IntelliJ IDEA vs Spring Tools for Eclipse

IntelliJ IDEA9.4Visit Spring Tools for Eclipse8.1Visit

Higher score IntelliJ IDEA #1 in Java IDEs 9.4/10 Free plan · 30-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 0 of 5 features Visit IntelliJ IDEA

vs

Spring Tools for Eclipse #6 in Java IDEs 8.1/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 5 features Visit Spring Tools

• IntelliJ IDEA fits best

  Professional Java and JVM development

• Spring Tools for Eclipse fits best

  Spring Boot development with Eclipse

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature	IntelliJ IDEA 9.4/10 Visit ↗	Spring Tools for Eclipse 8.1/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.4	8.1
Ranking	#1 in Java IDEs	#6 in Java IDEs
Best for	Professional Java and JVM development	Spring Boot development with Eclipse
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Free
Starting price	Free plan · 30-day trial	Free
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	30 days	—
Deployment	Desktop	Desktop
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows, macOS, Linux
Support	Docs	Community, Docs
Integrations	11 integrations	7 integrations
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features IntelliJ IDEA 0/5 · Spring Tools for Eclipse 2/5
Spring support	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Jakarta EE support	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
JavaFX support	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Remote development	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Database tools	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Specs
Supported operating systems	windows, macos, linux	Windows, macOS, Linux
Our review
Pros	Integrated debugging, testing, coverage, inspections, and refactoring Maven, Gradle, Ant, Gant, Git, Docker, and Kubernetes integrations Supports remote development, Dev Containers, databases, and HTTP workflows	Spring-aware navigation, completion, validation, and quick fixes Boot Dashboard and live Spring Boot Actuator information Free, open-source distribution for Windows, macOS, and Linux
Cons	Advanced Spring, web, database, and profiling tools require Ultimate The breadth of tooling may exceed the needs of simple Java projects Professional teams must evaluate the paid Ultimate feature set separately	Specialized for Spring rather than broad standalone Java development Requires an Eclipse-based workflow AI feature details are not part of the product description
Our verdict	IntelliJ IDEA is a desktop integrated development environment for Java and Kotlin development. It is aimed at professional developers who need one workspace for writing, navigating, refactoring, debugging, testing, building, and managing… Read the review →	Spring Tools for Eclipse is a free, open-source Eclipse distribution and extension set for developing Spring Framework and Spring Boot applications. It is aimed at developers who want Spring-specific assistance within Eclipse, including… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• IntelliJ IDEA — where it wins

  • Integrated debugging, testing, coverage, inspections, and refactoring
  • Maven, Gradle, Ant, Gant, Git, Docker, and Kubernetes integrations
  • Supports remote development, Dev Containers, databases, and HTTP workflows

  Where it doesn't

  • Advanced Spring, web, database, and profiling tools require Ultimate
  • The breadth of tooling may exceed the needs of simple Java projects
  • Professional teams must evaluate the paid Ultimate feature set separately

• Spring Tools for Eclipse — where it wins

  • Spring-aware navigation, completion, validation, and quick fixes
  • Boot Dashboard and live Spring Boot Actuator information
  • Free, open-source distribution for Windows, macOS, and Linux

  Where it doesn't

  • Specialized for Spring rather than broad standalone Java development
  • Requires an Eclipse-based workflow
  • AI feature details are not part of the product description

• IntelliJ IDEA9.4/10 · Free plan · 30-day trial

  A broad Java and JVM workspace with strong debugging, testing, and build-tool support.

  Visit IntelliJ IDEAFull verdict →
• Spring Tools for Eclipse8.1/10 · Free plan

  A focused Eclipse distribution for Spring and Spring Boot development.

  Visit Spring ToolsFull verdict →