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JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA vs Visual Studio

JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA logo

JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA

Technology

The Leading Java and Kotlin IDE

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Visual Studio logo

Visual Studio

Developer Tools

IDE for .NET and C++ development on Windows

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA high memory consumption and slower startup time compared to lightweight editors like Visual Studio Code; Visual Studio community edition is free only for individual developers, classroom use, academic research and open-source contribution, not general commercial use
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA and Visual Studio differ
AttributeJetBrains IntelliJ IDEAVisual Studio
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
PlatformsmacOS, Windows, LinuxWeb
CategoryTechnologyDeveloper Tools
Founded2000Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), 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 JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA

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

Only in Visual Studio

Nothing recorded that JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA

  • Enterprise Java developmentnot Visual Studio
  • Spring applicationsnot Visual Studio
  • Android appsnot Visual Studio
  • Web applicationsnot Visual Studio
  • Microservicesnot Visual Studio

Visual Studio

  • Managing complex, large-scale projects across multiple platformsnot JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA
  • Commercial development in small businessesnot JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA
  • DevOps and automated deployment workflowsnot JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA
  • Windows/SQL Server developer and tester rolesnot JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA
  • Short-term or month-to-month IDE access needsnot JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA

Where each one falls short

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

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

Visual Studio

  • Community edition is free only for individual developers, classroom use, academic research and open-source contribution, not general commercial use
  • Monthly subscriptions are $45 per user per month for Professional and $250 per user per month for Enterprise, and do not include perpetual use rights the way annual Standard subscriptions do
  • A standalone perpetually licensed Visual Studio Professional 2022 costs $499 as a one-time purchase, separate from the subscription tiers

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Visual Studio

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Visual Studio review.

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Visual Studio if

  • You want to start without paying.
Visual Studio review

Questions people ask

Is JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA or Visual Studio better?
Neither clearly leads. JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA starts at Free and Visual Studio at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA or Visual Studio?
JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA starts at Free and Visual Studio at Free.
Does JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA or Visual Studio run on more platforms?
JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA runs on macOS, Windows, Linux. Visual Studio runs on Web.
Can I use JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA best used for?
JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA is most often used for enterprise java development, spring applications, android apps, web applications. Of those, enterprise java development and spring applications are not what Visual Studio is typically brought in for.
What can JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA do that Visual Studio cannot?
JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA covers Smart code completion, Framework support, Refactoring tools, Debugging & profiling.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Visual Studio: What are the pricing differences between subscription types?

Standard subscriptions include access to more benefits, such as Azure dev/test pricing, monthly Azure individual credit, software and download access, services, training, and support. Monthly subscriptions offer flexibility but fewer benefits.

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
Visual Studio: Are discounts available for startups?

There aren't any discounts available to start-ups, however an unlimited number of users within an organization can use Visual Studio Community for specific scenarios like open source work.

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
Visual Studio: Who can use Visual Studio Community for free?

In non-enterprise organizations, up to five users can use it. Enterprise organizations (greater than 250 PCs or greater than $1M annual revenue) cannot use it beyond academic/open-source scenarios.

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
Visual Studio: What's the renewal pricing structure?

Enterprise standard renews at $214.09/month (after initial $499.92); Professional at $66.59/month (after $99.99).

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
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