Best JetBrains Alternatives
The top-ranked JetBrains alternative is Visual Studio Code (Free). The best free option is Eclipse (open source).
JetBrains makes a family of powerful IDEs like IntelliJ, PyCharm, and WebStorm, but the subscription cost and heavy resource usage push some developers to look elsewhere. Alternatives range from free editors to other full IDEs.
1Lightweight, extensible code editor with strong Swift and mobile tooling support.
2Visual Studio
FreemiumMicrosoft's full IDE for .NET, C++, and enterprise development.
3A widely used open-source IDE with strong Java and plugin ecosystem.
Fast, lightweight code editor with a rich plugin ecosystem.
Hyperextensible modal text editor popular for Swift and general coding.
AI-first code editor with codebase-aware chat, completions, and agentic multi-file edits.
Apache's open-source IDE with Java, PHP, and web development support.
Emacs
Open SourceExtensible, customizable editor with an enormous ecosystem.
Apple's IDE for building apps across iOS, macOS, and other Apple platforms.
Fleet
FreemiumJetBrains' lightweight, distributed IDE with smart code assistance.
Powerful, keyboard-driven modal text editor for the terminal.
JetBrains alternatives: FAQ
What is the best alternative to JetBrains?
Visual Studio Code is ranked first on this list (Free). The ranking combines our base score with readers' votes, so it can change.
What is the best free alternative to JetBrains?
The highest-ranked free or open-source options here are Visual Studio Code, Eclipse and Neovim.
Which JetBrains alternatives work on Mac?
Visual Studio Code, Visual Studio, Eclipse and Sublime Text run on macOS.
Which JetBrains alternatives work on Linux?
Visual Studio Code, Eclipse, Sublime Text and Neovim run on Linux.
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