CLion vs Qt Creator

CLion9.0Visit Qt Creator8.8Visit

Higher score CLion #5 in Integrated Development Environments 9.0/10 Free plan · 30-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 4 of 5 features Visit JetBrains

vs

Qt Creator #7 in Integrated Development Environments 8.8/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 5 of 5 features Visit Qt Creator

• CLion fits best

  Professional C and C++ development

• Qt Creator fits best

  Qt and cross-device C++ teams

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Side by side

Feature	CLion 9.0/10 Visit ↗	Qt Creator 8.8/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.0	8.8
Ranking	#5 in Integrated Development Environments	#7 in Integrated Development Environments
Best for	Professional C and C++ development	Qt and cross-device C++ teams
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Free plan + paid
Starting price	—	€546/user/yr
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	30 days	—
Deployment	Desktop	Desktop
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows, macOS, Linux
Support	Tickets, Community, Docs	Docs
Integrations	20 integrations	15 integrations
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features CLion 4/5 · Qt Creator 5/5
Integrated debugger	✓	✓
Integrated testing tools	✓	✓
Build tools	✓	✓
Project management	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Dev container support	✓	✓
Specs
Supported operating systems	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Supports CMake, Makefiles, Gradle, Meson, and compilation databases Integrated GDB and LLDB debugging with core dump support Covers testing, containers, remote, embedded, and version control workflows	Supports C++, QML, project management, builds, debugging, and testing Works across Windows, macOS, and Linux Covers desktop, mobile, embedded, and remote-device deployment
Cons	Commercial licensing varies by individual or organization use The non-commercial license is limited to qualifying non-commercial use Its broad feature set may exceed the needs of simpler C/C++ projects	Paid application development starts at €546 per user per year Paid prices cover Qt licenses that include Qt Creator Its broadest value is tied to Qt-centered development workflows
Our verdict	CLion is JetBrains’ cross-platform integrated development environment for C and C++ development. It is aimed at professional developers and teams working across Windows, macOS, and Linux, with tools for code completion, navigation, static… Read the review →	Qt Creator is a cross-platform integrated development environment for building desktop, embedded, and mobile applications with Qt. It supports C++, QML, and Python workflows, with project creation and management, code editing, build… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• CLion — where it wins

  • Supports CMake, Makefiles, Gradle, Meson, and compilation databases
  • Integrated GDB and LLDB debugging with core dump support
  • Covers testing, containers, remote, embedded, and version control workflows

  Where it doesn't

  • Commercial licensing varies by individual or organization use
  • The non-commercial license is limited to qualifying non-commercial use
  • Its broad feature set may exceed the needs of simpler C/C++ projects

• Qt Creator — where it wins

  • Supports C++, QML, project management, builds, debugging, and testing
  • Works across Windows, macOS, and Linux
  • Covers desktop, mobile, embedded, and remote-device deployment

  Where it doesn't

  • Paid application development starts at €546 per user per year
  • Paid prices cover Qt licenses that include Qt Creator
  • Its broadest value is tied to Qt-centered development workflows

• CLion9.0/10 · Free plan · 30-day trial

  A full-featured C/C++ IDE with broad build, debugging, testing, and remote workflows.

  Visit JetBrainsFull verdict →
• Qt Creator8.8/10 · Free plan

  A broad C++ and QML IDE for Qt teams building across desktop, mobile, and devices.

  Visit Qt CreatorFull verdict →