IntelliJ IDEA: Pricing, Features & Alternatives
IntelliJ IDEA is still the IDE that understands a codebase rather than just editing its files. Its refactoring, inspections and debugger for Java, Kotlin and Spring are ahead of anything built on a language server. Since 2025.3 the Community and Ultimate editions are one product. The free tier is licensed for commercial use and now includes basic database tools, Kubernetes support and non-JVM languages. Ultimate unlocks Spring, enterprise frameworks, profilers and full web tooling. It costs $719 per user per year for organisations, or $199 for an individual's first year (falling to $159, then $119, with continuous renewal). The All Products Pack is $979.
Category
IDEs & Code Editors
Pricing
Free tier available
Free tier
Yes
Best for
IDEs & Code Editors — ide, jetbrains
IntelliJ IDEA Pricing Plans (2026)
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| IntelliJ IDEA (free) | $0, commercial use allowed |
| Ultimate for organizationsPopular | $719 / user / year (about $59.92 / month) |
| Ultimate for individuals | $199 / year first year (about $16.58 / month) |
Pricing summary: Free · paid from $16.58/mo. Always confirm current pricing on the official site.
Key IntelliJ IDEA Features
- Spring and enterprise framework support
- Profiler and full web tooling
- Commercial licence owned by the company
Pros
- +Unmatched refactoring and code analysis on JVM languages
- +Free tier is now genuinely usable for commercial work
- +Database, HTTP client and profiler in the box with Ultimate
Cons
- −Heavy on RAM and slow to index large projects
- −$719 per seat is the priciest editor in the category
- −AI features are a separate subscription
Best IntelliJ IDEA Alternatives
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IntelliJ IDEA FAQ
What is IntelliJ IDEA used for?⌄
IntelliJ IDEA is a ides & code editors tool. JetBrains’ flagship IDE, now one unified download. It is free for commercial use, and Ultimate costs $719 per user per year for companies.
Is IntelliJ IDEA free?⌄
Yes — IntelliJ IDEA has a free tier you can start with, and paid plans for more usage and features.
How much does IntelliJ IDEA cost?⌄
IntelliJ IDEA offers a free tier, with paid plans starting at $16.58/month.
What are the best IntelliJ IDEA alternatives?⌄
Popular IntelliJ IDEA alternatives include Visual Studio Code, Neovim, Zed. Compare pricing and features on our IntelliJ IDEA alternatives page.
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