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  1. Stackups
  2. DevOps
  3. Build Automation
  4. IDE
  5. CLion vs Xcode

CLion vs Xcode

OverviewComparisonAlternatives

Overview

CLion
CLion
Stacks372
Followers596
Votes224
Xcode
Xcode
Stacks19.3K
Followers14.7K
Votes213

CLion vs Xcode: What are the differences?

Introduction

In this article, we will compare the key differences between CLion and Xcode.

  1. IDE Platform Support: CLion is a cross-platform IDE that supports multiple platforms including Windows, macOS, and Linux, while Xcode is exclusively available for macOS.

  2. Languages Supported: CLion primarily focuses on C and C++ development, providing advanced features and tools specific to these languages. On the other hand, Xcode is designed to handle a wide range of languages, including C, C++, Objective-C, Swift, and more.

  3. Build Systems: CLion supports multiple build systems, including CMake, GCC, Clang, and MSVC. It offers seamless integration with different build tools, making it versatile for different project configurations. In contrast, Xcode relies on its native build system based on Apple's LLVM compiler, which is optimized for macOS and iOS development.

  4. UI and UX: CLion has a customizable and intuitive user interface with various themes and settings to enhance the development experience. It provides a clean and minimalistic design, allowing developers to focus on their code. Xcode, being an Apple product, adheres to the macOS design standards, offering a familiar and consistent user interface.

  5. Debugger: CLion comes with an integrated debugger that provides powerful debugging capabilities, such as breakpoints, stepping into/out of code, variable inspection, and more. Xcode also includes a robust debugger that offers similar features along with advanced functionalities like memory debugging and performance analysis.

  6. Third-Party Plugin Ecosystem: CLion has a thriving ecosystem of third-party plugins and extensions developed by the community, allowing users to extend its functionality according to their specific needs. Xcode, on the other hand, has a more limited plugin ecosystem focused primarily on Apple and iOS development.

In summary, CLion is a versatile cross-platform IDE primarily focused on C and C++ development, supporting various build systems and offering a customizable user interface. Xcode, on the other hand, is a macOS-exclusive IDE that supports a wide range of languages, including C, C++, Objective-C, and Swift, with a strong emphasis on Apple and iOS development.

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Detailed Comparison

CLion
CLion
Xcode
Xcode

Knowing your code through and through, CLion can take care of the routine while you focus on the important things. Boost your productivity with the keyboard-centric approach (Vim-emulation plugin is also available in plugin repository), full coding assistance, smart and relevant code completion, fast project navigation, intelligent intention actions, and reliable refactorings.

The Xcode IDE is at the center of the Apple development experience. Tightly integrated with the Cocoa and Cocoa Touch frameworks, Xcode is an incredibly productive environment for building amazing apps for Mac, iPhone, and iPad.

Smart Editor;Code Generation;CMake; Debugger;Universal Environment;Git, Mercurial, and Perforce support
Source Editor;Assistant Editor;Asset Catalog;OpenGL Frame Capture;Version Editor;Interface Builder Built In;iOS Simulator;Integrated Build System;Continuous Integration;Instrument Library;Command Line Tools
Statistics
Stacks
372
Stacks
19.3K
Followers
596
Followers
14.7K
Votes
224
Votes
213
Pros & Cons
Pros
  • 31
    Good editor
  • 30
    Easy setup
  • 24
    Powerful refactoring, extremely smart IDE
  • 24
    Already one of the best C/C++ IDEs, even before launch
  • 21
    Cross-platform build
Cons
  • 2
    No good support for Makefiles
  • 2
    Not free, unless you are a student
Pros
  • 130
    IOS Development
  • 33
    Personal assistant on steroids
  • 29
    Easy setup
  • 17
    Excellent integration with Clang
  • 3
    Beautiful
Cons
  • 6
    Massively bloated and complicated for smaller projects
  • 3
    Horrible auto completiting and text editing
  • 1
    Very slow emulator
  • 1
    Slow startup
Integrations
No integrations available
Cocoa Touch (iOS)
Cocoa Touch (iOS)
Cocoa (OS X)
Cocoa (OS X)

What are some alternatives to CLion, Xcode?

PhpStorm

PhpStorm

PhpStorm is a PHP IDE which keeps up with latest PHP & web languages trends, integrates a variety of modern tools, and brings even more extensibility with support for major PHP frameworks.

IntelliJ IDEA

IntelliJ IDEA

Out of the box, IntelliJ IDEA provides a comprehensive feature set including tools and integrations with the most important modern technologies and frameworks for enterprise and web development with Java, Scala, Groovy and other languages.

Visual Studio

Visual Studio

Visual Studio is a suite of component-based software development tools and other technologies for building powerful, high-performance applications.

WebStorm

WebStorm

WebStorm is a lightweight and intelligent IDE for front-end development and server-side JavaScript.

NetBeans IDE

NetBeans IDE

NetBeans IDE is FREE, open source, and has a worldwide community of users and developers.

PyCharm

PyCharm

PyCharm’s smart code editor provides first-class support for Python, JavaScript, CoffeeScript, TypeScript, CSS, popular template languages and more. Take advantage of language-aware code completion, error detection, and on-the-fly code fixes!

Eclipse

Eclipse

Standard Eclipse package suited for Java and plug-in development plus adding new plugins; already includes Git, Marketplace Client, source code and developer documentation. Click here to file a bug against Eclipse Platform.

Android Studio

Android Studio

Android Studio is a new Android development environment based on IntelliJ IDEA. It provides new features and improvements over Eclipse ADT and will be the official Android IDE once it's ready.

RubyMine

RubyMine

JetBrains RubyMine IDE provides a comprehensive Ruby code editor aware of dynamic language specifics and delivers smart coding assistance, intelligent code refactoring and code analysis capabilities.

Pharo

Pharo

A pure object-oriented programming language and a powerful environment, focused on simplicity and immediate feedback.

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