IntelliJ IDEA vs PyCharm

by Gralio Mar 13, 2025

IntelliJ IDEA and PyCharm are both powerful IDEs from JetBrains, each catering to different programming languages. IntelliJ IDEA excels with Java and Kotlin, offering robust support for enterprise development. PyCharm, however, is tailored specifically for Python, making it a more efficient choice for Python-centric 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 4441 reviews and 60 websites, saving 1 day, 1 hour, 10 minutes of reading.

IntelliJ IDEA

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PyCharm

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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.

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.

Summary

Main difference

IntelliJ IDEA is a powerful IDE best suited for Java and Kotlin development, offering deep support for those languages and related frameworks. PyCharm, while also made by JetBrains, focuses on Python development, providing specialized tools and integrations for that ecosystem.

Relative strengths of IntelliJ IDEA (compared to PyCharm)

Superior Java and Kotlin support: IntelliJ IDEA offers better code completion, refactoring tools, and framework integrations for Java and Kotlin than PyCharm.
Strong support for enterprise development: IntelliJ IDEA is well-suited for large-scale Java projects, with robust features for code analysis, navigation, and team collaboration.
Extensive plugin ecosystem: While both IDEs offer plugins, IntelliJ IDEA's larger community contributes a wider array of specialized plugins, particularly for Java development.

Relative weaknesses of IntelliJ IDEA (compared to PyCharm)

Less focused on Python: If your primary language is Python, PyCharm's specialized features and integrations will be more beneficial.
Steeper learning curve for Python development: While IntelliJ IDEA can be used for Python, its focus on Java can make it less intuitive for Python-centric workflows.
Can be resource-intensive: IntelliJ IDEA's extensive features can consume significant system resources, potentially impacting performance on less powerful machines.

Who should use IntelliJ IDEA VS. PyCharm

IntelliJ IDEA is a powerful IDE for Java and Kotlin developers. It streamlines coding with smart code completion, debugging tools, and Git integration. Users praise its efficiency but note high RAM usage and cost. Best for medium to large teams.

PyCharm is a powerful IDE for professional Python developers, data scientists, and web developers. Its user-friendly interface, intelligent code completion, and robust debugging tools streamline the coding process. Users praise its seamless Git integration and extensive plugin support, while some find it resource-intensive and slow to start.

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

Best for small to large businesses (1-1000+ employees).
Excellent for Software, IT & Telecommunications; suitable for various other industries.

IntelliJ IDEA and PyCharm features

Supported

Partially supported

Not supported

Type in the name of the feature or in your own words tell us what you need

AI code completion

Supported

IntelliJ IDEA supports AI-powered code completion via its Full Line Completion and Machine Learning Completion Ranking features.

Supported

PyCharm supports AI-powered code completion to streamline coding and reduce errors.
Python code editor

Supported

IntelliJ IDEA supports Python code editing with features such as intelligent code completion and syntax highlighting.

Supported

PyCharm offers intelligent code completion, syntax highlighting, code analysis, and error detection.
Database integration

Supported

IntelliJ IDEA supports database integration, including editing and executing SQL queries.

Supported

PyCharm supports various databases and allows editing and executing SQL queries.
Commit and push

Supported

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

Supported

PyCharm allows to commit and push code changes directly from the IDE.
Git integration

Supported

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

Supported

PyCharm seamlessly integrates with Git, offering features like committing, pushing, pulling, and change management directly within the editor, as confirmed by the sources.
Code completion

Supported

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

Supported

PyCharm provides extensive code completion features including context-aware suggestions, smart type matching, full-line completion, and machine learning assistance.

Qualities

Value and Pricing Transparency

-0.25

Neutral sentiment

No data
Customer Service

No data

No data
Ease of Use

+0.91

Strongly positive sentiment

+1

Strongly positive sentiment
Reliability and Performance

-0.03

Neutral sentiment

-0.23

Neutral sentiment
Ease of Implementation

+0.25

Neutral sentiment

+1

Strongly positive sentiment
Scalability

-0.64

Rather negative sentiment

-0.33

Rather negative sentiment

IntelliJ IDEA and PyCharm Pricing

No data

User sentiment

Neutral

-0.25

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

No data

User sentiment

Strongly negative

-1

We couldn't find a pricing page for PyCharm.

IntelliJ IDEA and PyCharm review insights

4441 reviews analysed from and

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.

The user-friendly interface is highly praised.
Excellent code completion suggestions and error highlighting contribute to a smooth coding experience.
Powerful debugging features streamline the process of identifying and fixing bugs.
Seamless Git integration makes version control management efficient.
Extensive plugin support enhances functionality and customizability.

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 time is a major drawback, especially for larger projects.
Autosave feature cannot be disabled, hindering the Flask development experience.
Resource-intensive and can slow down older machines.
Limited customization options, especially for themes.

IntelliJ IDEA and PyCharm Ratings

G2

4.6/5

(2153)
Capterra

4.7/5

(1193)
Glassdoor

4.3/5

(251)

G2

4.6/5

(747)
Capterra

4.7/5

(348)
Glassdoor

4.3/5

(251)

Company health

Employee growth

10% increase in the last year

Web traffic

3% decrease in the last quarter

Financing

No data

How do PyCharm's and IntelliJ IDEA's code completion features compare for Python development?

IntelliJ IDEA, while a powerful IDE, primarily focuses on Java and Kotlin development. Its code completion for Python is less comprehensive than PyCharm's. PyCharm, specifically designed for Python, offers more advanced and specialized code completion features like AI-powered suggestions, deeper code analysis specific to Python's nuances, and better support for Python frameworks and libraries. Therefore, for Python development, PyCharm provides superior code completion.

Which IDE better supports mixed-language projects involving both Python and Java?

IntelliJ IDEA is the better IDE for mixed Python and Java projects. While PyCharm excels with Python, IntelliJ IDEA, also by JetBrains, offers robust support for both Java and Python through plugins and its inherent design. This allows developers to work seamlessly with both languages within the same environment, facilitating better code integration and project management compared to using two separate IDEs.

What are the advantages of IntelliJ IDEA?

IntelliJ IDEA offers superior support for Java and Kotlin development, including advanced code completion, refactoring, and debugging tools specifically designed for these languages. While PyCharm excels with Python, IntelliJ IDEA's focus makes it more efficient for Java/Kotlin developers. Additionally, IntelliJ IDEA's deep understanding of project context allows it to offer more relevant suggestions and automate more complex tasks, further boosting productivity for Java/Kotlin projects.

What are the disadvantages of IntelliJ IDEA?

IntelliJ IDEA's disadvantages include high RAM usage, potentially causing slowdowns, especially with larger projects or multiple open projects. It also suffers from slow startup and indexing times, particularly for large projects. The Ultimate edition's cost can be prohibitive for some users, while the Community edition lacks features important for certain development types, like Spring and web development. Occasional crashes and freezing have also been reported.

Alternatives to IntelliJ IDEA and PyCharm

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.

Visual Studio Code

Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is a free code editor by Microsoft for building modern web and cloud applications. Available on Linux, Mac OSX, and Windows, it supports nearly every major programming language. VS Code features syntax highlighting, code refactoring, a built-in terminal, and version control integration. A vast library of extensions allows users to customize the editor for specific workflows and programming languages.

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.

Sublime Text

Sublime Text is a software program used for writing and editing code. It offers a streamlined interface, powerful features for navigating and manipulating code, and strong performance. Sublime Text is designed specifically for developers and is known for its speed, customizability, and extensive plugin ecosystem.

PyTorch

PyTorch is a free, open-source software tool developed by Meta that can build sophisticated computer programs known as neural networks. These neural networks are designed to mimic the human brain's learning process and are used in applications like image recognition, language translation, and self-driving cars. PyTorch is known for its flexibility, making it easy for developers to experiment and build custom solutions. Its robust design allows for efficient and scalable training of these complex models. PyTorch is widely used by both researchers and industry professionals.

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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