NetBeans vs Eclipse

by Gralio Apr 29, 2025

NetBeans and Eclipse are both powerful, free, open-source IDEs primarily focused on Java development, but they cater to slightly different needs. NetBeans often appeals to those seeking simplicity and strong GUI building capabilities, particularly for Java SE or PHP projects. Eclipse is favored for its extensive customization through plugins, robust enterprise features (like Jakarta EE support), and strong integration with tools like Git, making it highly adaptable for diverse and complex projects.

At Gralio.ai we help to simplify your decision-making process by offering detailed, side-by-side software comparisons like this one, to help you confidently choose the tool that aligns with your business goals.

This comparison was created by analysing 3176 reviews and 59 websites, saving 18 hours, 8 minutes of reading.

Logo of NetBeans
Logo of Eclipse

About

NetBeans is a free, open-source software platform designed for building a variety of applications, primarily for businesses. It supports popular programming languages like Java, PHP, and C/C++, and provides tools that streamline the coding process, making it faster and more efficient. NetBeans runs seamlessly on Windows, Linux, and Mac operating systems, offering flexibility for developers. Its key strength lies in its comprehensive set of features for creating applications, making it a versatile choice for businesses of all sizes.
Eclipse provides a suite of tools for software developers to write, test, and manage code. It offers a collaborative and customizable platform used by individuals and companies of all sizes. While known for Java development, it also supports other programming languages. Eclipse is free, open-source, and constantly evolving with new features and improvements.

Summary

Main difference
NetBeans provides a simpler, more integrated out-of-the-box experience, particularly for Java Swing GUI development, making it often easier for beginners. Eclipse stands out for its vast plugin ecosystem, offering extensive customization and strong support for enterprise Java (Jakarta EE) and integrated tooling like Git.

Relative strengths of NetBeans (compared to Eclipse)

  • * Easier Java GUI Development: NetBeans features a highly regarded visual GUI builder, especially for Java Swing applications, which many find more intuitive and efficient than Eclipse's standard tooling for GUI design.

  • * Simpler Initial Experience: Users often report that NetBeans is easier to set up and learn initially, offering a more straightforward interface and feature set out-of-the-box compared to Eclipse's potentially more complex, plugin-heavy environment.

  • * Stronger Built-in Web Support (PHP/HTML5): NetBeans comes with robust, integrated support for PHP and HTML5/JavaScript/CSS development from the start, whereas similar functionality in Eclipse typically relies on installing specific plugins first.

Relative weaknesses of NetBeans (compared to Eclipse)

  • * Less Extensibility and Customization: Eclipse's architecture is fundamentally based on plugins, offering superior flexibility. NetBeans, while extensible, has a smaller plugin ecosystem, limiting options for integrating niche technologies or heavily customizing the development workflow.

  • * Weaker Enterprise Java (Jakarta EE) Focus: Eclipse provides more comprehensive tooling and stronger community focus specifically for Jakarta EE development, which is essential for building large-scale, enterprise-grade Java applications.

  • * Smaller Plugin Marketplace: The Eclipse Marketplace offers a significantly larger selection of plugins for various tools, frameworks, and languages, giving development teams more options to tailor the IDE to specific project needs compared to the NetBeans Plugin Portal.

Who should use NetBeans VS. Eclipse

We find NetBeans is a solid choice for software developers, especially those just starting or working heavily with Java, like building desktop GUIs. It's free and open-source, which is always a plus. While it offers comprehensive tools for coding and debugging, some users note it can feel a bit slow and resource-heavy compared to newer options. It's particularly strong for Java development, but perhaps less ideal if you need extensive support for other languages a lot.

Eclipse is a well-established, free IDE, particularly strong for Java development. We notice it's favored by developers who need extensive plugin support and powerful debugging tools. While some users mention performance issues or an older UI, its open-source nature and large community make it a versatile choice for many software projects, especially in larger companies focusing on Java, Cloud, or IoT applications. It's quite adaptable thanks to its wide range of plugins available through the marketplace for various development needs like Git integration and testing support

  • In our experience, NetBeans works well for development teams of all sizes, though it seems particularly popular within small to mid-sized businesses.

  • While NetBeans is versatile across industries, we've seen it frequently used in Finance, Education, and Software/IT development environments.

  • We've seen Eclipse work well in medium-sized companies, but it truly shines in large enterprises needing a robust, customizable IDE.

  • Based on our observations, Eclipse is a go-to IDE within the Software, IT, and Telecommunications sectors, especially for Java-centric projects.

NetBeans and Eclipse features

Supported
Partially supported
Not supported
Type in the name of the feature or in your own words tell us what you need

  • Development Environment
    Supported

    NetBeans provides a development environment, tooling platform, and application framework.

    Supported

    Eclipse provides a development environment, tooling platform, and application framework.

  • Smart editor
    Supported

    NetBeans offers smart code completion, semantic highlighting, and customizable workflows.

    Supported

    Eclipse supports smart editing with features like auto-completion and syntax highlighting.

  • Jakarta EE framework
    Supported

    NetBeans supports Jakarta EE through Java EE 8 compatibility and dedicated plugins.

    Supported

    Eclipse supports Jakarta EE for building cloud-native Java applications.

  • Commit and push
    Supported

    NetBeans allows committing and pushing code changes directly via its Git integration.

    Supported

    Eclipse supports committing and pushing code changes directly within the IDE via the EGit plugin.

  • Branch management
    Supported

    NetBeans supports creating, switching, merging, and managing branches via Git integration.

    Supported

    Eclipse supports branch management via the EGit plugin.

  • Plugin support
    Supported

    NetBeans supports a wide variety of plugins to extend its functionality.

    Supported

    Eclipse supports a wide variety of plugins via the Eclipse Marketplace.

Qualities

  • Value and Pricing Transparency
    No data
    +1
    Strongly positive sentiment
  • Customer Service
    No data
    -0.33
    Rather negative sentiment
  • Ease of Use
    No data
    +0.59
    Rather positive sentiment
  • Reliability and Performance
    No data
    -0.07
    Neutral sentiment
  • Ease of Implementation
    No data
    +0.07
    Neutral sentiment
  • Scalability
    No data
    -0.14
    Neutral sentiment

NetBeans and Eclipse Pricing

No data
We couldn't find a pricing page for NetBeans.
No data

User sentiment

Strongly positive
+1

See full Pricing page

NetBeans and Eclipse review insights

3176 reviews analysed from

Users love

  • Excellent for Java development, particularly GUI design with Swing.
  • Comprehensive features for coding, debugging, and project management.
  • Easy-to-use interface, especially for beginners.
  • Free and open-source, making it accessible to everyone.
  • Extensive plugin ecosystem allows for customization and extended functionality.
  • Easy-to-use interface for Java development.
  • Extensive plugin ecosystem for customization and integration.
  • Robust debugging features for efficient bug fixing.
  • Excellent support for Maven and other build tools.
  • Open-source and free, making it accessible to everyone.

Users dislike

  • Slow startup and loading times are frequently reported.
  • High memory usage can lead to performance issues, especially on older machines.
  • Limited support for languages other than Java, hindering versatility.
  • UI design is considered outdated and less visually appealing compared to modern IDEs.
  • Occasional bugs and crashes can disrupt workflow.
  • Slow startup times and occasional performance lags, especially with larger projects.
  • UI looks outdated and could be more intuitive.
  • Limited customization options for themes and visuals.
  • Some plugins can be unreliable or poorly maintained.
  • Resource intensive, requiring significant memory and CPU.

NetBeans and Eclipse Ratings

  • G2
    4.1/5
    (670)
  • G2
    4.3/5
    (2506)
  • Glassdoor
    3.7/5
    (10)

Company health

Employee growth

No data
No change in the last year

Web traffic

No data
1% decrease in the last quarter

Financing

No data
No data

How do NetBeans and Eclipse compare for large-scale Java application development?

Both NetBeans and Eclipse are viable Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) for large-scale Java application development, being free, open-source, and feature-rich. Eclipse is often preferred in large enterprise settings due to its vast plugin ecosystem, strong support for enterprise technologies like Jakarta EE, and robust integration with build tools (like Maven) and version control systems (like Git), which are essential for large teams and complex projects. However, Eclipse is frequently criticized for performance degradation and high resource consumption, especially with larger projects. NetBeans offers comprehensive features for Java development, including strong GUI building tools, and is also used in large organizations, but it might have a less extensive plugin selection for specific enterprise needs compared to Eclipse, and it also faces user complaints regarding slow performance and high memory usage.

Which IDE provides better Git integration for collaborative coding workflows?

Based on the provided descriptions, Eclipse explicitly lists "Git Integration" as a feature, describing it as seamless and simplifying collaborative coding by allowing developers to track changes, manage branches, and merge code directly within the IDE. NetBeans mentions "Integration with External Tools" but does not specifically highlight Git integration as a core feature. Therefore, Eclipse appears to offer better and more explicitly integrated Git support for collaborative coding workflows according to the provided information.

What are the advantages of NetBeans?

NetBeans is considered excellent for Java development, particularly for designing graphical user interfaces with Swing. It offers a comprehensive set of features for coding, debugging, and managing projects, coupled with an easy-to-use interface that benefits beginners. Being free, open-source, and cross-platform enhances its accessibility, while its extensive plugin ecosystem allows for customization and extended functionality.

What are the disadvantages of NetBeans?

Based on user feedback, NetBeans suffers from several drawbacks. Users frequently report slow startup and loading times, which can impede productivity. It also consumes a significant amount of memory, potentially leading to performance issues, particularly on less powerful hardware. While strong for Java, its support for other programming languages is considered limited compared to alternatives. Additionally, its user interface is often described as outdated and less visually appealing than more modern IDEs, and some users experience occasional bugs or crashes that can disrupt their workflow.

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Page co-authored by
MK
Michal Kaczor
CEO at Gralio

Michal has worked at startups for many years and writes about topics relating to software selection and IT management. As a former consultant for Bain, a business advisory company, he also knows how to understand needs of any business and find solutions to its problems.

TT
Tymon Terlikiewicz
CTO at Gralio

Tymon is a seasoned CTO who loves finding the perfect tools for any task. He recently headed up the tech department at Batmaid, a well-known Swiss company, where he managed about 60 software purchases, including CX, HR, Payroll, Marketing automation and various developer tools.

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