StackShareStackShare
Follow on
StackShare

Discover and share technology stacks from companies around the world.

Follow on

© 2025 StackShare. All rights reserved.

Product

  • Stacks
  • Tools
  • Feed

Company

  • About
  • Contact

Legal

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  1. Stackups
  2. DevOps
  3. Build Automation
  4. IDE
  5. IntelliJ IDEA vs PlatformIO

IntelliJ IDEA vs PlatformIO

OverviewDecisionsComparisonAlternatives

Overview

IntelliJ IDEA
IntelliJ IDEA
Stacks44.0K
Followers36.9K
Votes1.5K
PlatformIO
PlatformIO
Stacks111
Followers150
Votes18

IntelliJ IDEA vs PlatformIO: What are the differences?

Key differences between IntelliJ IDEA and PlatformIO

IntelliJ IDEA and PlatformIO are two popular development tools with distinct differences that make each unique.

  1. Primary Use Case and Focus: IntelliJ IDEA is primarily designed as a comprehensive integrated development environment (IDE) for Java and other programming languages, whereas PlatformIO is specifically tailored for embedded development with a focus on microcontrollers and IoT devices.
  2. Supported Languages and Frameworks: IntelliJ IDEA supports a wide range of programming languages and frameworks including Java, Kotlin, Groovy, and Scala, while PlatformIO specializes in working with embedded platforms like Arduino, ESP8266, and Raspberry Pi, supporting C/C++ programming languages.
  3. Community and Ecosystem: IntelliJ IDEA has a large community and extensive plugin ecosystem that caters to a variety of development needs across different languages, whereas PlatformIO's community is more focused on embedded systems enthusiasts and developers working on IoT projects.
  4. Build and Deployment Process: IntelliJ IDEA provides robust build tools and deployment capabilities for various types of applications, focusing on desktop and web development, whereas PlatformIO streamlines the build and deployment process specifically for embedded systems, optimizing resources and memory usage for microcontroller-based projects.
  5. Cost and Licensing: IntelliJ IDEA offers both free and paid versions with additional features in the Ultimate edition, whereas PlatformIO is open-source and free to use, providing access to all its functionalities without any cost.
  6. Integration with Development Platforms: IntelliJ IDEA seamlessly integrates with popular version control systems like Git, build tools like Maven and Gradle, and CI/CD pipelines, making it suitable for collaborative software development across different platforms, while PlatformIO integrates with various hardware debugging tools and extension libraries specific to embedded systems development, enhancing the debugging and testing process for microcontroller projects.

In Summary, IntelliJ IDEA is a versatile IDE catering to a wide array of programming languages and frameworks, while PlatformIO is tailored for embedded development with a focus on microcontrollers and IoT devices, offering specialized tools and resources for optimizing embedded systems projects.

Share your Stack

Help developers discover the tools you use. Get visibility for your team's tech choices and contribute to the community's knowledge.

View Docs
CLI (Node.js)
or
Manual

Advice on IntelliJ IDEA, PlatformIO

christy
christy

Program Manager

Jul 1, 2020

Needs adviceonPythonPythonEclipseEclipseIntelliJ IDEAIntelliJ IDEA

UPDATE: Thanks for the great response. I am going to start with VSCode based on the open source and free version that will allow me to grow into other languages, but not cost me a license ..yet.

I have been working with software development for 12 years, but I am just beginning my journey to learn to code. I am starting with Python following the suggestion of some of my coworkers. They are split between Eclipse and IntelliJ IDEA for IDEs that they use and PyCharm is new to me. Which IDE would you suggest for a beginner that will allow expansion to Java, JavaScript, and eventually AngularJS and possibly mobile applications?

2.03M views2.03M
Comments
Manabu
Manabu

CEO, Co-Founder at WinguMD

Jun 13, 2020

Decided

I originally chose IntelliJ over Eclipse, as it was close enough to the look and feel of Visual Studio and we do go back and forth between the two. We really begin to love IntelliJ and their suite of IDEs so we are now using AppCode for the IOS development because the workflow is identical with the IntelliJ. IntelliJ is super complex and intimidating at first but it does afford a lot of nice utilities to get us produce clean code.

551k views551k
Comments
Samriddhi
Samriddhi

Machine Learning Engineer at Chefling

Sep 26, 2020

Decided

Lightweight and versatile. Huge library of extensions that enable you to integrate a host of services to your development environment. VS Code's biggest strength is its library of extensions which enables it to directly compete with every single major IDE for almost all major programming languages.

1.04M views1.04M
Comments

Detailed Comparison

IntelliJ IDEA
IntelliJ IDEA
PlatformIO
PlatformIO

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.

PlatformIO is an open source ecosystem for IoT development. Cross-platform build system and library manager. Continuous and IDE integration. Arduino and MBED compatible. Ready for Cloud compiling.

Smart Code Completion;On-the-fly Code Analysis;Advanced Refactorings;Database Tools;UML Designer;Version Control Tools;Build Tools
C/C++ Intelligent Code Completion ;Smart Code Linter for the super-fast coding;Multi-projects workflow with Multiple Panes.;Themes Support with dark and light colors;Built-in Terminal with PlatformIO CLI tool
Statistics
Stacks
44.0K
Stacks
111
Followers
36.9K
Followers
150
Votes
1.5K
Votes
18
Pros & Cons
Pros
  • 301
    Fantastically intelligent
  • 242
    Best-in-class ide
  • 190
    Many languages support
  • 158
    Java
  • 121
    Fast
Cons
  • 20
    Large footprint required to really enjoy (mem/disc)
  • 16
    Very slow
  • 8
    Bad for beginners
  • 7
    UI is not intuitive
  • 5
    Not nearly as many tools to integrate as vs code
Pros
  • 7
    Support for various Embedded Boards
  • 5
    It is the best
  • 3
    Integrates with VSCode and Atom
  • 1
    Device monitor filters
  • 1
    CI (continous integration)
Integrations
Java
Java
No integrations available

What are some alternatives to IntelliJ IDEA, PlatformIO?

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.

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.

CLion

CLion

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.

Xcode

Xcode

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.

Related Comparisons

GitHub
Bitbucket

Bitbucket vs GitHub vs GitLab

GitHub
Bitbucket

AWS CodeCommit vs Bitbucket vs GitHub

Kubernetes
Rancher

Docker Swarm vs Kubernetes vs Rancher

gulp
Grunt

Grunt vs Webpack vs gulp

Graphite
Kibana

Grafana vs Graphite vs Kibana