Softwr

Developer Tools · head to head

Depot vs JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA

Depot logo

Depot

Developer Tools

Cloud-based builds and CI runs 55x faster with less cost

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA logo

JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA

Technology

The Leading Java and Kotlin IDE

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Depot developer plan minute limits may be insufficient for active development; JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA high memory consumption and slower startup time compared to lightweight editors like Visual Studio Code
  • They diverge on capability: Depot covers Depot CI, JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA covers Smart code completion.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Depot and JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA actually diverge.

Attributes where Depot and JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA differ
AttributeDepotJetBrains IntelliJ IDEA
PlatformsCloud, GitHub, CLImacOS, Windows, Linux
CategoryDeveloper ToolsTechnology
Founded20222000

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Unknown), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Depot

  • Depot CI
  • Container builds
  • GitHub Actions runners
  • Distributed caching
  • Build API
  • Depot Registry
  • Cross-platform builds
  • SSH debugging

Only in JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA

  • Smart code completion
  • Framework support
  • Refactoring tools
  • Debugging & profiling
  • Version control
  • Database tools
  • Build tools
  • Testing frameworks

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Depot

  • Accelerating Docker builds for container-based developmentnot JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA
  • Replacing GitHub Actions runners with faster infrastructurenot JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA
  • Distributing cache across Monorepo buildsnot JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA
  • Debugging failed CI builds interactively with SSHnot JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA

JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA

  • Enterprise Java developmentnot Depot
  • Spring applicationsnot Depot
  • Android appsnot Depot
  • Web applicationsnot Depot
  • Microservicesnot Depot

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Depot

  • Developer plan minute limits may be insufficient for active development
  • Startup plan at $200/mo is expensive for smaller teams
  • Business plan requires custom pricing consultation
  • macOS M2 runners not available on Developer plan

JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA

  • High memory consumption and slower startup time compared to lightweight editors like Visual Studio Code
  • Refactoring can sometimes increase code line count and doesn't effectively support all modern programming languages
  • Occasionally misses dependencies between files requiring full rebuilds for consistency
  • Expensive subscription costs for Ultimate edition compared to open-source alternatives like Eclipse
  • Not all class name references are updated reliably when using search and replace functionality

Pricing, plan by plan

Depot

Free
  • Developer$20/month
    • 1 user
    • 500 Docker build minutes per month
    • 2,000 Depot CI minutes per month
  • Startup$200/month
    • Unlimited users
    • 5,000 Docker build minutes per month
    • 20,000 Depot CI minutes per month
  • Business$undefined/custom
    • Custom pricing
    • Unlimited users
    • Custom monthly compute

JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA

Free
  • Community EditionFree
    • Java, Kotlin, Scala development
    • Python, Go, Rust, PHP, Ruby support
    • Spring Boot integration
  • Ultimate (Individual)$19.9/month
    • All Community Edition features
    • Advanced web development tools
    • JavaScript, TypeScript, React support
  • All Products Pack (Individual)$29.9/month
    • IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate
    • PyCharm Professional
    • WebStorm

Which should you pick?

Choose Depot if

  • You need depot ci.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud, GitHub, CLI.
  • You also want container builds.
Depot review

Choose JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA if

  • You need smart code completion.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on macOS, Windows, Linux.
  • You also want framework support.
JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA review

Questions people ask

Is Depot or JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA better?
Neither clearly leads. Depot starts at Free and JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Depot or JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA?
Depot starts at Free and JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA at Free.
Does Depot or JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA run on more platforms?
Depot runs on Cloud, GitHub, CLI. JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA runs on macOS, Windows, Linux.
Can I use Depot for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Depot best used for?
Depot is most often used for accelerating docker builds for container-based development, replacing github actions runners with faster infrastructure, distributing cache across monorepo builds, debugging failed ci builds interactively with ssh. Of those, accelerating docker builds for container-based development and replacing github actions runners with faster infrastructure are not what JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA is typically brought in for.
What can Depot do that JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA cannot?
Depot covers Depot CI, Container builds, GitHub Actions runners, Distributed caching. JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA covers Smart code completion, Framework support, Refactoring tools, Debugging & profiling.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Depot: How much faster are Depot runners compared to GitHub Actions?

Depot runners offer 30% faster CPUs and 10x faster networking than standard GitHub-hosted runners, enabling builds to complete significantly faster.

Source
JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA: Is there a free version of IntelliJ IDEA?

Yes, IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition is completely free for personal, educational, and commercial use. As of IntelliJ IDEA 2025.3, the Community Edition has been unified with Ultimate, maintaining all core functionality free including Java, Kotlin, Scala, Python, Go, Rust, PHP, and Ruby support.

Source
Depot: What is included in the Developer plan?

Developer plan ($20/month) includes 500 Docker build minutes, 2,000 Depot CI minutes, 2,000 GitHub Actions minutes, 25 GB storage, unlimited concurrency, and community support.

Source
JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA: What programming languages does IntelliJ IDEA support?

IntelliJ IDEA supports Java, Kotlin, Scala, Python, Go, Rust, PHP, Ruby, JavaScript, TypeScript, and more. The free Community Edition includes support for all major languages with new features in Spring, Jakarta EE, Thymeleaf, and other frameworks.

Source
Depot: Can I use Depot with my own AWS account?

Yes, Depot Managed allows deployment within customer AWS accounts. This is available to interested customers; contact sales for details.

Source
JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA: Can I use IntelliJ IDEA with Spring Boot?

Yes, IntelliJ IDEA has built-in Spring Boot integration including the Spring Initializr project wizard, automatic dependency management with Maven and Gradle, code inspections for Spring frameworks, and direct project creation from Spring Initializr.

Source
JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA: Does IntelliJ IDEA support Git version control?

Yes, IntelliJ IDEA includes comprehensive Git integration allowing users to create Git repositories, commit changes, push to GitHub, create and merge branches, resolve conflicts, and investigate file history directly from the IDE.

Source
JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA: How much does IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate cost?

IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate subscription starts at $19.90 per month for Individual plans or $29.90 for the All Products Pack. Long-term discounts apply: 20% off year 2 and 40% off year 3 and beyond, reducing the annual cost significantly for loyal users.

Source
JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA: What are the main differences between IntelliJ IDEA and Eclipse?

IntelliJ IDEA offers a cleaner UI and more powerful code assistance capabilities compared to Eclipse's more complex interface. IntelliJ provides better refactoring tools, superior code completion, and optimized performance, while Eclipse remains free and open-source with a larger plugin ecosystem.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Depot

More on JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA

Keep looking

Other head to heads