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RubyMine vs Sublime Text

RubyMine logo

RubyMine

Software

JetBrains IDE for Ruby and Ruby on Rails development

From
$24/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Sublime Text logo

Sublime Text

Software

A sophisticated text editor for code, markup and prose

From
$99/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: RubyMine no permanently free tier for commercial use; requires an ongoing subscription.; Sublime Text a personal licence is $99 as a one off purchase but includes only 3 years of updates, after which a paid upgrade is required to keep receiving them
  • They diverge on capability: RubyMine covers Rails-aware coding assistance, Sublime Text covers Lightning fast performance.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which RubyMine and Sublime Text actually diverge.

Attributes where RubyMine and Sublime Text differ
AttributeRubyMineSublime Text
Starting price$24/month$99/one-time
Pricing modelsubscriptionone-time
Platformswindows, mac, linuxWindows, Macos, Linux
Founded20002007

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 RubyMine

  • Rails-aware coding assistance
  • Integrated debugger
  • Test runner integration
  • Database tools
  • Version control integration
  • Docker support

Only in Sublime Text

  • Lightning fast performance
  • Multiple selections
  • Command palette
  • Instant project switch
  • Plugin ecosystem
  • Customizable UI
  • Advanced search and replace
  • Split editing

What people use each for

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

RubyMine

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

Sublime Text

  • Editing code and text files in a fast native desktop editornot RubyMine
  • Working across large files and projects with multi cursor editingnot RubyMine

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Sublime Text

  • A personal licence is $99 as a one off purchase but includes only 3 years of updates, after which a paid upgrade is required to keep receiving them
  • Business use is a separate annual subscription rather than a perpetual licence, starting at $65 per seat per year
  • The distinction means the same editor is perpetual for an individual and subscription for a company

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Sublime Text

$99/one-time
  • Personal License$99/one-time
    • 3 years of updates
    • All current features
    • Cross-platform license

Which should you pick?

Choose RubyMine if

  • You need rails-aware coding assistance.
  • You work on windows, mac, linux.
  • You also want integrated debugger.
RubyMine review

Choose Sublime Text if

  • You need lightning fast performance.
  • You work on Windows, Macos, Linux.
  • You also want multiple selections.
Sublime Text review

Questions people ask

Is RubyMine or Sublime Text better?
Neither clearly leads. RubyMine starts at $24/month and Sublime Text at $99/one-time, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, RubyMine or Sublime Text?
RubyMine starts at $24/month and Sublime Text at $99/one-time.
Does RubyMine or Sublime Text run on more platforms?
RubyMine runs on windows, mac, linux. Sublime Text runs on Windows, Macos, Linux.
What is RubyMine best used for?
RubyMine is most often used for building and maintaining ruby on rails applications, debugging ruby web applications, running and managing rspec or minitest suites, working across ruby, javascript, and sql in one project. Of those, building and maintaining ruby on rails applications and debugging ruby web applications are not what Sublime Text is typically brought in for.
What can RubyMine do that Sublime Text cannot?
RubyMine covers Rails-aware coding assistance, Integrated debugger, Test runner integration, Database tools. Sublime Text covers Lightning fast performance, Multiple selections, Command palette, Instant project switch.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
RubyMine: Is there a free trial?

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

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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