which can be beneficial for organizations looking to minimize costs.
  • Customizability
    The open-source nature allows developers to modify and extend the code to suit specific needs.

Possible disadvantages of OpenJDK

  • Potential Performance Variations
    Different builds of OpenJDK may have performance variations compared to the Oracle JDK, which can affect application efficiency.
  • Support Variability
    While community support is strong, official support and services, which might be required by enterprise environments, are often provided by third parties and may come with additional costs.
  • Patch Availability
    Security patches and updates may not be rolled out as quickly in some OpenJDK distributions compared to Oracle's commercial JDK.
  • Limited Features
    Some commercial features in Oracle JDK, such as advanced monitoring and commercial-grade performance monitoring tools, may not be present in OpenJDK.

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

OpenJDK videos

OpenJDK Development

More videos:

  • Review - The Launch Space - The Microsoft Build of OpenJDK and other useful Java things

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to IntelliJ IDEA and OpenJDK)
IDE
92 92%
8% 8
Text Editors
92 92%
8% 8
Developer Tools
96 96%
4% 4
Software Development
85 85%
15% 15

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 OpenJDK

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.

OpenJDK Reviews

We have no reviews of OpenJDK yet.
Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, OpenJDK seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 32 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

IntelliJ IDEA mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of IntelliJ IDEA yet. Tracking of IntelliJ IDEA recommendations started around Mar 2021.

OpenJDK mentions (32)

  • Oracle's Pioneering Role in Open Source and Blockchain: A Deep Dive
    Oracle’s seamless integration of open-source contributions and blockchain adoption is a testament to its forward-thinking approach and commitment to technological innovation. By supporting key projects like Java via the OpenJDK project and ensuring the robustness of its cloud solutions through the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, Oracle demonstrates that true innovation is born from a culture of collaboration and... - Source: dev.to / 2 months ago
  • Setting Up Your React Native Development Environment
    Visit the Oracle JDK download page or use OpenJDK. - Source: dev.to / 7 months ago
  • Lisp Virtual Machine Design Question
    Reloading is nothing new under the sun for Lisp, I believe. For ML and adequate reload-ability, one might be hard pressed, but it's nothing new under the Sun (hint, hint). Maybe too on the nose, but one probably wants good inlining, and thus more "speculative" de/optimisation to preserve redefinition. Source: over 2 years ago
  • "Why Apache Harmony" or "How to use Java 8 on Android"
    If they don't want Oracle's Java, why can't they use a subset of OpenJDK (licensing noob here)? Source: almost 3 years ago
  • Replacement for Java?
    Does this change affect https://openjdk.java.net/ too? Source: almost 3 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

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

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

AdoptOpenJDK - The code for Java is open source and available at OpenJDK™.

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

Liberica JDK - Liberica is a 100% open-source Java 13.0.1 implementation.

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.

RedHat OpenJDK - The RedHat build of OpenJDK