NetBeans vs IntelliJ IDEA

by Gralio Mar 10, 2025

NetBeans and IntelliJ IDEA are both popular IDEs for Java development, but cater to different needs and preferences. NetBeans excels in its free and comprehensive offering, making it a solid choice for beginners and budget-conscious developers. IntelliJ IDEA, while paid, offers a more polished and performant experience with advanced features that benefit experienced developers, especially those working with Kotlin.

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 4016 reviews and 59 websites, saving 22 hours, 48 minutes of reading.

NetBeans

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IntelliJ IDEA

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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.

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.

Summary

Main difference

NetBeans is better for you if you need a free, open-source IDE primarily for Java development with a wide range of features out-of-the-box. IntelliJ IDEA is better for you if you require advanced features, superior performance, and a more modern user interface, especially for Kotlin development, and don't mind paying for a license.

Relative strengths of NetBeans (compared to IntelliJ IDEA)

Free and open-source, reducing cost.
Provides a wide range of features out-of-the-box, suitable for diverse Java development needs.
Beginner-friendly interface simplifies the learning curve.

Relative weaknesses of NetBeans (compared to IntelliJ IDEA)

Can be slow and resource-intensive, impacting performance.
UI is considered outdated compared to modern IDEs.
Primarily focused on Java development, limiting versatility for other languages.

Who should use NetBeans VS. IntelliJ IDEA

NetBeans is a free, open-source IDE best for Java developers building desktop, mobile, and web applications. Users praise its comprehensive features and ease of use, especially for beginners. However, some find it slow and resource-intensive. Consider NetBeans if you need a robust, free IDE and don't mind occasional performance hiccups.

IntelliJ IDEA is a powerful IDE for Java and Kotlin developers. It excels in code completion, debugging, and Git integration, boosting developer productivity. Users praise its intuitive interface and extensive plugin ecosystem. However, some experience high RAM usage and slow startup times. Best for medium to large software development teams.

Ideal for small to large businesses seeking open-source Java development tools.
Strong fit for Software, IT, Media, and Professional Services; suitable for Healthcare, Finance, and E-commerce.

Best for medium to large businesses (101+ employees).
Ideal for software development teams.

NetBeans and IntelliJ IDEA 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

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

Supported

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

Supported

NetBeans seamlessly integrates with Git for version control, allowing various operations directly within the editor.

Supported

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

Supported

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

Supported

IntelliJ IDEA supports a wide variety of plugins.
Branch management

Supported

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

Supported

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

Supported

NetBeans supports code completion to speed up coding and reduce errors.

Supported

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

Supported

NetBeans supports JUnit 4 and 5 tests.

Supported

IntelliJ IDEA supports running JUnit tests.

Qualities

Value and Pricing Transparency

No data

-0.25

Neutral sentiment
Customer Service

No data

No data
Ease of Use

No data

+0.91

Strongly positive sentiment
Reliability and Performance

No data

-0.03

Neutral sentiment
Ease of Implementation

No data

+0.25

Neutral sentiment
Scalability

No data

-0.64

Rather negative sentiment

NetBeans and IntelliJ IDEA Pricing

No data

We couldn't find a pricing page for NetBeans.

No data

User sentiment

Neutral

-0.25

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

NetBeans and IntelliJ IDEA review insights

4016 reviews analysed from and

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.

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.

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.

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.

NetBeans and IntelliJ IDEA Ratings

G2

4.1/5

(670)

G2

4.6/5

(2153)
Capterra

4.7/5

(1193)
Glassdoor

4.3/5

(251)

Company health

Employee growth

No data

10% increase in the last year

Web traffic

No data

3% decrease in the last quarter

Financing

No data

How important is fast startup and low RAM usage for your team's productivity?

Fast startup and low RAM usage are very important for our team's productivity. While both NetBeans and IntelliJ IDEA offer excellent features, NetBeans users frequently complain about slow startup and high RAM usage. IntelliJ IDEA users also report high RAM usage and slow startup, particularly for larger projects. This suggests that neither option is ideal in this regard, but the impact on productivity needs to be weighed against the other features and benefits each IDE provides.

Which IDE's user interface feels more intuitive and modern for your developers?

IntelliJ IDEA is generally considered to have a more modern and intuitive UI compared to NetBeans. While NetBeans is praised for being easy to learn, especially for beginners, its UI is often criticized as feeling outdated. IntelliJ IDEA's UI is generally praised for its sleek design and user-friendly features which contribute to a more streamlined and efficient workflow.

What are the advantages of NetBeans?

NetBeans is free and open-source, making it a more accessible option. It also offers a broader range of features for building various applications, making it more versatile. Users praise NetBeans for its ease of use, especially for beginners, and its comprehensive features for coding, debugging, and project management.

What are the disadvantages of NetBeans?

NetBeans users frequently report slow startup and loading times, along with high memory usage, which can hinder performance, especially on less powerful machines. Some users find the UI outdated compared to modern IDEs, and while it boasts a rich plugin ecosystem, its support for languages other than Java is considered limited. Occasional bugs and crashes have also been reported, potentially disrupting workflow.

Alternatives to NetBeans and IntelliJ IDEA

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.

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.

Eclipse

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.

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.

Suneido

Suneido is a software platform designed for building and running business applications. It provides all the tools you need in one package, including a database, programming language, and pre-built components, so there's no need to combine separate products. This open-source platform aims to be a simpler and more cost-effective alternative to larger, more complex systems used for application development.

Rider

Rider is a software development tool (IDE) by JetBrains, designed for creating various applications using the .NET framework and similar technologies. It helps developers write, test, and fix code efficiently with smart assistance and built-in tools. While packed with features, Rider is known for its speed and responsiveness. It works across Windows, Mac, and Linux, supporting numerous programming languages relevant to .NET development like C#, JavaScript, and HTML.

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.

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