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Developer Tools · head to head

PhpStorm vs RubyMine

PhpStorm logo

PhpStorm

Developer Tools

JetBrains IDE for PHP web development

From
$24/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
RubyMine logo

RubyMine

Developer Tools

JetBrains IDE for Ruby and Ruby on Rails development

From
$24/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: PhpStorm requires an ongoing paid subscription with no free tier for commercial use.; RubyMine no permanently free tier for commercial use; requires an ongoing subscription.
  • They diverge on capability: PhpStorm covers PHP-aware coding assistance, RubyMine covers Rails-aware coding assistance.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which PhpStorm and RubyMine actually diverge.

Attributes where PhpStorm and RubyMine differ
AttributePhpStormRubyMine

Identical on both: starting price ($24/month), pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), platforms (windows, mac, linux), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Developer Tools), 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 PhpStorm

  • PHP-aware coding assistance
  • Front-end tooling
  • Docker and remote deployment

Only in RubyMine

  • Rails-aware coding assistance
  • Test runner integration
  • Docker support

Both cover

  • Integrated debugger
  • Database tools
  • Version control integration

What people use each for

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

PhpStorm

  • Building PHP web applications with Laravel or Symfonynot RubyMine
  • Debugging PHP code with Xdebugnot RubyMine
  • Working across PHP, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript in one projectnot RubyMine
  • Managing databases alongside application codenot RubyMine

RubyMine

  • Building and maintaining Ruby on Rails applicationsnot PhpStorm
  • Debugging Ruby web applicationsnot PhpStorm
  • Running and managing RSpec or Minitest suitesnot PhpStorm
  • Working across Ruby, JavaScript, and SQL in one projectnot PhpStorm

Where each one falls short

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

PhpStorm

  • Requires an ongoing paid subscription with no free tier for commercial use.
  • Heavier and slower to start than lightweight code editors.
  • Some advanced framework-specific tooling requires additional configuration or plugins.
  • Renewal pricing rises for lapsed subscriptions after the grace period.

RubyMine

  • No permanently free tier for commercial use; requires an ongoing subscription.
  • More resource-intensive than lightweight editors such as Sublime Text.
  • Focused primarily on Ruby, so polyglot teams may prefer IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate with plugins instead.
  • Startup time can be slower than simpler text editors on older hardware.

Pricing, plan by plan

PhpStorm

$24/month
  • Individual$24/month
    • Personal use license
    • Access to PhpStorm
    • Free for students and open-source maintainers
  • Organization$34/month
    • Business use license
    • Access to PhpStorm
    • Volume and renewal discounts

RubyMine

$24/month
  • Individual$24/month
    • Personal use license
    • Access to RubyMine
    • Free for students and open-source maintainers
  • Organization$34/month
    • Business use license
    • Access to RubyMine
    • Volume and renewal discounts

Which should you pick?

Choose PhpStorm if

  • You need php-aware coding assistance.
  • You work on windows, mac, linux.
  • You also want front-end tooling.
PhpStorm review

Choose RubyMine if

  • You need rails-aware coding assistance.
  • You work on windows, mac, linux.
  • You also want test runner integration.
RubyMine review

Questions people ask

Is PhpStorm or RubyMine better?
Neither clearly leads. PhpStorm starts at $24/month and RubyMine at $24/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, PhpStorm or RubyMine?
PhpStorm starts at $24/month and RubyMine at $24/month.
Does PhpStorm or RubyMine run on more platforms?
Both run on windows, mac, linux, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is PhpStorm best used for?
PhpStorm is most often used for building php web applications with laravel or symfony, debugging php code with xdebug, working across php, html, css, and javascript in one project, managing databases alongside application code. Of those, building php web applications with laravel or symfony and debugging php code with xdebug are not what RubyMine is typically brought in for.
What can PhpStorm do that RubyMine cannot?
PhpStorm covers PHP-aware coding assistance, Front-end tooling, Docker and remote deployment. RubyMine covers Rails-aware coding assistance, Test runner integration, Docker support. Both handle Integrated debugger, Database tools, Version control integration.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

PhpStorm: How much does PhpStorm cost?

PhpStorm is sold via JetBrains Toolbox subscription starting around $24/month for individuals and $34/month for organizations, with free licenses for students and open-source maintainers.

Source
RubyMine: How much does RubyMine cost?

RubyMine is sold as a JetBrains Toolbox subscription starting around $24/month for individuals and $34/month for organizations, with free licenses available for students and open-source maintainers.

Source
PhpStorm: Is there a free trial?

JetBrains offers a free trial of PhpStorm so developers can test it before subscribing.

Source
RubyMine: Is there a free trial?

JetBrains provides a free trial period for RubyMine so developers can evaluate it before purchasing a subscription.

Source
PhpStorm: What platforms does PhpStorm support?

PhpStorm is a desktop IDE available on Windows, macOS, and Linux via JetBrains Toolbox.

Source
RubyMine: What platforms does RubyMine support?

RubyMine runs as a desktop application on Windows, macOS, and Linux via JetBrains Toolbox.

Source
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