NetBeans vs IntelliJ IDEA: Which IDE is Better for Java?

Most NetBeans vs IntelliJ comparisons you’ll find online were written before December 2025, and one change since then breaks their first point. JetBrains merged Community and Ultimate into a single IntelliJ IDEA with release 2025.3, and the free core now covers commercial use without activation (JetBrains, 2025).

Apache NetBeans is free in full under the Apache License 2.0. IntelliJ IDEA keeps a free core, but full Spring tooling and application server integration sit in the paid Ultimate subscription.

NetBeans suits Swing desktop work and Maven projects on no budget. IntelliJ IDEA suits Spring Boot services and Kotlin code.

How do NetBeans and IntelliJ IDEA compare at a glance?

Start with the license, because it explains most of the rest. NetBeans is entirely free under the Apache License 2.0. JetBrains builds IntelliJ IDEA for Java and Kotlin, gives the core away and charges for an Ultimate layer on top.

If the job is Swing desktop work or Maven projects and the budget is zero, NetBeans is the pick. Once Spring Boot or Kotlin sits at the center of the work, IntelliJ IDEA makes more sense.

As of October 2026, full Spring tooling and application server support decide most choices. On the IntelliJ IDEA side both sit behind the paid tier.

What does each IDE cost in 2026?

NetBeans costs nothing and has no paid tier. IntelliJ IDEA keeps its core free for commercial work and charges only for the Ultimate subscription.

The pricing facts are short. As of October 2026 they look like this.

• IntelliJ IDEA became one unified product with release 2025.3 in December 2025 (JetBrains)
• The Ultimate trial runs 30 days and starts from inside the IDE (JetBrains)
• Ultimate lists at $599 per user per year for organizations, and $169 for the first year for individuals (JetBrains buy page)
• NetBeans costs $0, with commercial use allowed (Apache NetBeans)

NetBeans licensing

The project’s About page says NetBeans is free for commercial and non-commercial use under the Apache License. No account, no activation, no tiered edition.

The only extra cost is setup time, since Spring Boot tooling arrives as a separate plugin.

IntelliJ IDEA free tier and Ultimate

Since 2025.3 there is one download for everyone. The core needs no login or activation, and JetBrains confirms it is free for commercial projects.

That free core covers the Java and Kotlin tools, basic syntax highlighting for Spring, Jakarta EE and Thymeleaf, a Spring Boot project wizard, database connections, schema viewing and full SQL support. Ultimate adds full Spring tooling, complete JVM ecosystem support, advanced database tools and AI assistance.

Students and teachers get a free Ultimate subscription.

If a subscription lapses, the IDE keeps running on the free core. Nobody gets locked out.

Users still on Community Edition 2025.2 or earlier can keep working, but JetBrains says the unified product is the only edition receiving new features.

For plain Java and Maven work, the free core is enough. Ultimate pays off when Spring Boot or application servers fill the working day.

Is NetBeans still actively maintained?

Yes. Apache NetBeans ships four releases a year, and NetBeans 31, released on August 10, 2026, is the latest as of October 2026 (Apache NetBeans).

The project keeps a steady quarterly release cycle. NetBeans 29 arrived on February 23, 2026, NetBeans 30 on May 18 and NetBeans 31 on August 10, each exactly 12 weeks apart.

That regularity says more than the version number does. JetBrains numbers IntelliJ IDEA by year and minor version (2025.3, 2026.1, 2026.2), while NetBeans uses plain sequential numbers.

The NetBeans 28 announcement credits 28 contributors, 4 of them first-timers. NetBeans 31 credits 18, with 5 first-timers. Two data points are no trend, but the swing is worth watching.

One practical wrinkle: as of NetBeans 26, Apache provides no installers directly, and the download page links community-provided ones instead. That adds a trust decision for anyone installing on Windows or macOS, so verify the checksum published next to the Apache binary ZIP.

The project’s history, briefly:

• Sun open-sourced NetBeans in June 2000
• Oracle donated the code to the Apache Software Foundation in 2016
• NetBeans became a top-level Apache project in April 2019
• NetBeans 11.0 (April 2019) was the first long-term support release as an Apache project
• NetBeans 12.0 (June 2020) was the first long-term support release after the project became top-level (Apache NetBeans)

How do code completion and refactoring compare?

Both IDEs cover the everyday refactoring set: rename, move, extract method and safe delete. Where they differ is completion. IntelliJ IDEA adds machine-learning ranking, and JetBrains documents how it works.

Completion in IntelliJ IDEA runs in basic, type-matching and statement modes. The ML ranking only reorders items already retrieved from code, adds no new ones, and keeps its data local (IntelliJ IDEA 2026.1 documentation).

In JetBrains Research’s own evaluation, typing actions per completion fell from 2.073 to 1.832 once the ranking model replaced the default heuristics (JetBrains Research, 2022).

NetBeans groups its code refactoring commands under one Refactor menu and shows a preview before any change applies. The menu includes these commands.

• Rename, with all references updated
• Safe Delete, which checks usages first
• Move class or members
• Introduce Method
• Change Method Parameters
• Extract Superclass and Encapsulate Fields

For rename, move and extract, either IDE does the job. Completion ranking is where IntelliJ IDEA pulls ahead on paper.

NetBeans has one documented constraint. The Apache NetBeans 12.0 notes tie Java editor support to the JDK the IDE runs on, so newer language features need NetBeans started on a JDK that provides them.

The same notes say the project aims to move away from its nb-javac compiler fork except on JDK 8. Read the release notes for your version before relying on a new language feature.

Which IDE handles Maven, Gradle, Spring Boot and Jakarta EE better?

Both IDEs run Maven and Gradle projects well. The split starts at Spring Boot and application servers, where IntelliJ IDEA gates the deeper tooling behind Ultimate and NetBeans relies on built-in server integrations plus a community plugin.

Build tools

NetBeans 11.0 put “Java with Maven” and “Java with Gradle” next to “Java with Ant” in the new-project wizard (Apache NetBeans, 2019). Gradle support came from a donation in December 2018 and covers opening projects directly, a task navigator and JUnit or TestNG runs with JaCoCo coverage.

Both IDEs hand compiling and packaging to a build automation tool, so the real question is how much project setup the IDE does for you.

IntelliJ IDEA uses its own native build system or delegates to Maven, Gradle, Ant, Gant or sbt, with full integration for Maven and Gradle (JetBrains documentation). On import it reads the build files, sets source folders, dependencies and the language level, and creates one IDE module per Gradle source set.

Spring Boot and Jakarta EE

Neither IDE ships full Spring Boot tooling in its free core. IntelliJ IDEA sells it inside Ultimate, and NetBeans leaves it to a plugin.

The nb-springboot plugin sits in the Apache NetBeans plugin catalogue under the Apache 2.0 license. Its updates follow their own schedule, not the IDE’s quarterly releases.

Jakarta EE needs a version check. The NetBeans 12.0 notes list Java EE 8 support and state that Jakarta EE was not yet supported (Apache NetBeans, 2020).

A contributor pull request in the Apache NetBeans repository now describes Jakarta EE 10 support as already in place. Confirm that in the notes for your version before starting a Jakarta EE 10 project on GlassFish 7.

Application servers

NetBeans integrates GlassFish, Payara, Tomcat and WildFly out of the box, with Payara arriving in 11.1 and WildFly in 12.0.

IntelliJ IDEA lists Java application servers under Ultimate in JetBrains’ edition matrix, with Tomcat and TomEE handled by a bundled plugin. The matrix predates the 2025.3 merge, and the free-tier additions JetBrains announced do not include server deployment.

On the free tier, a Marketplace plugin such as Smart Tomcat or Maven’s Tomcat plugin works as a workaround.

Maven plus Tomcat on a tight budget favors NetBeans. Spring Boot at the center of the work favors IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate.

How do the Swing and JavaFX GUI builders compare?

NetBeans has the stronger Swing builder. Apache’s tutorials describe its Swing GUI Builder, known as Matisse, as a way to build complete Java GUI applications visually from Swing and AWT components.

The IntelliJ IDEA GUI Designer covers Swing forms only, and JetBrains documents its limits itself. It does not model non-Swing components, it creates no main frame for the application and it has no menus.

JetBrains positions it for dialogs and groups of controls that sit inside a top-level container such as a JFrame you write by hand.

The designer is also not available out of the box. JetBrains’ current documentation says it relies on the Swing UI Designer plugin, which you install and enable from the Marketplace tab. Older JetBrains pages describe it as built in, so check Settings | Plugins before assuming the designer is there.

JavaFX works differently. Layouts live in FXML files edited in Scene Builder, a standalone tool, and NetBeans documents how to link the two (Apache NetBeans tutorials).

That makes the IDE choice matter less for JavaFX than for Swing.

Which IDE uses less memory and starts faster?

Neither project’s documentation includes a head-to-head benchmark, so the evidence is documented hardware floors plus user reports.

JetBrains’ own floor moved between releases. The 2025.3 page lists a 2 GB minimum, while the 2026.2 page lists 8 GB of total RAM with 3 GB reserved for the IDE, so plan around the newer figure.

User reports split. TrustRadius summarizes complaints about high CPU and memory use in IntelliJ IDEA, while StackShare’s comparison page says it needs more memory and also runs smoothly on large, complex projects.

Those two claims fit together. You pay more memory and get steadier behavior as the codebase grows. Both come from review sites, not measurement.

To test it yourself, open the same Maven project in both IDEs. Time the cold start from launch to a usable editor, then the first scan or index until navigation works. Process RAM after ten minutes idle is the last number worth writing down.

How do plugins, language support and AI assistants differ?

IntelliJ IDEA runs a marketplace with paid, freemium and free plugins, while NetBeans relies on a community plugin catalogue. The gap widens at Kotlin and AI assistance, where IntelliJ IDEA has first-party tooling and NetBeans leans on community and third-party work.

Plugin ecosystems

NetBeans plugins come from the Apache NetBeans plugin catalogue, hosted by the project itself.

IntelliJ IDEA uses JetBrains Marketplace, which went freemium with IntelliJ Platform 2022.3, with GitToolBox and JPA Buddy as freemium examples (JetBrains Platform blog, 2023). JetBrains also maintains a GitHub build of IntelliJ IDEA that supports Marketplace plugins, paid ones included.

A freemium add-on can add cost on the IntelliJ IDEA side.

Language support beyond Java

Java is the baseline in both IDEs. The gap opens at the next language.

Kotlin is the clearest case. NetBeans 12.x and later has basic Kotlin support through an LSP-based module, and JetBrains’ own Kotlin plugin for NetBeans is marked obsolete (Apache NetBeans wiki).

The wiki’s feature table lists highlighting, formatting, brace matching and code completion through the Kotlin Language Server. Quick fixes, code templates, refactoring and debugging are not listed.

IntelliJ IDEA lists Java, Groovy and Kotlin side by side in JetBrains’ edition matrix, and JetBrains calls it its IDE for Java and Kotlin.

Scala works through the Scala plugin on the free tier, but Play Framework and Scala.js required Ultimate as of JetBrains’ 2023 plugin roundup. On the NetBeans side, version 12.0 added PHP 7.4 support next to JavaScript and HTML editing (Apache NetBeans).

AI assistants

JetBrains lists AI Pro as its own plan at $200 per user per year for organizations on its buy page, and at $100 per user per year for individuals.

NetBeans has no first-party assistant. When a user asked for a Copilot plugin in the Apache NetBeans repository, a maintainer replied that third-party plugins belong elsewhere.

Third-party work fills part of the gap. AI Coder for NetBeans, an MIT-licensed plugin, supports Claude, Grok and GitHub Copilot backends in a dockable chat panel.

Maven Central lists eight versions of it between July 11 and July 21, 2026. Expect that tooling to keep changing.

Which IDE fits which developer?

Profile decides the pick more than feature counts do. NetBeans wins for visual Swing work and legacy Ant projects, and IntelliJ IDEA wins for Spring, Kotlin and shared team setups.

Choose NetBeans when

• Visual Swing forms make up much of the application
• The project is an Ant-based legacy codebase
• Coursework centers on windows and forms
• The team wants no commercial tier to manage

Choose IntelliJ IDEA when

• Spring Boot is the main framework, since the Ultimate tier carries the deeper tooling
• Kotlin sits in the codebase, because NetBeans lists no refactoring or debugging for it
• The team shares settings, as run and debug configurations can be saved as XML files and passed to teammates (JetBrains documentation)
• You want AI assistance straight from the vendor, with no community plugin in between

When each IDE does not fit

NetBeans falls short for Kotlin-heavy codebases and for teams that want a vendor-built AI assistant.

IntelliJ IDEA is a poor match for NetBeans Platform applications. JetBrains’ migration guide says a NetBeans module is a project type inside a Platform application, while an IntelliJ IDEA module is a unit inside any project, so the two do not map one to one.

Eclipse is a third Java IDE that sits outside this comparison. The breakdown of Eclipse against NetBeans covers that pairing.

Near the hardware floor JetBrains documents, neither IDE is comfortable, and a lighter editor is worth testing. The VS Code and IntelliJ trade-offs are laid out separately.

How do you migrate a project from NetBeans to IntelliJ IDEA?

Open the project in IntelliJ IDEA and let it import the build file. The IDE adds its own .idea directory while the .nbproject directory and build.xml stay untouched, so both IDEs can open the same folder (JetBrains documentation).

1. Commit all pending NetBeans work to version control
2. Choose File | Open, select the pom.xml for a Maven project, and open it in a new window
3. Set the JDK under File | Project Structure, in SDKs and then Project
4. Switch the keymap under Settings | Keymap to NetBeans
5. For Ant-based projects, accept the Ant build script notification and add the build file
6. Import further NetBeans projects as modules
7. Rebuild code templates as live templates
8. Run the main class from the gutter icon, then run the test suite

Step 6 exists because IntelliJ IDEA opens one project per window and has no equivalent of NetBeans project groups.

Template abbreviations differ too. NetBeans uses psf for private static final, while IntelliJ IDEA uses prsf.

The new .idea directory holds VCS settings, inspection profiles and code styles. Decide which parts belong in your .gitignore file before the first commit.

Keep NetBeans installed for GUI forms. IntelliJ IDEA’s designer creates panes, not frames, and the NetBeans project files stay intact, so Matisse forms remain editable where they were built.

NetBeans vs IntelliJ FAQ

Should Eclipse join the shortlist next to NetBeans and IntelliJ IDEA?

Only if neither fits. Eclipse is a third free Java IDE under the Eclipse Public License, and it competes on the same axes: Spring tooling, plugin depth and cost.

Run it through the same tests you apply to the other two.

Is VS Code a better alternative to both IDEs?

Not for Swing forms or deep Spring navigation. VS Code is a lighter editor that gets Java support through extensions, while both IDEs ship Java tooling in the base install.

It trades Java depth for a smaller footprint.

Which IDE should I use for Android development?

Neither. Android Studio, built on the IntelliJ Platform, is the standard tool for Android projects.

Pick IntelliJ IDEA only when the project mixes Android work with server-side Java or Kotlin.

Is NetBeans good for PHP projects?

Yes, PHP editing is part of NetBeans, and the 12.0 release added PHP 7.4 support alongside JavaScript and HTML editing (Apache NetBeans). Check the release notes for the PHP version you target.

JetBrains sells PhpStorm as a separate product at $249 per user per year for organizations, with a first-year price of $99 for individuals (JetBrains buy page).

How do you install NetBeans without an Apache installer?

Install a full JDK first, since NetBeans does not run on a JRE alone. Then take a community installer from the download page, or extract the Apache binary ZIP.

Verify the SHA-512 checksum published beside the ZIP, then launch the netbeans script from the bin folder.

Testing Both IDEs on a Real Project Before Committing

The fastest way to settle NetBeans vs IntelliJ is to give each IDE one working task on the same codebase. A feature checklist cannot predict which tool fits a specific project.

Order matters here, because it decides what the test costs.

1. Open the project in both free installs
2. Finish one routine task in each, such as a Spring endpoint or a Swing form
3. Start an Ultimate trial only if the free core blocks that task

Run this way, the test stays at $0 until a missing feature justifies paying, and the comparison ends on evidence from your own code.

The recommendation holds as of October 30, 2026. It changes if JetBrains moves further Ultimate features into the free core, or if NetBeans ships first-party Spring Boot or AI tooling.

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Bogdan Sandu

Bogdan Sandu is a front-end developer at TMS Outsource with 8+ years of experience in web technologies. He writes about developer tools, software platforms, and web workflows based on daily hands-on use.

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