Eclipse vs IntelliJ IDEA vs NetBeans IDE

Overview

Eclipse

Stacks2.7K

Followers2.3K

Votes392

NetBeans IDE

Stacks679

Followers947

Votes514

IntelliJ IDEA

Stacks44.0K

Followers36.9K

Votes1.5K

Eclipse vs IntelliJ IDEA vs NetBeans IDE: What are the differences?

Key differences between Eclipse, IntelliJ IDEA, and NetBeans IDE

Introduction:

In the domain of Integrated Development Environments (IDEs), Eclipse, IntelliJ IDEA, and NetBeans IDE are three prominent options. Each of these IDEs has its own set of features and functionalities, which distinguish them from one another. In this Markdown document, we will highlight the key differences between these IDEs in a succinct manner.

Compilation and Build Systems: Eclipse primarily uses its built-in Java Compiler (ECJ) for compilation and build process. On the other hand, IntelliJ IDEA and NetBeans IDE utilize the standard Java Compiler (javac). IntelliJ IDEA additionally offers seamless integration with Maven and Gradle build systems, providing more flexibility and convenience in project management.
User Interface and Look-and-Feel: Eclipse provides a highly customizable user interface with a rich set of plugin options, which allows developers to tailor the IDE according to their preferences. IntelliJ IDEA, known for its sleek and modern design, offers a more streamlined and intuitive user interface with advanced coding assistance features. NetBeans IDE follows a visually appealing and user-friendly approach, making it ideal for beginners.
Code Analysis and Refactoring Tools: IntelliJ IDEA stands out with its extensive code analysis and refactoring capabilities. It offers various tools, such as intelligent code completion, inspections, and quick-fixes, which help in writing clean and error-free code. Eclipse also provides these features but to a lesser extent compared to IntelliJ IDEA. NetBeans IDE offers a decent range of code analysis and refactoring tools, making it suitable for small to medium-sized projects.
Support for Programming Languages: While Eclipse is primarily focused on Java development, it also provides support for other programming languages like C/C++ and Python through plugins. IntelliJ IDEA, apart from Java, offers excellent support for multiple programming languages such as Kotlin, JavaScript, and more. NetBeans IDE provides support for a wide range of programming languages, including Java, PHP, HTML, and C/C++.
Version Control Systems Integration: All three IDEs (Eclipse, IntelliJ IDEA, and NetBeans IDE) offer integration with popular version control systems like Git and SVN. However, IntelliJ IDEA provides more advanced features and built-in tools for version control, making it easier to manage and track code changes compared to Eclipse and NetBeans IDE.
Plugins and Community Support: Eclipse boasts a vast collection of plugins and a thriving community that actively contributes to its ecosystem. It offers a wide array of plugins for almost any use case. IntelliJ IDEA, although it has a smaller plugin marketplace compared to Eclipse, has a strong community and is known for the quality and reliability of its plugins. NetBeans IDE also has a good number of plugins available, but it lags behind Eclipse and IntelliJ IDEA in terms of community support.

In summary, Eclipse, IntelliJ IDEA, and NetBeans IDE differ in various aspects such as compilation systems, user interface, code analysis and refactoring tools, support for programming languages, version control system integration, as well as the availability of plugins and community support. The choice between these IDEs depends on individual preferences, project requirements, and the desired level of functionality and flexibility.

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)

Manual

Advice on Eclipse, NetBeans IDE, IntelliJ IDEA

christy

Program Manager

Jul 1, 2020

Needs adviceon

Python

Eclipse

IntelliJ 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

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

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

Eclipse	NetBeans IDE	IntelliJ IDEA
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.	NetBeans IDE is FREE, open source, and has a worldwide community of users and developers.	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.
-	Best Support for Latest Java Technologies;Fast & Smart Code Editing;Easy & Efficient Project Management;Rapid User Interface Development;Write Bug Free Code;Support for Multiple Languages;Cross Platform Support;Rich Set of Community Provided Plugins	Smart Code Completion;On-the-fly Code Analysis;Advanced Refactorings;Database Tools;UML Designer;Version Control Tools;Build Tools
Statistics
Stacks 2.7K	Stacks 679	Stacks 44.0K
Followers 2.3K	Followers 947	Followers 36.9K
Votes 392	Votes 514	Votes 1.5K
Pros & Cons
Pros 131 Does it all 76 Integrates with most of tools 64 Easy to use 63 Java IDE 32 Best Java IDE Cons 14 2000 Design 9 Bad performance 4 Hard to use	Pros 76 Rich features 69 Crossplatform 49 Plugins(Git, SVN) 38 Extensible 38 Easy to use Cons 2 PHP debug doesn't support conditional breakpoints	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 Constant reindexing
Integrations
Java	No integrations available	Java

What are some alternatives to Eclipse, NetBeans IDE, IntelliJ IDEA?

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

WebStorm

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

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!

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

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

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

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.

Pharo

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

Nuclide

A unified developer experience for web and mobile development, built as a suite of packages on top of Atom to provide hackability and the support of an active community.

Related Comparisons

Eclipse vs IntelliJ IDEA vs NetBeans IDE: What are the differences?

Key differences between Eclipse, IntelliJ IDEA, and NetBeans IDE

Introduction:

Compilation and Build Systems: Eclipse primarily uses its built-in Java Compiler (ECJ) for compilation and build process. On the other hand, IntelliJ IDEA and NetBeans IDE utilize the standard Java Compiler (javac). IntelliJ IDEA additionally offers seamless integration with Maven and Gradle build systems, providing more flexibility and convenience in project management.
User Interface and Look-and-Feel: Eclipse provides a highly customizable user interface with a rich set of plugin options, which allows developers to tailor the IDE according to their preferences. IntelliJ IDEA, known for its sleek and modern design, offers a more streamlined and intuitive user interface with advanced coding assistance features. NetBeans IDE follows a visually appealing and user-friendly approach, making it ideal for beginners.
Code Analysis and Refactoring Tools: IntelliJ IDEA stands out with its extensive code analysis and refactoring capabilities. It offers various tools, such as intelligent code completion, inspections, and quick-fixes, which help in writing clean and error-free code. Eclipse also provides these features but to a lesser extent compared to IntelliJ IDEA. NetBeans IDE offers a decent range of code analysis and refactoring tools, making it suitable for small to medium-sized projects.
Support for Programming Languages: While Eclipse is primarily focused on Java development, it also provides support for other programming languages like C/C++ and Python through plugins. IntelliJ IDEA, apart from Java, offers excellent support for multiple programming languages such as Kotlin, JavaScript, and more. NetBeans IDE provides support for a wide range of programming languages, including Java, PHP, HTML, and C/C++.
Version Control Systems Integration: All three IDEs (Eclipse, IntelliJ IDEA, and NetBeans IDE) offer integration with popular version control systems like Git and SVN. However, IntelliJ IDEA provides more advanced features and built-in tools for version control, making it easier to manage and track code changes compared to Eclipse and NetBeans IDE.
Plugins and Community Support: Eclipse boasts a vast collection of plugins and a thriving community that actively contributes to its ecosystem. It offers a wide array of plugins for almost any use case. IntelliJ IDEA, although it has a smaller plugin marketplace compared to Eclipse, has a strong community and is known for the quality and reliability of its plugins. NetBeans IDE also has a good number of plugins available, but it lags behind Eclipse and IntelliJ IDEA in terms of community support.

Eclipse vs IntelliJ IDEA vs NetBeans IDE

Overview

Eclipse vs IntelliJ IDEA vs NetBeans IDE: What are the differences?

Key differences between Eclipse, IntelliJ IDEA, and NetBeans IDE