IntelliJ IDEA vs Eclipse

by Gralio Feb 27, 2025

IntelliJ IDEA and Eclipse are both popular IDEs for Java development. IntelliJ IDEA offers a more feature-rich and polished experience, while Eclipse is a free, open-source alternative with a large community and extensive plugin support. The best choice depends on your budget and specific development needs.

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 5829 reviews and 60 websites, saving 1 day, 8 hours, 53 minutes of reading.

IntelliJ IDEA

Website LinkedIn Twitter

Eclipse

Website LinkedIn Twitter

About

IntelliJ IDEA is a software development tool made by JetBrains, specifically for Java and Kotlin programming languages. It's designed to make programmers more efficient with features that help with coding, project organization, and error detection. What sets it apart is its focus on anticipating what a programmer needs next, offering suggestions and automating tasks to speed up the development process.

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

IntelliJ IDEA is a premium IDE known for its robust features and developer-centric experience, best suited for businesses that prioritize developer productivity and can afford its cost. Eclipse is a free, open-source IDE that offers a good balance of features and customizability, making it ideal for cost-conscious businesses and those who prefer open-source solutions.

Relative strengths of IntelliJ IDEA (compared to Eclipse)

Superior code completion and refactoring capabilities, boosting developer productivity.
Extensive plugin ecosystem offering diverse integrations and extensions.
Excellent debugging tools and performance analysis features.

Relative weaknesses of IntelliJ IDEA (compared to Eclipse)

Higher cost compared to Eclipse, potentially impacting budget.
Can be resource-intensive, requiring more RAM and processing power.
Steeper learning curve for beginners compared to Eclipse's simpler interface.

Who should use IntelliJ IDEA VS. Eclipse

IntelliJ IDEA is a powerful IDE for Java and Kotlin developers. It streamlines coding with smart code completion, robust debugging, and Git integration. Users praise its intuitive interface and extensive plugin ecosystem but note high RAM usage and cost. Best for medium to large software development teams.

Eclipse is a versatile, open-source IDE known for its Java development capabilities but supporting various programming languages. Users praise its easy-to-use interface, plugin ecosystem, and debugging features. However, some find its startup times slow and UI outdated. Ideal for developers seeking a customizable and collaborative platform.

Best for medium to large businesses (100+ employees).
Ideal for software development teams.

Ideal for small, medium, and large businesses.
Best fit for software, IT, and telecom companies; suitable for finance, banking, insurance, e-commerce, and education.

IntelliJ IDEA 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

Commit and push

Supported

IntelliJ IDEA lets you commit and push code changes directly within the IDE.

Supported

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

Supported

IntelliJ IDEA supports a wide variety of plugins.

Supported

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

Supported

IntelliJ IDEA supports creating, switching, merging, and managing branches.

Supported

Eclipse supports branch management via the EGit plugin.
Git integration

Supported

IntelliJ IDEA has built-in Git integration for version control.

Supported

Eclipse seamlessly integrates with Git for version control, including commit, push, and pull operations.
JUnit integration

Supported

IntelliJ IDEA supports running JUnit tests.

Supported

Eclipse supports creating, running, and managing JUnit tests within the IDE.
Code completion

Supported

IntelliJ IDEA supports code completion to speed up coding and reduce errors.

Supported

Eclipse supports code completion via its Code Assist feature.

Qualities

Value and Pricing Transparency

No data

No data
Customer Service

No data

No data
Ease of Use

No data

No data
Reliability and Performance

No data

No data
Ease of Implementation

No data

No data
Scalability

No data

No data

IntelliJ IDEA and Eclipse Pricing

No data

We couldn't find a pricing page for IntelliJ IDEA.

No data

See full Pricing page

IntelliJ IDEA and Eclipse review insights

Users love

Excellent code completion and IntelliSense, highly praised.
Powerful debugging tools, including expression evaluation and conditional breakpoints.
Extensive plugin ecosystem and support for various languages and frameworks.
User-friendly interface with customizable themes and shortcuts.
Seamless Git integration, with visual tools for version control.

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

High RAM usage, frequently reported, especially with multiple projects or emulators.
Slow startup and indexing, particularly for large projects.
High cost for the Ultimate edition, a barrier for some users.
Occasional crashes and freezing issues.
Limited features in the Community edition, especially for Spring and web development.

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.

IntelliJ IDEA and Eclipse Ratings

G2

4.6/5

(2153)
Capterra

4.7/5

(1193)
Glassdoor

4.3/5

(251)

G2

4.3/5

(2506)
Glassdoor

3.7/5

(10)

Company health

Employee growth

10% increase in the last year

5% increase in the last year

Web traffic

3% decrease in the last quarter

27% decrease in the last quarter

Financing

No data

How important is a highly responsive, low-latency IDE?

A highly responsive, low-latency IDE is crucial for developer productivity. IntelliJ IDEA users praise its code completion and debugging tools but criticize its high RAM usage and slow startup, suggesting potential latency issues, especially with larger projects. Eclipse users also report slow startup times and performance lags, directly impacting responsiveness and latency. Therefore, a responsive IDE is a significant factor when choosing between these two, especially for developers working on complex projects.

Which product offers better plugin support for specialized development needs?

Both IntelliJ IDEA and Eclipse offer extensive plugin support. However, IntelliJ IDEA is generally considered to have a more polished and comprehensive plugin ecosystem, with a wider selection of high-quality plugins, especially for specialized frameworks and technologies. While Eclipse's plugin marketplace is also substantial, some users find its quality can be inconsistent. Therefore, for specialized development needs, IntelliJ IDEA may offer slightly better plugin support.

What are the advantages of IntelliJ IDEA?

IntelliJ IDEA offers superior code completion and intelligent suggestions, boosting developer productivity. Its debugging tools are more powerful, allowing for deeper analysis and faster troubleshooting. While both offer plugin support, IntelliJ IDEA's ecosystem is generally considered richer and more mature. Furthermore, user reviews consistently praise IntelliJ IDEA's user-friendly interface and seamless Git integration.

What are the disadvantages of IntelliJ IDEA?

IntelliJ IDEA's disadvantages include high RAM usage, potentially causing slowdowns, especially with multiple projects. Its startup and indexing times can be slow for large projects. The Ultimate edition's cost is a barrier for some, while the Community edition has limited features. Occasional crashes and freezes have also been reported.

Alternatives to IntelliJ IDEA and Eclipse

PyCharm

PyCharm is a software development tool made by JetBrains for professional programmers using the Python language. It helps developers write, organize, test, and fix their code more efficiently. This is achieved through features like code completion suggestions, error highlighting, and integration with other tools. PyCharm is available in a free "Community" version, and a paid "Professional" version with more advanced capabilities.

Datalore

Datalore is a cloud-based platform designed for data science teams to collaborate on projects. It offers tools for writing code, connecting to databases, analyzing data, and creating visualizations. Teams can work together in real-time, making it easier to share insights and build data-driven solutions. While offering advanced features, Datalore also provides a user-friendly interface, making it accessible for team members with varying technical skills. Datalore can be hosted online or within your own IT environment.

Visual Studio

Visual Studio, by Microsoft, is a popular software development tool. It helps developers build a wide variety of applications – from simple programs to complex websites and mobile apps. Visual Studio provides a single, comprehensive environment for coding, debugging, testing, and deploying software, making the development process smoother and more efficient.

Bitbucket

Bitbucket is a tool that helps software development teams manage their code and work together better. It allows teams to track changes to code, review each other's work, and identify and fix bugs early on. Bitbucket also integrates with other tools, such as Jira, to streamline the development process from start to finish. While especially useful for software teams, its collaborative features can benefit any team working with code, regardless of company size.

AWS Cloud9

AWS Cloud9 is a cloud-based platform for writing and testing software. It lets your developers work from anywhere with an internet connection, using only their web browser. It offers a variety of tools to streamline the software development process, including the ability to run and debug code. AWS Cloud9 is designed for businesses of all sizes that develop software using languages like Java, PHP, C/C++, and Python.

JCreator

JCreator is a lightweight coding tool designed specifically for the Java programming language. It aims to be a faster and more efficient alternative to larger, more complex development tools. While suitable for beginners, its focus on efficiency may appeal to experienced programmers who want a streamlined coding environment. JCreator is a trial version software available in English.

Page co-authored by

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.

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.

How are we doing?

Is this information helpful to you? Is there anything we are missing?

Did this help you select your product?

Other issues? Vote & Let us know