CLion vs KDevelop
CLion
jetbrains.com
KDevelop
kdevelop.orgSide by side
| Figure | CLion | KDevelop |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $10.90/mo | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 4 | 1 |
| Spec score · Integrated Development Environments | 9.3 (#1) | 8.3 (#17) |
| Spec score · Integrated Development Environment Ide Software | 9.4 (#1) | 8.2 (#17) |
| Spec score · IDE Software | 9.4 (#2) | 8.2 (#18) |
| Spec score · C++ IDEs | 9.3 (#2) | 8.0 (#10) |
| Build systems | Supported project formats include CMake, Makefile, Meson and compilation databases. | Supported build systems include CMake, QMake, partially supported custom Makefiles, and a generic build system. |
| Debugging | CLion supports GDB and LLDB and includes memory and disassembly views, variable inspection, and core dump debugging. | The IDE provides graphical debugger support for C/C++ and Python, with PHP support through an extra plugin. |
| Documentation | The help center covers installation, toolchains, project formats, debugging, testing, version control, profiling, remote development and plugin development. | KDevelop integrates QtHelp documentation files, man pages, and CMake help pages. |
| Headquarters | Amsterdam, Netherlands | Berlin, Germany |
| Plugins | Plugins can be installed from JetBrains Marketplace or local archives and can add language, VCS, issue-tracker and build-server capabilities. | The project describes KDevelop as extensible, with plugins such as Clang-Tidy, Heaptrack, and Perforce support. |
| Support | The non-commercial plan provides public forums and a bug tracker; the commercial plan also offers private tickets. | KDE community support is provided without warranty by volunteers, with help available through its discussion forum and Matrix rooms. |
| Version control | Bundled integrations support Git, Mercurial and Perforce, with GitHub and GitLab pull-request or merge-request workflows. | KDevelop has GUI integration for Git, Bazaar, Subversion, CVS, and Perforce, with Mercurial available through an optional plugin. |
Plans
CLion
- CLion Non-CommercialFree
- CLion Commercial$10.90 a month
- CLion Commercial — Individual$10.90 a month
- All Products Pack$29.90 a month
In their own words
CLion
CLion is a cross-platform IDE for C and C++ development, available for Linux, macOS and Windows. Its editor provides context-aware completion, code analysis, navigation and automated refactoring. Projects can use CMake, Makefile, Bazel, Meson or compilation databases. Debugging includes GDB and LLDB, variable inspection, memory and disassembly views, and core dump debugging. Remote workflows include a thin IDE client, full remote mode, Docker containers, WSL toolchains and remote debugging. For embedded development, CLion supports GCC ARM, IAR and custom toolchains, on-chip debugging, PlatformIO, STM32CubeMX, Zephyr and FreeRTOS. Testing support covers Google Test, Boost.Test, Doctest and Catch with a built-in runner. The IDE also integrates version control systems and supports CMake, Python, JavaScript, XML, HTML and Markdown, with other languages available through plugins. The non-commercial plan costs nothing and is for non-commercial use. Commercial development requires a subscription; CLion Commercial — Individual costs $10.90 a month and includes a free 30-day trial.
KDevelop
KDevelop is a free, open-source integrated development environment for Linux, macOS, and Windows. Its built-in parser backends support C, C++, and JavaScript/QML; Python and PHP support comes through optional plugins. For fully supported languages, it offers semantic syntax highlighting, code completion, and navigation such as finding symbol uses or jumping to declarations and definitions. Build support covers CMake and QMake, partial support for custom Makefiles, and invoking tools such as make and ninja. Graphical debugging is available for C/C++ and Python, with PHP debugging through an extra plugin. KDevelop also integrates unit tests, code formatting, and documentation from QtHelp, Man pages, and CMake help. Version-control interfaces include Git, Bazaar, Subversion, CVS, and Perforce; Mercurial is available as an optional plugin. Views, color schemes, and shortcuts can be customized. The free plan is listed at free. Windows nightly builds may be unstable or incomplete, and independently developed Chocolatey packages may not be up to date.