Apache NetBeans vs IntelliJ IDEA
Apache NetBeans
netbeans.apache.org
IntelliJ IDEA
jetbrains.comSide by side
| Figure | Apache NetBeans | IntelliJ IDEA |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $8.33/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 5 |
| Spec score · Java IDEs | 8.3 (#4) | 9.1 (#1) |
| Spec score · Integrated Development Environments | 8.3 (#12) | 9.1 (#3) |
| Spec score · PHP IDEs | 8.3 (#5) | 9.3 (#1) |
| Spec score · IDE Software | 8.3 (#13) | 9.1 (#4) |
| Spec score · Web Development IDEs | 8.3 (#15) | 9.2 (#3) |
| Spec score · Integrated Development Environment Ide Software | 8.3 (#11) | 9.1 (#3) |
| Spec score · Debugging Software | 8.3 (#11) | 9.2 (#2) |
| Spec score · Developer Tools | 8.3 (#14) | 9.1 (#6) |
| Founded | 1996 | 2000 |
| Product | Apache NetBeans is a development environment, tooling platform, and application framework. | IntelliJ IDEA is an IDE for professional development in Java and Kotlin. |
Plans
IntelliJ IDEA
- Free feature setFree
- IntelliJ IDEA coreFree
- IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate individual$19.90 a month
- IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate subscription$100 a year
- IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate annual$199 a year
In their own words
Apache NetBeans
Apache NetBeans is a development environment, tooling platform, and application framework for Linux, macOS, and Windows. Its editor highlights code by syntax and meaning and supports refactoring. Editors, wizards, and templates cover Java, PHP, and other languages, with plugins and linked support for JavaFX and JavaScript. The NetBeans Platform is a modular framework for Swing applications, with state saving, menus, toolbars, keyboard shortcuts, and window management. The IDE and Platform are free for commercial and non-commercial use under the Apache License; the listed plan is free. Apache NetBeans 31, dated August 10, 2026, supports running on JDK 26, 25, or 21, with initial support for JDK 27. Downloads include platform-independent binary and source ZIPs, plus linked installers for Windows, macOS, and Linux. Those installers are provided by committers for convenience, not as Apache Software Foundation releases. The release page provides SHA-512 hashes and PGP signatures. Windows/ARM is not fully supported, and older releases are no longer supported.
IntelliJ IDEA
IntelliJ IDEA is an IDE for professional Java and Kotlin development, available on Windows, macOS, and Linux. It offers context-aware completion, static analysis, and automated refactoring. The JVM debugger includes breakpoints, variable inspection, expression evaluation, and step-by-step execution. Gradle and Maven integrations cover building, packaging, testing, and deployment, while version-control support includes Git, Mercurial, Perforce, and Subversion. Users can process GitHub pull requests in the IDE, and plugins from JetBrains Marketplace add support for other languages, frameworks, and technologies. Core Java and Kotlin functionality remains free after the included 30-day Ultimate trial ends. The Ultimate subscription adds advanced tools and integrations and costs $100.00 for the first year, $199.00 for the second year, and $159.00 per year from the third year onward. Listed minimum hardware is a 4-core x86_64 or arm64 CPU, 8 GB total RAM, and 10 GB of disk space. Users can choose in IDE settings whether to share anonymous usage data.