Best Open Source Alternatives to JetBrains IntelliJ

Compare the best free and open-source alternatives to JetBrains IntelliJ — self-hosted and desktop replacements you fully control, ranked by GitHub stars, license and platform support.

Curated by open-source.store · Updated November 2026 · 4 alternatives

JetBrains IntelliJ

Proprietary SaaS

PricingPaid

Platformsmacos, windows, linux

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JetBrains IntelliJ alternatives compared

Open-source alternatives to JetBrains IntelliJ, compared by stars, license and platform
Tool		License	Platforms	Self-hosted
VS Code	194,530	MIT	macOSWindowsLinux	No	Nov 2026	Visit
Neovim	103,310	Apache-2.0	macOSWindowsLinux	No	Nov 2026	Visit
VSCodium	33,919	MIT	macOSWindowsLinux	No	Oct 2026	Visit
IntelliJ IDEA Open	20,702	Apache-2.0	Linux	No	Nov 2026	Visit

Top open-source JetBrains IntelliJ alternatives

VS Code194,530MIT

VS Code is an open-source code editor replacing heavy IDEs with a fast multi-process design, decoupled language servers, and deep remote development.

macOSWindowsLinux

vs JetBrains IntelliJ: a free, open-source option you fully control, licensed MIT.

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Neovim103,310Apache-2.0

Neovim is an open-source modal code editor alternative to JetBrains IntelliJ that pairs native LSP support and Treesitter parsing with terminal efficiency.

macOSWindowsLinux

vs JetBrains IntelliJ: a free, open-source option you fully control, licensed Apache-2.0.

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VSCodium33,919MIT

VSCodium replaces Visual Studio Code with a telemetry-free binary build from source, giving developers full privacy and open-source extension freedom.

macOSWindowsLinux

vs JetBrains IntelliJ: a free, open-source option you fully control, licensed MIT.

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IntelliJ IDEA Open20,702Apache-2.0

IntelliJ IDEA Open replaces paid JetBrains IntelliJ for core Java and Kotlin development with full refactoring, Git tooling, and no seat licenses.

Linux

vs JetBrains IntelliJ: a free, open-source option you fully control, licensed Apache-2.0.

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Best Open Source Alternatives to JetBrains IntelliJ

JetBrains IntelliJ

JetBrains IntelliJ alternatives compared

Top open-source JetBrains IntelliJ alternatives

The modern standard for Protobuf workflows

Mentoring for backend developers. Consulting for startups.