Look at what’s in the repository. All Python means PyCharm. Any Java or Kotlin sitting next to it means IntelliJ IDEA, which runs Python through the Python plugin.
The feature gap is smaller than most comparison pages make it sound, since JetBrains documents that the Python plugin implements all PyCharm features (IntelliJ IDEA 2026.2 Help). What actually differs is project setup and which features sit behind a subscription. A lot of those pages also still talk about Community, Professional and Ultimate downloads, which is out of date. PyCharm 2025.1 and IntelliJ IDEA 2025.3 each replaced those editions with a single installer (JetBrains, 2025).
Are PyCharm and IntelliJ IDEA the same IDE?
No, but they’re close relatives. PyCharm is the Python IDE from JetBrains, IntelliJ IDEA is the Java and Kotlin one, and both are built on the IntelliJ Platform.
Because of that shared base, switching between them feels familiar. JetBrains still sells two products because each one is aimed at a different language.
Code completion, inspections, the debugger with its run configurations, navigation tools, Git integration and plugins from JetBrains Marketplace all come from the platform, so you get them in either IDE.
Renaming a symbol or extracting a method works the same way in both, which makes code refactoring the easiest skill to carry from one to the other. Commit, diff and branch tools behave alike too, so your version control habits transfer without any relearning.
PyCharm handles interpreters, virtual environments and Jupyter notebooks out of the box. IntelliJ IDEA leans toward Java and Kotlin projects, with Spring and the JVM build tools close at hand.
Can IntelliJ IDEA run Python?
Yes. It does this through the Python plugin, which JetBrains documents as implementing all PyCharm features (IntelliJ IDEA 2026.2 Help).
Install the plugin, add a Python SDK, and Python files open like any other source. Python 2.7 and Python 3.9 through 3.15 are supported. For debugging and profiling, the 2026.2 documentation also asks you to install the Python DAP Debugger plugin.
JetBrains’ own documentation says the plugin brings the full PyCharm feature set into IntelliJ IDEA. Third-party comparison pages often claim IntelliJ IDEA lacks PyCharm’s dedicated Python tools. On features, I’d trust the documentation. The real gap shows up when you create a project: PyCharm builds its New Project flow around Python, while IntelliJ IDEA registers Python as a module type inside a wider project.
The free tier adds a limit. JetBrains lists Spring syntax highlighting, database connections, SQL and Ktor among the new free features in the unified IntelliJ IDEA, and Python isn’t on that list (JetBrains unified IntelliJ IDEA FAQ). JetBrains’ comparison page describes IntelliJ IDEA’s Python support as basic functionality that the Ultimate subscription extends.
If the team only writes Python, PyCharm is the simpler install.
PyCharm and IntelliJ IDEA editions after the 2025 unification
Each IDE now ships as one installer with a free core and a paid tier. The separate Community, Professional and Ultimate downloads are gone.
What changed in PyCharm
PyCharm 2025.1 (April 2025) merged Community and Professional into one product. PyCharm Community 2025.2 was the last standalone release, and Community users moved to the unified product with PyCharm 2025.3 (December 2025). Core features, Jupyter Notebook support included, stay free after a 30-day Pro trial.
Pro features now switch on with a subscription instead of a second download. The old Community versus Professional split still exists in practice, just without the two installers.
Existing Pro licenses carry over unchanged, according to both the unified PyCharm overview and the 2025.3 migration notes.
What changed in IntelliJ IDEA
IntelliJ IDEA 2025.3 (December 2025) replaced the Community and Ultimate downloads with a single installer, according to the JetBrains unified IntelliJ IDEA FAQ.
The free tier covers core Java and Kotlin tools, the Spring Boot wizard, database connections and SQL support. Ultimate adds full Spring support, HTTP Client, IntelliJ Profiler, AI assistance and advanced data tools.
Updating from Community or Ultimate 2025.2 converts the install automatically, and perpetual fallback licenses work as before. There’s also an open-source build on GitHub Releases, minus AI Assistant, LSP support and Code With Me.
The unified build keeps the IU product code of the old Ultimate edition, and Ultimate plugins ship disabled until a subscription is active (JetBrains Platform blog, November 2025). Plugin authors lost Community (IC) builds from 2025.3 onward.
How much do PyCharm and IntelliJ IDEA cost?
Neither IDE charges for its core features. PyCharm Pro costs an individual $99 for the first year, according to the JetBrains store (October 2026).
| Tier | PyCharm | IntelliJ IDEA |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Core Python tools, Jupyter Notebook support | Core Java and Kotlin tools, database connections, SQL |
| Paid | Pro subscription | Ultimate subscription |
| Trial | 30 days of Pro on first install | 30 days of Ultimate on first install |
| Open-source build | Built from GitHub with GitHub Actions | Published on GitHub Releases |
For individuals, the PyCharm Pro price drops to $79 in the second year and $59 from the third year (JetBrains store, 2026). Organizations pay $249 per user per year (JetBrains store, 2026).
Both IDEs come with a 30-day trial. IntelliJ IDEA’s trial can be reset after each major release, once the previous subscription ended at least four months earlier (JetBrains FAQ).
The paywall moved in both IDEs. Jupyter is free in PyCharm now, and database connections and SQL are free in IntelliJ IDEA, where both used to need a paid edition.
IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate is sold as its own subscription, so check its current price on the JetBrains store before budgeting for a team. It stays free for students, teachers and educational institutions.
Notebook and script work fits the free PyCharm tier. Once Django, Flask or FastAPI tooling enters the project, Pro is worth paying for.
Which IDE handles Python and Java frameworks better?
Each one is stronger on its own turf. PyCharm Pro covers Django, Flask and FastAPI, and IntelliJ IDEA covers Spring Boot and the JVM build stack.
On the PyCharm side, the Django plugin is bundled and available only in Pro (JetBrains documentation). Flask gets a dedicated project type, Flask CLI support and Jinja2 templates. FastAPI got a project type and run configuration in 2021.3 (December 2021), and an Endpoints tool window now lists FastAPI and Flask routes.
IntelliJ IDEA has a Spring Boot wizard backed by the Spring Initializr API, plus a Spring Boot run configuration with live Beans, Health, Mappings and Environment views. Maven and Gradle projects come straight out of the wizard.
Spring Initializr writes a pom.xml or build.gradle file into every new project, so a build automation tool is wired in before the first line of code.
The free PyCharm tier stops at plain Python projects, since web framework project types need Pro (PyCharm 2026.2 quick start guide).
Both ecosystems serve back-end development, so the framework you ship decides more than editor quality does.
IntelliJ IDEA has its own limit here. Full Spring support stays in the Ultimate subscription, and the free tier gets only syntax highlighting and the project wizard.
Which one is better for data science and database work?
PyCharm is the stronger notebook IDE. On databases, IntelliJ IDEA gives you connections, schema viewing and schema-aware SQL completion without a subscription, while PyCharm Pro bundles the full DataGrip feature set through the Database Tools and SQL plugin.
In PyCharm, running, debugging, output rendering and code assistance inside notebooks are all free. Pro adds remote notebooks, dynamic tables and SQL cells (JetBrains blog, April 2025).
Starting takes a Jupyter project template and one .ipynb file, and the guide to running Jupyter notebooks inside PyCharm covers the rest.
IntelliJ IDEA reaches the same notebook features through two plugins, Python and Jupyter, according to the IntelliJ IDEA 2026.2 Help. You create a Python project, set an interpreter, install the jupyter package and open an .ipynb file. Cell debugging and kernel restarts show up in both toolbars.
PyCharm Pro supports MySQL, PostgreSQL, Microsoft SQL Server, SQLite, MariaDB, Oracle, Apache Cassandra and others (JetBrains documentation). IntelliJ IDEA keeps its integrated data tools in the Ultimate subscription.
Data scientists should lean toward PyCharm. For a JVM backend team that spends its day in databases, IntelliJ IDEA with Ultimate makes more sense.
Can you mix Java and Python in one project, and what do plugins change?
Yes, inside IntelliJ IDEA with the Python plugin. PyCharm can’t edit Java.
JetBrains support staff gave that answer in a community thread: Java cannot be added to PyCharm Pro, and IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate with the Python plugin is the only route to both languages. The thread predates the unified builds, so it describes baseline behavior, not a 2026 guarantee.
You could also run two IDEs on one repository, but each IDE lists 3 GB of available RAM for its own processes in the 2026.2 documentation. Two windows claim 6 GB of an 8 GB baseline machine.
JetBrains Marketplace supplies plugins to both IDEs. The unified IntelliJ IDEA keeps community plugins compatible, and its open-source build runs paid plugins by adding the Marketplace Licensing plugin automatically (JetBrains FAQ).
PyCharm users hunting for extras can start with a roundup of the best PyCharm plugins.
The Python plugin is what adds Python to IntelliJ IDEA, and it gets installed rather than bundled. Notebooks need the Jupyter plugin next to it. The LSP API lets plugins attach language servers, and it’s free in IntelliJ IDEA but absent from the open-source build.
Which one should you pick?
Pick PyCharm when the project is Python only, and IntelliJ IDEA when Java or Kotlin shares the repository.
Everything between those two poles comes down to which framework ships.
| Scenario | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Python scripts and notebooks | PyCharm, free tier | Jupyter Notebook support costs nothing |
| Django, Flask or FastAPI service | PyCharm Pro | Framework tooling sits in Pro |
| Spring Boot service | IntelliJ IDEA | Wizard is free, deeper Spring support needs Ultimate |
| Java service plus Python scripts | IntelliJ IDEA with Python plugin | One IDE covers both languages |
PyCharm puts interpreters and virtual environments in the default workflow, gives you notebooks in the free tier, and adds Django, Flask and FastAPI tooling with Pro. The downside is that it can’t edit Java or Kotlin at all, and framework tooling and remote notebooks need a Pro subscription.
IntelliJ IDEA keeps Java, Kotlin and Python in one window, with Maven, Gradle and Spring tooling around them. Python needs a plugin and an SDK before the first script runs, notebooks need a second plugin, and full Spring support needs the Ultimate subscription.
How to set up Python in IntelliJ IDEA or move a project to PyCharm
Install Python, turn on the Python plugin, then register a Python SDK in the Project Structure dialog. Moving to PyCharm skips most of that, because PyCharm handles the interpreter when you first open the folder.
- Install Python from python.org
- Install and turn on the Python plugin in Settings | Plugins
- Open File | Project Structure (Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S) and select SDKs under Platform Settings
- Click the add button and choose Add Python SDK from disk
- Pick an environment type, set the base interpreter and location, then click OK
IntelliJ IDEA offers Virtualenv, Conda, Pipenv, Poetry, uv and Hatch, plus WSL, SSH and Docker for remote interpreters (IntelliJ IDEA 2026.2 Help). Docker-based interpreters cannot install Python packages.
PyCharm replaces the Project Structure detour with an interpreter selector, and the walkthrough for adding a Python interpreter in PyCharm covers each environment type.
To move a project over, open the folder with File | Open and accept the prompt to build a virtual environment from requirements.txt or setup.py. Then check the interpreter selector before the first run.
If you skip the prompt, PyCharm leaves the project without an interpreter and warns on every .py file, so creating a virtual environment in PyCharm by hand is the fix.
An Invalid environment warning in either IDE means the Python binary path is wrong or the Python version is unsupported.
Install either IDE through the JetBrains Toolbox App, which activates your licenses once you sign in to your JetBrains Account.
When neither IDE fits
Both IDEs are heavy installs, so a machine below JetBrains’ hardware baseline, or a quick-edit workflow, points elsewhere.
Both IDEs list the same baseline in the 2026.2 JetBrains documentation: 4 cores (x86_64 or arm64), 8 GB of total RAM with 3 GB available for IDE processes, and 10 GB of disk.
That baseline moved. The PyCharm 2025.2 documentation listed 2 GB of free RAM and 3.5 GB of disk as the minimum, and the 2026.2 pages list 8 GB of total RAM and 10 GB of disk.
For quick edits on a machine under that line, Visual Studio Code is the usual lighter option, and the comparison of VS Code and PyCharm shows what you give up.
Java developers weighing the same switch can read how VS Code compares with IntelliJ.
A few setups are best avoided. Linux snap installs come with performance degradation, JavaScript debugging problems with Chromium, SBT import difficulties and slow file operations, and JetBrains points to the Toolbox App instead. Remote development needs at least 20 Mbps between client and server and at most 200 ms latency, and network file systems such as NFS and SMB are unsupported. Configurations with a modified JRE or JDK are unsupported too.
If your work is a few scripts a week, neither IDE earns its footprint.
PyCharm vs IntelliJ IDEA FAQ
Does one JetBrains subscription cover both IDEs?
Yes, through the All Products Pack. JetBrains sells it as 12 IDEs, 3 extensions, 2 profilers and a collaborative development service in one subscription.
A single-IDE subscription unlocks only that IDE’s paid tier.
Do PyCharm and IntelliJ IDEA need a separate Java install?
PyCharm needs none, since a bundled JetBrains Runtime based on JBR 21 runs the IDE. IntelliJ IDEA bundles the same runtime, but developing Java applications still requires a standalone JDK (JetBrains documentation, 2026.2).
Is JetBrains AI Assistant available in both IDEs?
Both IDEs carry AI features, and each notebook cell toolbar includes an AI Edit Cell action. PyCharm 2025.1 added a free AI tier with unlimited code completion and local model support, plus credit-limited access to the rest (JetBrains, 2025).
IntelliJ IDEA lists AI assistance under its Ultimate subscription.
Do keyboard shortcuts carry over between the two IDEs?
Largely, because both sit on the IntelliJ Platform. Ctrl+Alt+S opens Settings and Ctrl+/ toggles line comments in both sets of documentation.
Python-specific actions differ only where one IDE lacks the feature.
Can the Toolbox App keep both IDEs installed side by side?
Yes. The JetBrains Toolbox App installs and manages different products or several versions of the same one, and its project list opens each project in the right IDE and version.
Signing in to your JetBrains Account activates available licenses for every IDE you install.
When to Revisit Your JetBrains IDE Choice
The PyCharm vs IntelliJ IDEA choice holds until the project’s language mix changes, not until JetBrains reprices. Pricing and edition rules move faster than that: JetBrains introduced the unified PyCharm in April 2025 and the unified IntelliJ IDEA in December 2025, eight months apart.
Start with the language mix of the repository, then the framework tooling the team ships. Subscription tier comes last, because it’s the only variable that changes inside one installation. Both IDEs unlock their paid features without a reinstall.
Two developments would reverse this advice: Java tooling arriving in PyCharm, or full Python support joining the free feature set of IntelliJ IDEA. Neither appears in JetBrains documentation as of 30 October 2026.
Teams that pick the Python route can move straight to setting up PyCharm for a first project.
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