IntelliJ IDEA vs Visual Studio Code : Which is Better?

IntelliJ IDEA icon

IntelliJ IDEA

IntelliJ IDEA is a Java integrated development environment (IDE). Developed by JetBrains

License: Freemium

Categories: Development

Apps available for Mac OS X Windows Linux

VS
VS
Visual Studio Code icon

Visual Studio Code

Visual Studio Code is a source code editor developed by Microsoft for Windows, Linux and macOS. Developed by Microsoft

License: Open Source

Categories: Development

Apps available for Mac OS X Windows Linux Electron / Atom Shell

IntelliJ IDEA VS Visual Studio Code

IntelliJ IDEA is a robust IDE best suited for Java development and offers extensive built-in tools, while Visual Studio Code is a lightweight and highly customizable code editor that excels in web development and supports various programming languages.

IntelliJ IDEA

Pros:

  • Comprehensive IDE with advanced features
  • Excellent support for Java and Kotlin
  • Strong refactoring capabilities
  • Built-in tools for testing and debugging
  • Integrates well with version control systems

Cons:

  • Heavier on system resources
  • Primarily focused on Java and JVM languages
  • Less customizable compared to editors like VS Code
  • Some features require paid licenses
  • Can be overwhelming for beginners

Visual Studio Code

Pros:

  • Lightweight and fast
  • Highly customizable with extensions
  • Great support for web development
  • Built-in terminal for convenience
  • Strong community support and documentation

Cons:

  • Limited built-in features compared to full IDEs
  • May require multiple extensions for full functionality
  • Some features may not be as robust as in dedicated IDEs
  • Performance can degrade with too many extensions
  • Not ideal for large enterprise projects

Compare IntelliJ IDEA

vs
Android Studio vs IntelliJ IDEA
Compare Android Studio and IntelliJ IDEA and decide which is most suitable for you.
vs
Aptana Studio vs IntelliJ IDEA
Compare Aptana Studio and IntelliJ IDEA and decide which is most suitable for you.
vs
BlueJ vs IntelliJ IDEA
Compare BlueJ and IntelliJ IDEA and decide which is most suitable for you.
vs
Caret vs IntelliJ IDEA
Compare Caret and IntelliJ IDEA and decide which is most suitable for you.
vs
Codeanywhere vs IntelliJ IDEA
Compare Codeanywhere and IntelliJ IDEA and decide which is most suitable for you.
vs
CodeLobster PHP Edition vs IntelliJ IDEA
Compare CodeLobster PHP Edition and IntelliJ IDEA and decide which is most suitable for you.
vs
Codenvy vs IntelliJ IDEA
Compare Codenvy and IntelliJ IDEA and decide which is most suitable for you.
vs
Eclipse vs IntelliJ IDEA
Compare Eclipse and IntelliJ IDEA and decide which is most suitable for you.
vs
Komodo IDE vs IntelliJ IDEA
Compare Komodo IDE and IntelliJ IDEA and decide which is most suitable for you.
vs
NetBeans vs IntelliJ IDEA
Compare NetBeans and IntelliJ IDEA and decide which is most suitable for you.
vs
Peppermint vs IntelliJ IDEA
Compare Peppermint and IntelliJ IDEA and decide which is most suitable for you.
vs
Qt Creator vs IntelliJ IDEA
Compare Qt Creator and IntelliJ IDEA and decide which is most suitable for you.