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IntelliJ IDEA VS PlatformIO

Compare IntelliJ IDEA VS PlatformIO and see what are their differences

IntelliJ IDEA logo IntelliJ IDEA

Capable and Ergonomic IDE for JVM

PlatformIO logo PlatformIO

Next-generation IDE for IoT
  • IntelliJ IDEA Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-20
  • PlatformIO Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-04

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.

PlatformIO features and specs

  • Cross-Platform Support
    PlatformIO provides a unified environment that can be used on Windows, macOS, and Linux, making it versatile for developers who work across different operating systems.
  • Library Management
    PlatformIO has a built-in library management system that helps to manage dependencies easily, including automatic library updates and versioning.
  • Integrated Debugging
    It offers integrated debugging capabilities for a wide range of microcontrollers, which simplifies the process of troubleshooting and fine-tuning code.
  • IDE Integration
    PlatformIO is compatible with popular IDEs such as Visual Studio Code, Atom, and Eclipse, allowing developers to work within their preferred environments.
  • Extensive Board Support
    The platform supports a wide variety of development boards and microcontrollers, providing flexibility for various types of projects.
  • Continuous Integration
    PlatformIO can easily be integrated with CI/CD pipelines, which helps in automating the build and deployment process.
  • Community and Documentation
    There is a strong community and comprehensive documentation available, which can be very helpful for troubleshooting and learning.

Possible disadvantages of PlatformIO

  • Steep Learning Curve
    For beginners, the multitude of features and configurations can be overwhelming, leading to a steep learning curve.
  • Performance Issues
    Some users report performance issues, such as slow IDE performance, especially when dealing with large projects.
  • Complex Configuration
    The configuration files (`platformio.ini`) can become quite complex, particularly for advanced projects, which may be challenging to manage.
  • Limited GUI Options
    It lacks a full-fledged graphical interface for some advanced settings and debugging options, relying more on configuration files and command line.
  • Dependency on External Tools
    PlatformIO relies on various external tools and plugins, which sometimes may lead to compatibility issues or additional overhead in setting up the development environment.
  • Less Native Support
    While it supports many third-party boards and environments, official support and updates may lag behind native tools specifically provided by those third parties.

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

Analysis of PlatformIO

Overall verdict

  • Overall, PlatformIO is highly regarded in the development community for its flexibility, extensive feature set, and support for a wide range of development boards and microcontrollers. It is considered an excellent choice for developers looking to streamline their development process across different platforms.

Why this product is good

  • PlatformIO is often considered good because it is an open-source ecosystem for IoT development with cross-platform build systems, library management, and support for multiple environments and boards. It integrates well with popular IDEs like VSCode, offering a unified development experience with features like automatic code completion, debugging, and unit testing. Its extensive library of packages and tools simplifies the process of managing dependencies and configurations.

Recommended for

    PlatformIO is recommended for embedded systems developers, IoT engineers, and hobbyists who need a versatile and robust development environment. It is especially beneficial for those who work with multiple microcontroller platforms and require an IDE with comprehensive tooling support.

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

PlatformIO videos

#264 PlatformIO for Arduino, ESP8266, and ESP32 Tutorial

More videos:

  • Review - A Better Arduino IDE - Getting Started with PlatformIO

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to IntelliJ IDEA and PlatformIO)
IDE
87 87%
13% 13
Text Editors
91 91%
9% 9
Developer Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Electronics
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 PlatformIO

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.

PlatformIO Reviews

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

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, PlatformIO seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 56 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.

PlatformIO mentions (56)

  • 13 yo "Vibe Coding" on Raspberry Pi and Arduino
    We searched for other IDEs that would be simple to use, allow easy import of Arduino libraries, and upload the code on the board. I wanted something of the like of Atom editor, but it was not supported on Raspberry Pi (and deprecated now). We found that PlatformIO could be an option. It is a plugin in VSCode that can manage many type of boards. We went ahead, installed VScode, then the PlatformIO extension. We... - Source: dev.to / 2 months ago
  • Help Needed with Tauri Desktop App for NFC Card Enrollment on ESP32
    For the ESP32 in read mode, we've successfully developed a project using PlatformIO that accepts the key during build time and stores it in memory. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • It's 2023 why embedded development is so cumbersome?(rant)
    Check out Zephyr OS and Platform IO. Zephyr is part of the Linux foundation and has similarities to Linux with how it performs hardware abstraction (device tree). Platform IO integrates with other frameworks including mbed and Arduino. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Debug program using PlatformIO and avr-stub
    PlatformIO together with avr-stub can be used to do source level debugging but there are some caveats. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Do you know some sbc or soc that can be programed to run rtos and c++ on top?
    Look into https://platformio.org/, it can abstract over a few RTOSes, and can show you which OSes work with which chips/boards. Source: about 2 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

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

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

Arduino IDE - Arduino is an open-source electronics prototyping platform based on flexible, easy-to-use hardware...

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.

Visual Micro - Arduino IDE for Visual Studio and Atmel Studio

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

embedXcode - embedXcode is a template for Xcode.