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Head-to-head · Go IDEs

GoLand vs Kate

  • Updated Nov 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 2 checks side by side
Higher score GoLand #1 in Go IDEs 9.4/10 30-day trial Free trial✓ 1 of 5 features Visit GoLand
Kate #6 in Go IDEs 7.9/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 5 features Visit KDE Kate

GoLand leads on 0 checks, Kate on 1, and 1 is even. Who comes out ahead on the 2 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreGoLand · 9.4/10
  • Free planonly Kate
  • Free trialonly GoLand
  • Most featuresGoLand · 1 of 5

GoLand scores higher on our rubric for go ides: 9.4 against 7.9 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #6.

Kate offers free plan; GoLand doesn't.

GoLand is the better fit for teams wanting a full-featured Go IDE. Kate is the better fit for free users wanting a general-purpose LSP editor.

  • GoLand fits best

    Teams wanting a full-featured Go IDE

  • Kate fits best

    Free users wanting a general-purpose LSP editor

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Side by side

Feature GoLand 9.4/10 Visit ↗ Kate 7.9/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.4 7.9
Ranking #1 in Go IDEs #6 in Go IDEs
Best for Teams wanting a full-featured Go IDE Free users wanting a general-purpose LSP editor
Pricing model Paid Free
Starting price — Free plan
Free plan — ✓ (best)
Free trial 30 days —
Deployment Desktop Desktop
Platforms Windows, macOS, Linux Windows, macOS, Linux
Support Community, Docs Community, Docs
Integrations 10 integrations 6 integrations
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features GoLand 1/5 · Kate 0/5
Go debugger ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Test runner Not checked yet Not checked yet
Go module workflows Not checked yet Not checked yet
Refactoring tools Not checked yet Not checked yet
Remote development Not checked yet Not checked yet
Specs
Supported platforms Not checked yet Linux, BSD, Windows, macOS
Our review
Pros
  • Integrated Go debugging, unit testing, benchmark testing, and fuzz testing
  • Docker, Docker Compose, and Dev Container workflows are built in
  • Supports Windows, macOS, Linux, version control, and issue trackers
  • Free and open source across Linux, Windows, and macOS
  • LSP, DAP, Git, terminal, project search, and plugin support
  • Strong editing tools including splits, macros, and block selection
Cons
  • Paid product with no permanent free plan
  • The product is broader than teams seeking a lightweight Go editor need
  • Advanced capabilities may be more than solo developers require
  • Positioned as a general-purpose text editor rather than a Go-focused IDE
  • Go-specific capabilities are not a central part of its feature set
  • Testing workflow is not a named feature in its core offering
Our verdict

GoLand is JetBrains’ desktop integrated development environment for Go developers. It is designed for individual developers and development teams building Go applications and services, with support for Windows, macOS, and Linux. The core…

Read the review →

Kate is a free, open-source multi-document text editor from KDE for programmers and others who work with text files. It supports tabs, horizontal and vertical splits, syntax highlighting for more than 300 languages, multiple cursors,…

Read the review →
  1. GoLandGo IDEs 9.430-day trial
  2. KateGo IDEs 7.9Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • GoLand — where it wins

    • Integrated Go debugging, unit testing, benchmark testing, and fuzz testing
    • Docker, Docker Compose, and Dev Container workflows are built in
    • Supports Windows, macOS, Linux, version control, and issue trackers

    Where it doesn't

    • Paid product with no permanent free plan
    • The product is broader than teams seeking a lightweight Go editor need
    • Advanced capabilities may be more than solo developers require

  • Kate — where it wins

    • Free and open source across Linux, Windows, and macOS
    • LSP, DAP, Git, terminal, project search, and plugin support
    • Strong editing tools including splits, macros, and block selection

    Where it doesn't

    • Positioned as a general-purpose text editor rather than a Go-focused IDE
    • Go-specific capabilities are not a central part of its feature set
    • Testing workflow is not a named feature in its core offering
  • GoLand9.4/10 · 30-day trial

    A full-featured Go IDE for teams that need editing, debugging, testing, and container workflows.

    Visit GoLandFull verdict →
  • Kate7.9/10 · Free plan

    A free, open-source LSP editor with Git, terminals, plugins, and desktop coverage.

    Visit KDE KateFull verdict →

More comparisons

All go IDEs comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Nov 2026

Last updated · How we research and update