FREEDOM251

Freedom251 › Minecraft Mod Development Tools

IntelliJ IDEA

Free plan APIExtensionLinuxMacWindows

Visit IntelliJ IDEA Alternatives Pricing

IntelliJ IDEA's own site

What IntelliJ IDEA is

IntelliJ IDEA is an IDE for developing Java and Kotlin software, with coding assistance, debugging, build tools, testing, and version-control integrations. Its editor offers context-aware completion, static code analysis, and automated refactoring. A JVM debugger supports breakpoints, variable inspection, expression evaluation, and step-by-step execution. Gradle and Maven integrations cover build, packaging, testing, and deployment work. The IDE connects with Git, Mercurial, Perforce, and Subversion, and users can process GitHub pull requests inside it. Plugins from JetBrains Marketplace can add support for more languages, frameworks, and technologies. Core Java and Kotlin functionality is free; installing the IDE includes a 30-day Ultimate trial, after which users can continue without subscribing. The Ultimate subscription adds advanced tools and integrations and is listed at $100 a year, with billing of $100.00 the first year, $199.00 the second, and $159.00 from the third year onward. Listed minimum hardware is a 4-core x86_64 or arm64 CPU, 8 GB total RAM, and 10 GB disk space. It is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Who it suits

It suits Java and Kotlin developers who want coding assistance, a JVM debugger, and integrated build and version-control tools. Its plugin system may also suit developers who need added language or framework support.

What it does well

  • Core Java and Kotlin functionality remains free.
  • Includes a JVM debugger with inspection and stepping.
  • Integrates with Gradle and Maven.
  • Supports four version-control systems and GitHub pull requests.
  • Available on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

What to know first

  • Ultimate subscription is listed at $100 a year.
  • Minimum listed hardware includes 8 GB RAM and 10 GB disk space.
  • Ultimate trial lasts 30 days.

Limits

The free core covers Java and Kotlin functionality. The 30-day Ultimate trial ends with the advanced tools and integrations; the subscription is listed at $100.00 for the first year, $199.00 for the second year and $159.00 per year from the third year onward.

Plans

PlanBilled and limitsPrice
IntelliJ IDEA coreFree · Core functionality for Java and KotlinFree
Free feature setCore Java and Kotlin development features · advanced functionality excludedFree
IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate subscription$100.00 first year; $199.00 second year; $159.00 third year onwards · Advanced tools and integrations · 30-day trial$100 a year
IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate individualper user / per month · Advanced tools and integrations · individual use$19.90 a month
IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate annualannual subscription · Ultimate features · reviewer-reported annual price$199 a year

As jetbrains.com lists them, read 29 Sept 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.

Getting started

  1. Visit the IntelliJ IDEA website.
  2. Install IntelliJ IDEA on Windows, macOS or Linux.
  3. Use the included 30-day Ultimate trial, or continue with the free core functionality.
  4. Subscribe to Ultimate if you need its advanced tools and integrations.
  5. Check that your hardware has a 4-core x86_64 or arm64 CPU, 8 GB total RAM and 10 GB disk space.
  6. Choose in IDE settings whether to share anonymous usage data.

Verdict

IntelliJ IDEA combines Java and Kotlin coding assistance with debugging, build, testing, and version-control integrations. Core functionality stays free after the Ultimate trial, while advanced tools and integrations require a subscription.

Questions

Is IntelliJ IDEA free?

Yes. The core functionality for Java and Kotlin is free, including after the 30-day Ultimate trial.

How much does Ultimate cost?

The listing gives a price of $100 a year, billed at $100.00 in the first year, $199.00 in the second year and $159.00 per year from the third year onward.

Which operating systems are supported?

IntelliJ IDEA is available for Windows, macOS and Linux.

What does the Ultimate trial include?

Installing IntelliJ IDEA includes a free 30-day trial of the Ultimate subscription, which adds advanced tools and integrations.

Can I add support for other technologies?

Yes. Plugins from JetBrains Marketplace can add support for other languages, frameworks and technologies.

Can I control usage data sharing?

Yes. IDE settings let users choose whether to share anonymous usage data.

Facts from IntelliJ IDEA's own pages

AI features
The 2026.1 release adds prompt-driven actions for explaining code, generating documentation and making code changes inside the editor. · jetbrains.com, 15 Oct 2026
Build tools
It integrates with Gradle and Maven for building, packaging, testing, and deployment tasks. · jetbrains.com, 29 Sept 2026
Closed components
IntelliJ IDEA includes closed-source plugins on top of the open-source IntelliJ Platform, so the complete product is not wholly open source. · plugins.jetbrains.com, 15 Oct 2026
Code intelligence
The IDE provides context-aware navigation, inspections, refactorings and debugging across a project. · jetbrains.com, 15 Oct 2026
Coding assistance
The IDE provides context-aware code completion, static code analysis, and automated refactorings. · jetbrains.com, 29 Sept 2026
Debugger
It includes a JVM debugger with breakpoints, variable inspection, expression evaluation, and step-by-step execution. · jetbrains.com, 29 Sept 2026
Docker integration
Docker support covers image creation, container execution, Docker Compose, and public or private registries from inside the IDE. · jetbrains.com, 15 Oct 2026
Documentation depth
JetBrains publishes installation, security, update, Docker, Kubernetes and extensive plugin-SDK documentation, with source documentation hosted on GitHub. · github.com, 15 Oct 2026
Extensibility
Plugins can add support for other languages, frameworks, and technologies through JetBrains Marketplace. · jetbrains.com, 29 Sept 2026
Founded
2000 · jetbrains.com, 23 Sept 2026
Framework support
G2 lists dedicated support for Spring, Spring Boot, Jakarta EE, JPA, Reactor and other popular frameworks. · g2.com, 15 Oct 2026
Free functionality
Core IntelliJ IDEA functionality remains free, and users can continue using it after the 30-day Ultimate trial without subscribing. · jetbrains.com, 29 Sept 2026
Headquarters
Amsterdam, Netherlands · jetbrains.com, 23 Sept 2026
Integrations catalog
G2 lists integrations including GitHub, GitLab, Git, Docker, Kubernetes, Maven, Gradle, Jenkins, Jira, databases, Copilot, Claude and Gemini Code Assist. · g2.com, 15 Oct 2026
Intended users
JetBrains describes IntelliJ IDEA as the leading IDE for professional Java and Kotlin development. · jetbrains.com, 29 Sept 2026
Java and Kotlin support
IntelliJ IDEA provides professional Java and Kotlin tooling and first-class Spring integration. · jetbrains.com, 15 Oct 2026
Kubernetes integration
The Kubernetes plugin lets users inspect cluster resources, jump to definitions and view pod logs, supporting Kubernetes 1.26 through 1.34. · jetbrains.com, 15 Oct 2026
Limit: AI complaints
Trustpilot reviewers complain that AI credits can be consumed rapidly, AI output can be unreliable and AI pricing feels excessive. · trustpilot.com, 15 Oct 2026
Limit: bugs and updates
TrustRadius reviewers report recurring Maven failures after updates that sometimes require IDE repair or reindexing. · trustradius.com, 15 Oct 2026
Limit: complexity
Reviewers say the large feature set can overwhelm beginners and has a learning curve. · softwareadvice.com, 15 Oct 2026
Limit: pricing
G2 and TrustRadius reviewers frequently call the Ultimate subscription expensive for individuals, students and smaller businesses. · g2.com, 15 Oct 2026
Limit: resource usage
Reviewers report high RAM consumption and slower performance on large projects or Windows laptops. · g2.com, 15 Oct 2026
Linux limitation
JetBrains warns that snap installations may suffer performance degradation, Chromium JavaScript-debugging problems, SBT-import failures and slow file operations. · jetbrains.com, 15 Oct 2026
Maker founded and headquarters
LinkedIn lists JetBrains as founded in 2000 with headquarters in Amsterdam. · linkedin.com, 15 Oct 2026

Where IntelliJ IDEA stands on Freedom251

Look at these too