Is JetBrains Rider or DataGrip better?

Neither clearly leads. JetBrains Rider starts at $18.25/month and DataGrip at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, JetBrains Rider or DataGrip?

DataGrip has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $18.25/month for JetBrains Rider and Free for DataGrip.

Does JetBrains Rider or DataGrip run on more platforms?

Both run on windows, mac, linux, so platform support will not decide this one for you.

Can I use DataGrip for free?

Yes. DataGrip has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. JetBrains Rider starts at $18.25/month.

What is JetBrains Rider best used for?

JetBrains Rider is most often used for cross-platform .net and asp.net core development, unity game development and debugging, large-scale c# refactoring with resharper-grade analysis, teams standardizing on jetbrains tooling across languages. Of those, cross-platform .net and asp.net core development and unity game development and debugging are not what DataGrip is typically brought in for.

What can JetBrains Rider do that DataGrip cannot?

JetBrains Rider covers Cross-platform .NET Development, ReSharper-powered Code Analysis, Integrated Debugger and Profiler, Version Control Integration. DataGrip covers Intelligent SQL Completion, Schema Navigation, Data Editor, Version Control for Scripts.

Development Tools · head to head

JetBrains Rider vs DataGrip

JetBrains Rider

Development Tools

Cross-platform .NET IDE from JetBrains for C#, F#, VB.NET and Unity

From: $18.25/month
Rated: -

Full review Website

DataGrip

Database & Data Management

Cross-platform database IDE from JetBrains for SQL and NoSQL databases

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

Only DataGrip has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
Each has a real cost: JetBrains Rider requires a paid subscription with no permanently free commercial tier.; DataGrip commercial use requires a paid subscription; the free tier is non-commercial only.
They diverge on capability: JetBrains Rider covers Cross-platform .NET Development, DataGrip covers Intelligent SQL Completion.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which JetBrains Rider and DataGrip actually diverge.

Attributes where JetBrains Rider and DataGrip differ
Attribute	JetBrains Rider	DataGrip
Starting price	$18.25/month	Free
Free tier	No	Yes
Category	Development Tools	Database & Data Management

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), platforms (windows, mac, linux), user rating (Not yet rated), founded (2000).

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 Rider

Cross-platform .NET Development
ReSharper-powered Code Analysis
Integrated Debugger and Profiler
Version Control Integration
Unity Support

Only in DataGrip

Intelligent SQL Completion
Schema Navigation
Data Editor
Version Control for Scripts
Multi-database Support

What people use each for

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

JetBrains Rider

Cross-platform .NET and ASP.NET Core developmentnot DataGrip
Unity game development and debuggingnot DataGrip
Large-scale C# refactoring with ReSharper-grade analysisnot DataGrip
Teams standardizing on JetBrains tooling across languagesnot DataGrip

DataGrip

Writing and running SQL queries across multiple database enginesnot JetBrains Rider
Browsing and editing schema and table data visuallynot JetBrains Rider
Version-controlling database migration scriptsnot JetBrains Rider
Standardizing database tooling across a JetBrains-based teamnot JetBrains Rider

Where each one falls short

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

JetBrains Rider

Requires a paid subscription with no permanently free commercial tier.
Heavier resource usage than lightweight editors like VS Code for small projects.
Some advanced features overlap with a separate ReSharper Visual Studio plugin, causing licensing confusion.
First-year pricing increased in late 2025, raising the cost of entry versus prior years.

DataGrip

Commercial use requires a paid subscription; the free tier is non-commercial only.
No built-in database administration features like backup scheduling found in dedicated DBA tools.
Heavier resource footprint than lightweight single-purpose SQL clients.
NoSQL support (e.g. MongoDB) is less mature than its relational database tooling.

Pricing, plan by plan

JetBrains Rider

$18.25/month

Individual - Year 1$219/year
- Full Rider IDE license
- Free minor and major updates during subscription
Individual - Year 2$175/year
- Continuity discount after first year
Individual - Year 3+$131/year
- Further continuity discount from third year onward

DataGrip

Free

Free (non-commercial)Free
- Personal, non-commercial use only
Individual - Year 1$99/year
- Full DataGrip license
- Free updates during subscription
Individual - Year 2+$79/year
- Continuity discount from second year onward

Which should you pick?

Choose JetBrains Rider if

You need cross-platform .net development.
You work on windows, mac, linux.
You also want resharper-powered code analysis.

JetBrains Rider review

Choose DataGrip if

You need intelligent sql completion.
You want to start without paying.
You work on windows, mac, linux.
You also want schema navigation.

DataGrip review

Questions people ask

Is JetBrains Rider or DataGrip better?: Neither clearly leads. JetBrains Rider starts at $18.25/month and DataGrip at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, JetBrains Rider or DataGrip?: DataGrip has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $18.25/month for JetBrains Rider and Free for DataGrip.
Does JetBrains Rider or DataGrip run on more platforms?: Both run on windows, mac, linux, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use DataGrip for free?: Yes. DataGrip has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. JetBrains Rider starts at $18.25/month.
What is JetBrains Rider best used for?: JetBrains Rider is most often used for cross-platform .net and asp.net core development, unity game development and debugging, large-scale c# refactoring with resharper-grade analysis, teams standardizing on jetbrains tooling across languages. Of those, cross-platform .net and asp.net core development and unity game development and debugging are not what DataGrip is typically brought in for.
What can JetBrains Rider do that DataGrip cannot?: JetBrains Rider covers Cross-platform .NET Development, ReSharper-powered Code Analysis, Integrated Debugger and Profiler, Version Control Integration. DataGrip covers Intelligent SQL Completion, Schema Navigation, Data Editor, Version Control for Scripts.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

JetBrains Rider: Does Rider have a free version?

JetBrains offers a free non-commercial license for Rider for personal, non-commercial use, alongside paid commercial subscriptions with continuity discounts after the first year.

Source

DataGrip: Is DataGrip free for personal use?

JetBrains introduced a free non-commercial license for DataGrip in October 2025, allowing personal use, while commercial use still requires a paid annual or monthly subscription.

Source

JetBrains Rider: What counts as non-commercial use under the free license?

Learning, open-source contributions without commercial benefit, content creation like monetized tutorials, and hobby projects qualify; any paid work or commercial release does not.

Source

DataGrip: Who qualifies for the free non-commercial license?

Only individuals are eligible, for uses like learning, open-source work, or content creation. Anyone paid by an employer, including at a non-profit, must use a commercial license instead.

Source

JetBrains Rider: Does the free non-commercial license include all Rider features?

Yes, it is a full-featured IDE identical to the paid version, with one exception: Code With Me is limited to the Community tier instead of the premium tier.

Source

DataGrip: How long does the free non-commercial license last?

It lasts one year and auto-renews if DataGrip was used at least once in the final six months; otherwise you can simply reapply for a new license.

Source

JetBrains Rider: How often does the non-commercial license renew?

It issues a one-year license that renews automatically each year, provided Rider was opened at least once during the preceding six months.

Source

DataGrip: Does the free license have fewer features than the paid version?

No, it is a full-featured IDE identical to the paid version, though it requires anonymized telemetry sharing that cannot be opted out of under the non-commercial agreement.

Source

JetBrains Rider: What support do non-commercial license holders get?

Non-commercial users get community forums and public bug trackers rather than private support tickets, which are reserved for paid subscribers.

Source

DataGrip: Can I use DataGrip offline with the free license?

No, activation requires logging into a JetBrains Account; offline activation codes are not available for the free non-commercial license.

Source

JetBrains Rider vs DataGrip

JetBrains Rider

DataGrip

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in JetBrains Rider

Only in DataGrip

What people use each for

JetBrains Rider

DataGrip

Where each one falls short

JetBrains Rider

DataGrip

Pricing, plan by plan

JetBrains Rider

DataGrip

Which should you pick?

Choose JetBrains Rider if

Choose DataGrip if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on JetBrains Rider

More on DataGrip

Keep looking

Other head to heads