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JetBrains
JetBrains
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JetBrains s.r.o. (formerly IntelliJ Software s.r.o.) is a Czech[3] software development private limited company which makes tools for software developers and project managers.[4][5] The company has its headquarters in Amsterdam, and has offices in China, Europe, and the United States.[6]

Key Information

Jetbrains offers a variety of integrated development environments (IDEs), such as IntelliJ IDEA, PyCharm, WebStorm and CLion. It also created in 2011 the Kotlin programming language, which can run in a Java virtual machine (JVM).[7]

InfoWorld magazine awarded the firm "Technology of the Year Award" in 2011 and 2015.[8][9]

History

[edit]
JetBrains logo used from 2005 to 2016
JetBrains logo used since 2016

JetBrains, initially called IntelliJ Software,[10][11] was founded in 2000 in Prague by three Russian software developers:[12] Sergey Dmitriev, Valentin Kipyatkov and Eugene Belyaev.[13] The company's first product was IntelliJ Renamer, a tool for code refactoring in Java.[5]

In 2012 CEO Sergey Dmitriev was replaced by Oleg Stepanov and Maxim Shafirov.[14][15]

In 2021 The New York Times stated that unknown parties might have embedded malware in JetBrains' TeamCity CI/CD software that led to the SolarWinds hack and other widespread security compromises.[16] In a press release, JetBrains said they had not been contacted by any government or security agency and had not "taken part or been involved in this attack in any way".[17] The CEO of one of the affected companies, SolarWinds, "asked about the possibility that software tools made by JetBrains, which speeds the development and testing of code, was the pathway".[18]

In response to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the company suspended sales and R&D activities in Russia indefinitely as well as sales in Belarus.[19][20] JetBrains' Russian legal entity was liquidated on 21 February 2023.[21]

In September 2023, JetBrains acquired the company Code Buddy and its two main products, JPA Buddy and React Buddy. The tools were integrated into IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate and the team joined JetBrains to continue their development.[22]

Effective 1 February 2024, Kirill Skrygan replaced Maxim Shafirov as CEO.[1]

Financial performance

[edit]

JetBrains has achieved significant financial growth without external funding.[23] The company reported 5.6% revenue growth in 2023,[24] following 11% growth in 2022.[25] JetBrains is profitable with $200 million in EBITDA generated in 2020.[26] The company has never raised external capital.[27]

Products

[edit]

IDEs

[edit]

The following is a non-exhaustive list of integrated development environments (IDEs) distributed by JetBrains.

Name Description
Android Studio Made with cooperation of Google for the Android programming tools.
AppCode Supports programming in C, C++, Objective-C and Swift. Unlike most JetBrains products, that are cross-platform, AppCode is only available for macOS. JetBrains announced that AppCode is being sunsetted but received technical support until 31 December 2023.[28]
Aqua A test automation IDE that supports unit tests, UI tests and API tests.
CLion CLion (pronounced "sea lion") is a C and C++ IDE for Linux, macOS, and Windows integrated with the CMake build system.[29][30] The initial version supports GNU Compiler Collection (GCC) and Clang compilers and GDB debugger, LLDB and Google Test.[31]
DataGrip A database administration tool for SQL databases. Other data stores are also accessible via plugin functionality.
DataSpell A data science tool for Jupyter Notebooks and Python.[32]
DevEco Studio Official IDE for Huawei HarmonyOS.
Fleet Multi-purpose IDE, with support for collaboration and remote workflows.[33]
GoLand For Go development.[34][35]
IntelliJ IDEA For Java virtual machine–based languages such as Java, Groovy, Kotlin, and Scala. An open-source version is available under the name IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition, and a proprietary version as IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate Edition.
PhpStorm For PHP.[36]
PyCharm For Python. An open-source version is available as PyCharm Community Edition, and a proprietary version as PyCharm Professional Edition.[37] For students, JetBrains has also developed PyCharm Education.[38]
Rider For .NET (primarily C# and F#) development[39] and game development with Unity (C#) and Unreal Engine (C++)[40]
RubyMine For Ruby and Ruby on Rails.
RustRover For Rust.
WebStorm For web, JavaScript and TypeScript development. Many of JetBrains's other IDEs include the feature set of WebStorm via plugins.
Writerside Technical writing IDE.

The JetBrains Marketplace offers 8,860 plugins that extend the functionality of JetBrains IDEs.[41]

Programming languages

[edit]

Kotlin is an open-source, statically typed programming language that runs on the Java Virtual Machine and also compiles to JavaScript or native code (via LLVM).[42] The name comes from the Kotlin Island, near St. Petersburg.[43]

JetBrains MPS is an open-source language workbench for domain-specific languages.[44]

Ktor is a Kotlin-based programming framework for developing "connected applications", using the same framework on both server (JVM) and client (JavaScript, Android, and iOS).[45]

Team tools

[edit]

TeamCity is a continuous integration and continuous delivery server developed by JetBrains. It is a server-based web application written in Java. The New York Times reported that TeamCity may have been used by Russian hackers of US governmental and private agencies, in potentially "the biggest breach of United States networks in history".[16]

Upsource is a code review and repository browsing tool supporting Git, GitHub, Mercurial, Perforce and/or Subversion repositories from a central location. JetBrains released a new developer collaboration tool, Space, in 2019.[46][47] It began sunsetting Upsource in 2022, officially ending support for the product in January 2023.[48] In May 2024, a rebranding from Space to SpaceCode is initiated for the platform to focus on Git hosting and code reviews.[49]

YouTrack is a proprietary, commercial web-based bug tracker, issue tracking system, and project management software developed by JetBrains.[50]

Qodana is a code quality analysis tool that uses static code analysis to help with users with code reviews, building quality gates, and the implementation of code quality guidelines.[51] It was publicly launched in July 2023 and can be used with IDEs in JetBrains's ecosystem, has CI/CD pipeline integration, while supporting code analysis in over 60 programming languages.[52]

AI-powered tools

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JetBrains AI Assistant is a feature integrated into most JetBrains IDEs. It provides AI-powered code completion, explains code, generates documentation, and suggests refactorings. The assistant uses models from OpenAI and Google, as well as proprietary models developed by JetBrains, to provide its functionality.[53]

Mellum is a 4-billion-parameter large language model created by JetBrains and released under the Apache 2.0 license. It was trained on a dataset of permissively licensed source code and is designed to be a "focal model" specializing in code completion and other coding-related tasks. It serves as one of the models powering the AI Assistant.[54]

Others

[edit]

Datalore is a web application for data analysis and visualization, which is focused specifically on the machine learning environment in Python.[55] JetBrains Academy[56] is an online platform to learn programming, including such programming languages as Python, Java, and Kotlin. The Academy was introduced by JetBrains in 2019, and reached 200,000 users by July 2020.[57][58] Certifications were added in November 2021 after community feedback prioritized verifiability of the work done on projects.[59] JetBrains has also developed the EduTools plugin for students, which is compatible with IntelliJ IDEA (Ultimate, Community, Educational), Android Studio, CLion, GoLand, PhpStorm, PyCharm (Professional, Community, Educational), WebStorm.[38]

JetBrains AI is a plugin developed by JetBrains that has been added to every IDE and integrates an AI assistant with AI-powered auto-completion and a chatbot. It comes with multiple AI models integrated with OpenAI's models and Anthropic's models.[60]

Open source projects

[edit]

In 2009, JetBrains open-sourced the core functionality of IntelliJ IDEA by offering the free Community Edition.[61][62] It is built on the IntelliJ Platform and includes its sources. JetBrains released both under Apache License 2.0.[63] In 2010, Android support became a part of the Community Edition,[64] and two years later Google announced[65] its Android Studio, the IDE for mobile development on Android platform built on the Community Edition of IntelliJ IDEA and an official alternative to Eclipse Android Developer Tool.[66] After two years of development JetBrains open-sourced Kotlin in February 2012. In June 2015, it was announced that the support of Eclipse ADT would be discontinued making Android Studio the official tool for Android App development.[67]

JetBrains Mono

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In January 2020, JetBrains released a geometric monospaced font called JetBrains Mono, made the default font for their IDEs, under the Apache License 2.0.[68][69] The font is designed for reading source code by being optimized for reading vertically with support for programming ligatures.[70][71]

JetBrains is also an active sponsor of other open-source projects and foundations. The company is a contributing member of the Scala Center Advisory Board,[72] and a Silver Member of the Rust Foundation.[73]

Mellum

[edit]

In April 2025, JetBrains released Mellum, an open-source coding model with 4 billion parameters. JetBrains trained Mellum on a collection of datasets licensed under Apache 2.0.[74][75][76]

Financials and Business Model

[edit]

As a private company, JetBrains does not disclose detailed financial statements. However, its annual highlight reports indicate consistent growth. In its 2023 highlights, the company reported a 5.6% year-over-year revenue growth and noted 11.4 million recurring active users.[77] This followed an 11% revenue growth in 2022, when the company reported having 15.9 million users.[78]

The company's business model is primarily based on software subscriptions. In recent years, JetBrains has adjusted its model in response to market trends. This includes making more of its IDEs available with free, non-commercial licenses, such as for RustRover, and unifying its flagship IDE, IntelliJ IDEA, to offer a single download with both free and paid features.[79]

Partnerships

[edit]

JetBrains maintains partnerships with more than 140 resellers and numerous technology partners worldwide.[80] According to partnership data, JetBrains has 49 partners, including 41 technology partners and 8 channel partners, with Salesforce as its largest partner.[81]

Google Cloud

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JetBrains has an active technology partnership with Google Cloud.[82] In 2022, the companies partnered to deliver integration between Google Cloud Workstations and JetBrains remote development, allowing developers to use JetBrains IDEs with Google Cloud's managed development environments.[83]

In 2024, JetBrains extended its collaboration with Google Cloud to integrate Google's Gemini models into JetBrains AI Assistant, making it the first tool of its kind to combine functionality from OpenAI's GPT-4o, Gemini, and JetBrains' proprietary models.[84]

Other collaborations

[edit]

JetBrains participates in various strategic collaborations including the Java Community Process Executive Committee, Kotlin Foundation, and supports JUnit 5. The company also partners with Unity for RiderFlow and GitLab to optimize review experiences.[24]

Community and education initiatives

[edit]

JetBrains provides extensive support to educational institutions and the developer community. In 2024, 1,840,580 students and 94,041 teachers benefited from complimentary JetBrains educational packs, while 954,277 students received special discounts for license renewal upon graduation.[24] Additionally, 2,172 schools and universities received 190,459 educational subscriptions for classroom assistance, and 26,100 students from 596 training courses and boot camps received free subscriptions.[24]

The company supports the open source community with 5,952 projects receiving 11,364 complimentary licenses. Through the User Group Support Program, 611 tech communities from 89 countries and regions obtained 3,916 licenses. The Developer Recognition Program honored 1,284 community experts with complimentary All Products Pack subscriptions. Additionally, 12,615 customers benefited from the Startup discount, and JetBrains sponsored 155 IT events.[24]

JetBrains conducts annual Developer Ecosystem surveys to understand industry trends. The 2024 survey was based on input from 23,262 developers and provides insights into programming language usage, development practices, and industry trends.[85]

Educational and research projects

[edit]

Before the Russian invasion of Ukraine started - between 2012 and 2021 - the company ran and supported several educational and research projects in Russia, often in partnership with universities and other organizations, including:

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

JetBrains

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia

JetBrains s.r.o. is a private software company founded in 2000 in Prague, Czech Republic, by Russian engineers Sergey Dmitriev, Valentin Kipyatkov, and Eugene Belyaev. The firm specializes in creating intelligent tools for software developers, most notably integrated development environments (IDEs) like IntelliJ IDEA—the leading IDE for Java—and the Kotlin programming language, which has gained prominence for its conciseness and multiplatform capabilities, including official endorsement by Google for Android development. Headquartered in Prague with over 2,200 employees across global offices, JetBrains has bootstrapped its growth to serve more than 15 million users and 287,000 business customers, earning over 115 international awards for its products without relying on venture capital funding. Its defining characteristics include a focus on high-quality, productivity-enhancing software built using its own tools, fostering innovations in code analysis, refactoring, and cross-platform development.

History

Founding and Early Development (2000–2005)

JetBrains was established in , , in 2000 by three Russian software developers—Sergey Dmitriev, , and Eugene Belyaev—who had previously collaborated at Together Soft, a company focused on visual modeling tools. Initially operating under the name IntelliJ Software, the founders bootstrapped the venture without external funding, driven by a goal to develop superior tools for programmers frustrated with existing IDE limitations in refactoring and code navigation. The company's headquarters remained in , reflecting the founders' relocation from to leverage the Czech Republic's business environment. The core product, , emerged as the flagship offering, with its inaugural version released in January 2001 as a commercial IDE emphasizing intelligent code assistance, refactoring capabilities, and plugin extensibility—features that differentiated it from competitors like . This early iteration supported JDK 1.3 and introduced automated code generation and navigation tools, addressing pain points in large-scale development. By mid-2002, JetBrains formalized its structure with the incorporation of JetBrains s.r.o. on January 2, while continuing to iterate on IDEA, such as version 2.6 in June 2002, which added JDK 1.4 compatibility. From 2003 to 2005, the company concentrated on enhancing IntelliJ IDEA's stability and feature set, including improved debugging, version control integration, and UI customization, fostering adoption among professional developers despite the absence of a free edition until later years. Bootstrapped growth allowed full control over product direction, with revenue generated through perpetual licenses priced around $499 for professional use. This period solidified JetBrains' reputation for high-quality, paid developer tools, though it operated with a small team primarily in Prague before gradual office expansions.

Expansion and Product Diversification (2006–2015)

In 2006, JetBrains extended its product line beyond IDEs into and build management with , enabling automated build, testing, and deployment processes for development teams. The company also advanced its .NET tools, releasing ReSharper 2.5 in December, which added support for .NET Framework 3.0 and Windows Presentation Foundation, reflecting ongoing adaptation to evolving technologies. These developments broadened JetBrains' focus from code editing and refactoring to encompass team-oriented workflow automation, supporting larger-scale software projects. Diversification accelerated in the late and early as JetBrains targeted emerging languages and paradigms. In 2010, it announced a public preview of , a Python-specific IDE, with version 1.0 released later that year to capitalize on Python's rising adoption in data science and web development. This was followed in 2011 by WebStorm for , , and CSS workflows, and AppCode for and iOS/macOS development, establishing language-specialized IDEs as a core strategy. Additionally, JetBrains introduced in 2010 as an issue tracker and project management tool, further filling gaps in the software lifecycle beyond coding. A pivotal innovation occurred in July 2011 with the unveiling of Project Kotlin, a pragmatic, statically typed programming language for the JVM designed to remedy Java's verbosity and null safety issues while ensuring full interoperability. Open-sourced under the Apache 2.0 license in February 2012, Kotlin integrated seamlessly with and laid groundwork for future ecosystem expansion. In 2009, JetBrains released the source code for Community Edition under Apache 2.0, fostering community contributions and wider adoption without compromising its commercial edition. Company growth paralleled product expansion, with JetBrains relocating its to a larger facility in October 2012 to support an increasing workforce amid organic, funding-free scaling. U.S. presence strengthened through offices in Foster City and Marlton, enhancing sales and support in key markets. By 2015, this period had transformed JetBrains from a niche IDE provider into a multifaceted covering IDEs, build tools, trackers, and languages, serving millions of developers across diverse stacks.

Recent Growth and AI Focus (2016–Present)

In February 2016, JetBrains released Kotlin 1.0, the first stable version of its open-source programming language targeting the JVM and Android platforms. Kotlin's momentum built further when Google announced official first-class support for the language in Android development on May 17, 2017. These developments fueled product adoption and organizational expansion, with the company adding 110 new employees that year. JetBrains maintained consistent double-digit revenue growth into the , reaching over 1,500 employees across nine global offices by 2020. In 2022, revenue rose 11% year-over-year, alongside a 24% increase in user numbers. By 2023, the active user base had expanded to 11.4 million, supported by 88 Fortune Global 100 companies among its customers, while the team grew to 2,245 members and revenue advanced 5.6%. That year, JetBrains introduced five new products, including the RustRover IDE for development. From 2023 onward, JetBrains intensified its focus on AI to enhance developer productivity. The company launched JetBrains AI Assistant in December 2023, an in-IDE tool powered by large language models for tasks like code generation, explanation, testing, and chat-based assistance. This became the fastest-growing product in JetBrains' lineup, with 2024 updates adding multimodal capabilities and expanded model support. AI integrations extended to core IDEs, enabling features such as acting as an MCP server for third-party AI agents in 2025.2, alongside privacy-focused enterprise plans. CEO Kirill Skrygan has highlighted AI's transformative impact on , urging developers to upskill amid evolving tools. Specialized AI advancements include DataSpell's shift to an AI-first environment for in its 2025.2 release. These efforts align with broader industry trends, as evidenced by JetBrains' 2024 Developer Ecosystem report documenting rising AI adoption among 23,000 surveyed developers.

Products and Technologies

Integrated Development Environments

JetBrains produces a family of specialized integrated development environments (IDEs) constructed on the IntelliJ Platform, which supplies foundational capabilities including context-aware , automated refactoring, inline , and seamless integration with systems like . These IDEs target specific programming languages or workflows, offering out-of-the-box support for building, testing, and deploying applications while minimizing the need for external plugins through built-in tools for tasks such as database management and . The platform's modularity enables shared enhancements across products, such as AI-assisted code generation introduced in recent versions. IntelliJ IDEA serves as the cornerstone IDE, optimized for and Kotlin development, with features like advanced code navigation, integration, and support for Java 25 as of 2025 updates. It is available in a free Community Edition for core functionality and a paid Ultimate Edition that includes enterprise tools like web development plugins and database connectivity. Surveys indicate that IntelliJ IDEA holds an 84% share among IDE users in 2025 and 78% preference among developers. Other prominent IDEs include PyCharm for Python, featuring Jupyter notebook integration and scientific computing tools; WebStorm for JavaScript, TypeScript, and front-end frameworks like React; PhpStorm for PHP with Symfony and Laravel support; CLion for C and C++ with CMake integration; GoLand for Go programming; and Rider for .NET languages like C# and F#. Each provides language-specific inspections, refactoring, and debugging tailored to its domain, with cross-IDE consistency in user interface and extensibility via the JetBrains Marketplace. DataSpell targets data science workflows with R and Jupyter support, while DataGrip focuses on database querying and schema management across SQL dialects. Adoption of these IDEs stems from their performance in large codebases and productivity features, though they require more resources than lightweight editors like VS Code. JetBrains maintains free tiers for select IDEs, such as Community and Community, under open-source licenses, while professional editions operate on subscription models starting at approximately $149 annually per user as of 2025. Recent innovations include Fleet, a polyglot editor emphasizing speed and remote development, still in beta with free access.

Programming Languages and Runtimes

Kotlin is the primary programming language developed by JetBrains, introduced as a modern, concise alternative to for the JVM while emphasizing full , null , and reduced . Development of Kotlin began in , with the first public preview released in July 2011 and the language open-sourced under the Apache 2.0 license in February 2012; its first stable release, version 1.0, arrived on February 15, 2016. Kotlin's design prioritizes pragmatic features like extension functions, coroutines for asynchronous programming, and , enabling it to compile to multiple runtimes while maintaining compatibility with existing codebases. Kotlin targets the (JVM) as its foundational runtime, producing bytecode that runs on any JVM-compliant environment, including standard or JetBrains' customized JetBrains Runtime, an OpenJDK fork optimized for IDE performance. This JVM target supports server-side applications, Android development (where Kotlin has been Google's preferred language since 2017), and , leveraging the mature JVM ecosystem for garbage collection, just-in-time compilation, and libraries. For web development, Kotlin compiles to JavaScript via Kotlin/JS, allowing shared code between client-side browsers and server-side JVM backends, with access to ecosystems and frameworks like React. In addition to JVM and , Kotlin/Native enables compilation to native binaries using the compiler infrastructure, producing standalone executables that run without a or garbage collector dependency on supported platforms such as , macOS, Windows, , and embedded systems. This runtime targets scenarios requiring high performance or small footprints, such as desktop apps via Kotlin Multiplatform or low-level , with to C libraries through Kotlin's . Kotlin Multiplatform extends these runtimes by allowing a single codebase to share across JVM, , Native, and even WebAssembly targets, with platform-specific code handled via expect/actual declarations. As of Kotlin 2.0 in May 2024, enhancements include improved stable IR () for all targets, boosting compilation speed and cross-platform consistency. JetBrains maintains Kotlin's core compiler and , with ongoing optimizations like collaborations for JVM latency reductions. No other full-fledged programming languages have been developed by JetBrains beyond Kotlin and its ecosystem extensions.

Team Collaboration and DevOps Tools

JetBrains offers a suite of tools designed to facilitate team collaboration and streamline workflows, emphasizing integration with its IDEs and support for agile practices. These include for and (), for issue tracking and , and Code With Me for real-time collaborative coding. TeamCity, first released on October 2, 2006, serves as a Java-based server that automates build, test, and deployment processes for software projects. It supports flexible workflows through features such as build chain visualization, parallel execution on distributed agents, and configuration as code, allowing teams to manage pipelines via systems like . Additional capabilities include out-of-the-box support for , code quality inspection, and deployment , with recent updates in 2025 introducing integrated pipelines for on-premises and environments. TeamCity integrates natively with JetBrains IDEs and other tools, enabling developers to trigger builds directly from code editors and monitor results in real-time, which reduces context switching in pipelines. YouTrack functions as a browser-based issue tracker and project management platform, adaptable to various workflows including agile, , and Scrum. It provides tools for task creation, agile boards, time tracking, Gantt charts, and reporting, with built-in support for handling large volumes of issues, attachments, and custom workflows via scripts or apps. YouTrack emphasizes team collaboration through features like notifications, integration, and portals, allowing diverse teams to track progress and analyze performance metrics across 20 predefined report types. Available in and on-premises editions, it supports mobile access and integrates with systems for linking issues to code changes. Code With Me enables and collaborative development by allowing users to share IDE sessions securely, with guests following edits, running , and debugging in real-time without needing full IDE licenses. It supports on-premises deployment for enterprise security needs and integrates with JetBrains Gateway for remote development environments. JetBrains previously offered as an all-in-one platform combining reviews, issue tracking, repositories, and team communication, launched on December 5, 2019. However, due to limited adoption, JetBrains announced on May 27, 2024, the discontinuation of in its original form, pivoting to SpaceCode—a focused tool for hosting and reviews—while migrating select features into other products. Existing users received options for data export or transition to alternatives like and .

AI-Powered Developer Assistants

JetBrains AI Assistant, publicly released on December 6, 2023, integrates large language models directly into its integrated development environments (IDEs) to enhance developer productivity through features like context-aware code completion, generation of code snippets or entire functions, automated test creation, and explanatory commentary on code fragments. The tool supports refactoring suggestions, documentation writing, commit message generation, and an in-IDE chat interface for querying codebases, debugging issues, or generating terminal commands, with responses tailored to the project's context and coding style. It became generally available alongside the 2023.3 IDE updates for products including IntelliJ IDEA, PyCharm, and CLion, and extends to plugins for Visual Studio Code and Android Studio. The AI Assistant leverages external models such as those from and —with Claude Agent integration added in September 2025, enabling selection of Claude Agent as a model in the AI Chat tool window for code generation, analysis, and edits, which requires a JetBrains AI subscription—alongside JetBrains' proprietary Mellum , optimized specifically for code completion tasks and introduced in early 2025 to improve accuracy in generating syntactically correct code aligned with project conventions. Additionally, the Claude Code [Beta] plugin, available from the JetBrains Marketplace, integrates Claude Code for features such as diff previews and code sharing, and is compatible with IDEs including Android Studio. Access requires a subscription tier: a free limited version accompanies IDE licenses, while paid plans like AI Pro (10 credits per 30 days for $100 annually) and AI Ultimate (35 credits) enable heavier usage, with credits governing API calls to underlying models. Enterprise editions provide additional controls for security, compliance, and on-premises deployment. In January 2025, JetBrains announced Junie, an agentic AI coding agent designed for autonomous task execution within IDEs, capable of planning multi-step workflows, writing and refining code, running tests, executing commands, and iterating on changes to resolve errors or warnings without direct human intervention. Unlike the reactive assistance of AI Assistant, Junie operates in "code mode" for independent implementation of developer-specified goals—such as building features or fixing bugs—and "ask mode" for collaborative brainstorming or querying, with built-in verification steps to ensure functional outcomes. Initially launched in preview for macOS and users of IntelliJ IDEA-based IDEs on January 23, 2025, it expanded via plugin to broader support, emphasizing and integration with tools like systems. Junie incorporates advanced models including GPT-5 for enhanced reasoning and has been positioned as a "coding partner" to accelerate complex tasks while maintaining developer oversight.

Additional Utilities and Frameworks

JetBrains offers a suite of specialized utilities that complement its core development tools, including the Toolbox App for streamlined management of software installations and updates, profiling instruments for analysis, and the Meta Programming System (MPS) for development. The Toolbox App, launched on May 25, 2016, enables users to install, update, and configure multiple JetBrains IDEs and plugins from a centralized interface, supporting automatic updates, rollback options, and integration with project directories across different tools. Profiling utilities such as dotTrace and dotMemory target .NET applications, providing detailed insights into performance bottlenecks and memory usage. dotTrace, a performance profiler, analyzes execution time for methods, SQL queries, HTTP requests, and unit tests, helping developers identify and resolve slowdowns in production-like environments. dotMemory focuses on memory profiling, capturing snapshots to detect leaks, excessive allocations, and garbage collection issues, with built-in unit testing support for automated verification. These tools integrate seamlessly with IDEs like Rider and ReSharper, forming part of the dotUltimate bundle, and include command-line options for CI/CD pipelines. The Meta Programming System (MPS) serves as a framework for constructing custom domain-specific languages (DSLs) through projectional editing, where users define syntax, semantics, and generators without traditional parsing. Introduced as an open-source project, MPS supports by allowing modular DSL creation, code generation to target languages like or Kotlin, and interoperability with existing codebases via Java libraries. It includes IDE features such as completion, refactoring, and error checking, facilitating rapid prototyping of tailored notations for complex domains like business rules or scientific modeling. As of version 2025.2, MPS emphasizes extensible DSLs deployable immediately for model-to-text transformations. Additional decompilation and coverage tools, such as dotPeek and dotCover, extend these utilities for and testing. dotPeek decompiles .NET assemblies into readable C# or IL code, aiding and library inspection without source access. dotCover measures during unit tests, integrating with frameworks like and MSTest to report line, branch, and method metrics. These components enhance developer workflows by addressing diagnostics and outside primary IDE functionalities.

Open Source Contributions

Kotlin Ecosystem and Adoption

The Kotlin ecosystem comprises the language's core standard library, which extends Java utilities with null safety and extension functions; concurrency support through coroutines for lightweight asynchronous programming; and frameworks such as Ktor for asynchronous server and client applications, Exposed for type-safe SQL interactions, and Arrow for functional programming abstractions. These components facilitate development on the JVM while maintaining full Java interoperability, with additional tooling for data science via Kotlin DataFrame and serialization libraries like kotlinx.serialization. Kotlin Multiplatform (KMP) extends the ecosystem by compiling to multiple targets including JVM, , Native, and Android, enabling shared business logic and reducing platform-specific code duplication; it achieved stable status in 2023. Compose Multiplatform builds on this for declarative UI across desktop, mobile, web, and embedded systems, integrating with JetBrains IDEs for optimized workflows. The open-source nature, governed partly by the Kotlin Foundation, fosters community contributions, though JetBrains maintains primary development and tooling integration. Adoption expanded significantly after Google announced Kotlin as a first-class language for Android on May 17, 2017, during , prompting widespread migration from due to its conciseness and reduced boilerplate. By 2025, Kotlin supports over 2.5 million developers worldwide. Among Kotlin users, 66% apply it to Android development, reflecting its dominance in mobile; JetBrains surveys indicate 76-79% of these users previously relied on , with rapid onboarding of newcomers comprising nearly 24% of the community. Server-side usage, often with or , accounts for about 40% of Kotlin applications, showing steady but slower growth compared to mobile due to entrenched ecosystems in enterprise backends. Multiplatform adoption accelerates for cross-platform logic sharing, with KMP usage up 65% year-over-year in some metrics. Enterprises like , , AWS, , , and deploy Kotlin for Android apps, backend services, and shared modules—Forbes shares over 80% of app logic via KMP—prioritizing its compile-time safety and performance over 's verbosity.

Typography and Developer Fonts

JetBrains developed JetBrains Mono, a monospaced optimized for programming and terminal use, released on January 15, 2020. Designed in collaboration with type designers from the JetBrains team and external contributors, it emphasizes at small sizes through features like a high for lowercase letters, reduced visual noise via simplified glyph forms, and balanced whitespace to minimize during extended coding sessions. The font includes 142 programming-specific ligatures—such as combined forms for operators like !=, ==, and =>—that enhance code legibility without altering semantics, alongside contextual alternates for distinguishing similar characters like 0 and O, or l and 1. Distributed under the open-source SIL Open Font License 1.1 (OFL-1.1), JetBrains Mono permits free use in commercial and non-commercial projects, with modifications allowed under license terms. It supports Latin, Cyrillic, and Greek scripts, with version 2.2 adding full Cyrillic coverage; the family comprises eight weights (from Thin to ExtraBold) plus matching italics, and variable font formats for efficient web and app deployment. Integrated into JetBrains IDEs since version 2019.3, it became a default option for code editors, contributing to its adoption in tools like Visual Studio Code via extensions. Updates continue via GitHub releases, with version 2.304 issued on January 14, 2023, incorporating fixes for rendering and glyph consistency. Beyond core design, JetBrains Mono incorporates developer-centric optimizations such as slightly taller glyphs for better vertical rhythm in code blocks and subtle curves in terminals to reduce pixel on low-DPI displays. Its open-source nature has fostered community contributions, including expanded ligature sets and script support, positioning it as a benchmark for monospaced fonts in developer workflows alongside competitors like Fira Code. JetBrains maintains the project repository on , ensuring ongoing compatibility with evolving IDE features and hardware rendering advancements.

Protocol and Infrastructure Projects

JetBrains has developed and contributed to open-source protocols enabling seamless integration of AI agents and models with development environments, particularly through the Agent Client Protocol (ACP) and Model Context Protocol (MCP). These efforts reflect a focus on standardizing interactions between IDEs and external AI capabilities, allowing agents to execute tasks like code analysis and tool invocation without proprietary lock-in. The Agent Client Protocol (ACP), initiated as an under the Apache 2.0 license, facilitates communication between code editors and AI coding agents, treating agents as subprocesses to assist with user tasks directly within the editor. In October 2025, JetBrains joined collaborators Zed Industries and to co-develop and adopt ACP, committing to native support across its IDE portfolio, including and , to enable interoperability with any ACP-compatible agent. This protocol addresses fragmentation in AI tooling by providing a universal interface, with JetBrains' involvement ensuring compatibility for enterprise-scale deployments as of its announcement on October 6, 2025. Complementing ACP, JetBrains supports the Model Context Protocol (MCP), a framework for connecting large language models to IDE-hosted tools and data sources, such as executing terminal commands or run configurations without repeated user prompts. Introduced in 2025.1 on May 14, 2025, MCP server functionality is configurable via IDE settings, with JetBrains maintaining an open-source proxy server repository on (JetBrains/mcp-jetbrains) that bridges external clients—like VS Code or containerized environments—to JetBrains IDEs including . This server, released to enhance LLM extensibility, supports actions like file operations and debugging, positioning MCP as infrastructure for AI-augmented workflows. On the infrastructure front, JetBrains maintains the IntelliJ Platform as a core open-source project, providing modular components—including virtual file systems, text editors, and debuggers—for building custom IDEs and plugins. Hosted on under the intellij-community repository, the platform powers community editions of JetBrains tools and third-party extensions, with over 5,365 commits from JetBrains engineers to open-source repositories in a recent monthly cycle as of data. These contributions extend to ecosystem tools, such as enabling remote development infrastructures via protocol-based remote interpreters, though primary emphasis remains on the platform's role in scalable developer tooling.

Business Operations

Revenue Model and Licensing Strategies

JetBrains primarily derives revenue from subscription-based licensing of its commercial developer tools, including IDEs, extensions, and AI-assisted features, which account for the core of its business operations. Since November 2, 2015, most IDEs and .NET tools have transitioned to this model, offering monthly or annual billing for full access to features, updates, and support. Subscriptions grant a perpetual fallback for the version in use after 12 consecutive months, allowing indefinite post-cancellation operation of that specific release without further fees. Licensing options cater to individuals and organizations, with bundles like the All Products Pack providing access to over 11 IDEs, profilers, and AI tools for $979 annually for individuals, subject to continuity discounts that reduce first-year costs to $299 and subsequent years to $179 or $239. Single-tool subscriptions, such as Ultimate, start at $719 per year, while organizational plans emphasize scalability through tools like License Vault for on-demand distribution and postpaid billing. Certain on-premises products, including Server and Server, retain a perpetual license structure bundled with one-year upgrade subscriptions for newer versions. To drive user acquisition and upsell, JetBrains employs strategies with free Community Editions for non-commercial and open-source use, free non-commercial licenses for professional editions of eligible IDEs such as WebStorm, Rider, and CLion—activated by selecting the option in the JetBrains Account without an application—and no-cost licenses for students, educators, and select programs. Eligible products for non-commercial use are listed officially, while others like IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate require a subscription. JetBrains further supports the open-source community by offering free commercial licenses to eligible projects, which must be publicly available open-source software that is actively maintained, backed by a dedicated community, and provides significant contributions to the software industry. Applicants, generally core contributors or maintainers, are required to show visible contributions in the project's repository; well-recognized projects are prioritized, though others may apply. Specialized discounts, such as 50% off for startups via the JetBrains Startup Program (covering up to 10 licenses over five years), and 40% for former students or continuity renewals, expand while funneling users toward paid tiers. Supplementary revenue arises from the JetBrains , where a commission-based model shares proceeds from paid plugin sales and licenses between JetBrains and developers. AI-specific tiers, including AI Pro ($200/year) and AI Enterprise for secure, integrated deployments, layer additional subscription revenue atop core IDE access. This multifaceted approach balances accessibility with monetization, prioritizing long-term subscriptions over one-time sales.

Financial Performance and Bootstrapping

JetBrains was founded in February 2000 by three software developers—Sergey Dmitriev, , and Eugene Belyaev—in , , with initial development focused on . The company adopted a model from , funding operations through product sales and avoiding external investors to preserve autonomy in decision-making. This self-sustaining approach enabled organic expansion, prioritizing sustainable revenue over rapid scaling driven by . By eschewing funding rounds, JetBrains maintained full ownership among its founders, who reportedly became billionaires by through accumulated equity value tied to the company's performance. This strategy contrasted with venture-backed peers in the developer tools space, allowing focus on long-term innovation, such as the evolution of its IDE suite and the creation of Kotlin in 2011. facilitated resilience during economic downturns, with revenue reinvested into R&D and global hiring, growing the team to 2,245 members by the end of 2023 across 12 countries. Financially, JetBrains has exhibited consistent profitability without disclosing precise figures publicly, consistent with its private status. Revenue grew 11% year-over-year in 2022, driven by balanced expansion in the and regions, followed by 5.6% growth in 2023, with the strongest gains in , the , and . Independent estimates pegged annual at $270 million in 2019, supported by 405,000 paying users, rising to around $400 million by 2023 amid a subscriber base exceeding 11 million . This trajectory underscores the viability of subscription-based licensing for developer tools, yielding high margins without or dilution.

Global Operations and Workforce

JetBrains maintains its global operations through a network of 13 offices spanning , , and other regions, enabling localized support, sales, and development activities. The company's headquarters is located in , , which serves as the primary hub for executive functions and strategic decision-making. Additional key European offices include those in (), the original founding location; and (); (); (); and (). In the United States, JetBrains operates facilities in and Marlton () and Foster City (California), facilitating engagement with North American customers and talent pools. This distributed office structure supports JetBrains' international customer base, which includes over 287,000 business customers worldwide, by providing region-specific sales teams and technical support. For instance, dedicated sales contacts exist for the US West Coast and East Coast to streamline enterprise dealings. The company's expansion into these locations reflects without external funding, allowing flexibility in responding to regional developer needs and regulatory environments. As of 2025, JetBrains employs over 2,600 individuals across its global operations, forming a multinational workforce focused on , , and support roles. This headcount has grown steadily from earlier figures of around 1,800 in prior years, underscoring the company's scaling in response to demand for its IDEs and tools. The workforce is characterized by a emphasis on technical expertise, with employees contributing to products like and Kotlin from various hubs, fostering cross-office collaboration through internal tools.

Partnerships and Ecosystem Integrations

Strategic Alliances with Tech Giants

JetBrains' most significant strategic alliance is with Google, centered on the development and promotion of the Kotlin programming language. On May 17, 2017, Google designated Kotlin as an officially supported language for Android app development, partnering with JetBrains—the language's creator—to integrate Kotlin tools directly into Android Studio 3.0 and commit ongoing resources to its ecosystem. This collaboration culminated in the establishment of the Kotlin Foundation on October 4, 2018, a non-profit entity co-founded by JetBrains and Google to oversee Kotlin's evolution, with JetBrains sponsoring core development and Google providing technical and promotional support. By 2022, Google reaffirmed its dedication, noting Kotlin's role in over 60% of the top 1,000 Android apps on the Play Store and continuing investments in multiplatform capabilities. In July 2025, JetBrains announced a partnership with (AWS) to embed Amazon Q Developer—an AI-powered coding assistant—into its IDEs, enabling seamless access for millions of users to generative AI features tailored for code generation, debugging, and optimization. This builds on prior joint efforts, including the December 2022 integration of JetBrains IDEs with AWS CodeCatalyst for remote development workflows, which allows teams to leverage AWS-managed alongside JetBrains' tools for building serverless applications and containerized services. These alliances have supported JetBrains' growth, as evidenced by AWS case studies highlighting how the company utilizes AWS infrastructure to scale its global operations and deliver cloud-native developer tools. Collaborations with have included joint development of plugins, such as the 2017 Visual Studio Team Services integration for JetBrains Rider, but these emphasize tooling compatibility over co-innovation in core technologies. No formal strategic alliances with Apple or have been publicly announced, though JetBrains maintains deep integrations for their ecosystems via IDE plugins and database support.

Integrations with Cloud and Version Control Providers

JetBrains IDEs, such as and , feature built-in version control system (VCS) support primarily through the bundled plugin, which enables cloning, committing, branching, and merging operations compatible with repositories hosted on providers like , , and . This integration extends to other VCS protocols including (SVN) and allows direct interaction with remote repositories without requiring additional plugins for basic workflows. For advanced pipelines, provides native connectors to , , , , TFVC, and SVN, facilitating automated builds, dependency management, and artifact publishing triggered by repository events. YouTrack, JetBrains' issue tracking platform, offers direct VCS integrations with , , , and Azure DevOps, automatically linking commits to issues via commit messages and adding repository change details to issue timelines. These connections support bidirectional synchronization, such as attaching VCS changes to tasks and embedding YouTrack issue links in pull requests or commit logs, updated as of August 2025 documentation. Generic VCS integration in YouTrack further allows manual or API-driven linking for unsupported providers, ensuring flexibility across diverse repository hosts. On the cloud side, JetBrains tools integrate with (AWS) through the AWS Toolkit plugin, which supports development for services like , ECS, EC2, EKS, and , including cloud debugging, remote interpreters, and direct resource management from within IDEs such as Rider and . TeamCity extends this by enabling build execution on AWS infrastructure for scalable . Similarly, integrations with (GCP) allow deployment to Compute Engine instances via SCP and SSH terminals in all JetBrains IDEs, complemented by the Cloud Workstations plugin for remote development sessions in Ultimate and Professional. Azure support in TeamCity permits running builds on Azure-hosted agents or virtual machines, integrating into hybrid cloud architectures alongside Kubernetes or VMware clusters. Additional cloud toolkits, such as for , provide IDE-based management of cloud resources, emphasizing remote backend deployment via JetBrains Gateway, a desktop launcher for SSH-connected remote IDE instances on cloud servers. These integrations prioritize developer productivity by embedding cloud-native workflows directly into the IDE, with features like backends reducing latency in distributed environments.

Community and Developer Engagement

Educational Initiatives and Research

JetBrains operates JetBrains Academy, a project-based online learning platform launched to teach programming and tech skills using professional developer tools integrated with its IDEs. The platform offers over 100 courses covering languages such as , Python, and , as well as topics like and , emphasizing hands-on practice through real-world application building. It serves individual learners, organizations for upskilling, and bootcamps, with features like AI-assisted learning and mentor-supported sprints via partner Hyperskill. To support students and educators, JetBrains provides the free Student Pack, granting full access to its IDEs, AI tools like JetBrains AI Assistant, plugins, and courses for the duration of studies upon verification of student status. Teachers receive a complimentary Teacher Pack for personal use or classroom equipping, including all professional tools to bridge academic learning with industry practices. These initiatives extend to universities through free educational licenses for all JetBrains IDEs and team tools, enabling their use in curricula and personal projects. JetBrains partners with select universities to advance software education, including support for bachelor's programs in and at Neapolis University Pafos, launched in 2023, and Software, Data, and Technology at , where JetBrains contributes curriculum development, scholarships, and research integration. The JetBrains Foundation offers fully funded scholarships based on academic merit, with enrollment exceeding 80 students in the Constructor program by 2023. These collaborations aim to align academic training with professional toolsets and . In research, JetBrains maintains a dedicated division with over 100 researchers across 11 lab groups as of 2023, focusing on , for code processing, AI-human interactions, testing, and computational sciences including and . Education-specific research explores in-IDE learning environments, intelligent tutoring systems, generative AI for hints, low-code programming, and open-source pedagogy tools. Outputs include annual research digests, peer-reviewed papers—such as a 2025 collaboration with TU Delft on LLM-based unit test generation—and tools like Paper-Analyzer for analyzing abstracts. This work informs product development and academic partnerships, prioritizing empirical advancements in developer productivity.

Surveys, Reports, and Developer Insights

JetBrains conducts the annual Developer Ecosystem Survey, culminating in the State of Developer Ecosystem report, which aggregates responses from tens of thousands of software developers to analyze global trends in tools, languages, and practices. The 2025 edition, published on October 15, 2025, drew from 24,534 respondents across 194 countries after data cleaning and balancing for geography, employment status, programming languages, and JetBrains product usage. Key findings include 85% of developers regularly using AI tools and 62% relying on AI coding assistants, with 90% reporting time savings of at least one hour per week. The survey highlights growing popularity of languages like , , Go, and Kotlin, alongside declining interest in and . Reports from prior years provide consistent insights into tool preferences, noting that developers often use multiple IDEs; for example, the 2023 Python Developers Survey indicated 40% of respondents employ three or more IDEs or editors for Python work. The 2024 report, based on 23,262 developers, emphasized AI's accelerating integration, with 80% of companies permitting third-party AI tools and 49% of developers using ChatGPT regularly. These surveys reveal productivity challenges, such as 66% of developers feeling traditional metrics inadequately capture their contributions, and only 40% of organizations measuring developer experience formally. Since 2015, JetBrains surveys have engaged over 780,000 developers from 150 countries, offering playgrounds for custom and calculators derived from respondent demographics. Specialized reports, like the 2024 Python Developers Survey conducted with the , detail ecosystem-specific insights, including Jupyter notebook usage rates of 33-37% among and users. The JetBrains Tech Insights Lab supplements these with ongoing community feedback to refine products and track emerging needs. While self-conducted, the surveys' large scale and methodological balancing mitigate some selection biases toward JetBrains users, providing empirically grounded views of developer realities.

Controversies and Criticisms

AI Data Usage and Privacy Debates

In February 2024, JetBrains faced significant developer backlash after bundling the AI Assistant plugin with its IDEs, such as , without an easy opt-out option, prompting concerns over potential code scanning and transmission despite the company's assurances that no was sent without explicit user . The plugin's default inclusion and difficulty in removal led to accusations of intrusive telemetry, with users on platforms like and expressing fears that local file access could enable unauthorized for AI improvement, even as JetBrains clarified that AI service was not used for model training and on-device handled features like without external transmission. In response, JetBrains announced plans to allow complete plugin removal to address these filesystem access worries. JetBrains' official AI data policy emphasizes that user inputs and code shared with the AI service are processed solely for generating responses and not retained or used to train models, with anonymized usage data collected only for product enhancement under privacy notices updated as of July 2024. The company states that sensitive code data is protected via security protocols, and no long-term storage occurs unless users opt into detailed telemetry for AI refinement, as outlined in their Product Data Collection notice. However, community skepticism persists, particularly around anonymous telemetry aggregating feature usage statistics like time spent or clicks, which some developers argue could indirectly reveal proprietary patterns without granular consent controls. A notable escalation occurred in October 2025, when JetBrains drew criticism for its AI training policies, with reports highlighting that customer from non-paid users might be leveraged for model improvement under certain conditions, contrasting earlier denials and fueling debates on in free versus enterprise tiers. JetBrains countered in a September 2025 blog post that public datasets inadequately represent professional coding realities, soliciting voluntary detailed data sharing via updated to enhance AI accuracy while maintaining opt-in requirements and anonymization. Critics, including users, questioned the feasibility of preventing local reading by -integrated plugins, arguing that even non-transmitted processing raises enterprise privacy risks in regulated environments. JetBrains maintains that enterprise features prioritize , with no model training on customer inputs, positioning their approach as more privacy-respecting than competitors reliant on broad data harvesting.

Product Feedback and Marketplace Policies

JetBrains has faced criticism for its handling of user reviews on the JetBrains , particularly regarding the removal of for its own AI Assistant plugin. In April 2025, the plugin received a low average rating of 2.2 out of 5 stars from over 1,100 reviews, with users citing issues such as a restrictive credit system limiting practical development use and frequent hallucinations in code suggestions. JetBrains acknowledged removing some negative reviews, stating that they addressed complaints about resolved bugs or functionality added in updates, or violated marketplace policies against spam, , or irrelevant content. Critics argued that this practice undermines transparency and historical user sentiment, as resolved issues do not erase initial user experiences or broader dissatisfaction with the product's , especially given its subscription-based pricing tied to usage credits. Developer communities on platforms like and labeled the removals a "red flag," suggesting selective to inflate perceptions of product , though JetBrains maintained that the policy applies uniformly and that remaining reviews reflect ongoing issues. The incident highlighted tensions in marketplace policies, which prohibit content deemed inappropriate under the JetBrains Marketplace Content Moderation Policy, including off-topic rants or policy violations, but provide limited public insight into removal decisions beyond appeals processes. Broader marketplace policies have also drawn scrutiny for inconsistent enforcement against fake or manipulated reviews. In September 2025, plugin developer Augment faced accusations of generating over 200 five-star reviews in a single day—nearly half its total—prompting calls for stricter verification, though JetBrains' response emphasized user reporting mechanisms under its Digital Services Act compliance updates from February 2024. Plugin authors have protested ineffective handling of malicious negative reviews, reporting that flagging systems fail to remove unjustified feedback despite repeated submissions, potentially harming legitimate products. These issues occur against a backdrop of policy evolutions, including mandatory trader verification introduced in May 2025 to comply with EU regulations on digital marketplaces, requiring plugin distributors to disclose commercial status and undergo identity checks. Product feedback channels outside the marketplace, such as YouTrack issue trackers and support tickets, have elicited complaints about responsiveness. Users reported tickets being closed without resolution after weeks, as in a June 2025 case where a paid product inquiry received no reply before automated closure, eroding trust in JetBrains' commitment to addressing user-reported bugs and feature requests. While JetBrains encourages feedback via integrated forms redirecting to YouTrack, historical patterns show prioritization of new features over backlog fixes, with some developers noting delays in EAP (Early Access Program) responses dating back to 2005. JetBrains' official stance emphasizes community input for undiscovered problems but does not guarantee timelines, contributing to perceptions of opaque prioritization in product evolution.

Open Source Practices and Language Ecosystem Concerns

JetBrains maintains an active presence in development, with employees contributing to numerous projects. In a recent reporting period, 354 JetBrains staff members authored 5,365 commits across 129 repositories, including core contributions to the IntelliJ Platform, Kotlin, and MPS (Meta Programming System). The company open sources select components of its technology stack, such as the Community Edition under the Apache 2.0 license and Kotlin under the same permissive terms, enabling broad adoption and modification by the developer community. Additionally, JetBrains provides free non-commercial licenses for its commercial tools, including the Subscription and IDEs like Rider, to core contributors of qualifying projects, supporting maintenance and innovation in ecosystems like .NET and . Despite these efforts, JetBrains' open source practices have drawn scrutiny for blending proprietary and open elements in ways that may foster dependency. Critics argue that while Kotlin is open source, its optimal development experience relies heavily on JetBrains' proprietary IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate edition, potentially limiting accessibility and portability to alternative IDEs like those based on VS Code or Eclipse, where plugin support and refactoring tools lag. This integration is seen by some in the community as hindering Kotlin's broader ecosystem growth, portraying the language as "commercial programming hiding under open source garb" due to JetBrains' control over key tooling and documentation. Language ecosystem concerns extend to JetBrains' promotion of specialized tools like MPS, a projectional editor for domain-specific languages that integrates with Kotlin but requires JetBrains' environment for full fidelity. Discussions highlight tensions between MPS's graph-based, parser-free approach—which JetBrains developed internally—and Kotlin's more conventional syntax, raising questions about fragmentation or over-reliance on JetBrains' workbench for multi-language workflows. Broader critiques note that developer preferences for JetBrains' polished, integrated suites over fully open alternatives like Emacs or Vim may undermine incentives for ecosystem-wide open source innovation, as proprietary enhancements in areas like code inspections and dependency management create perceived barriers to entry for non-JetBrains tools. JetBrains counters such views through initiatives like the Kotlin ecosystem surveys and commitments to Apache-licensed projects, emphasizing collaborative growth.

Industry Impact and Reception

Market Position and User Adoption

JetBrains maintains a strong market position in the (IDE) sector, particularly excelling in language-specific tools for professional developers. Its leads the IDE category, with 84% of Java developers reporting usage in the 2025 Java Developer Productivity Report, up from 71% in prior assessments, reflecting sustained growth amid competition from lighter editors like (31%) and (28%). This dominance stems from IntelliJ's comprehensive feature set, including advanced refactoring, , and plugin ecosystem, which appeal to enterprise-scale Java projects. In the overall IDE market, JetBrains products capture a niche but influential share, estimated at around 4% for among IDEs and text editors based on technology usage data. Broader popularity metrics, such as the PYPL index derived from search trends, rank IntelliJ at 6.77% globally as of October 2025, positioned behind but ahead of and . JetBrains' polyglot IDEs, including for Python and WebStorm for , further bolster adoption in multi-language workflows, though they face pressure from free alternatives like VS Code, which dominates general-purpose usage per developer surveys. User adoption is evidenced by high enterprise penetration and developer surveys. Approximately 90% of Fortune 100 companies utilize JetBrains IDEs, underscoring reliability in large-scale environments. JetBrains' annual State of Developer Ecosystem reports, drawing from over 24,000 respondents in 2025, highlight consistent tool integration, with developers favoring JetBrains for productivity in languages like Kotlin and , though exact IDE usage percentages are not disclosed in the summaries. Growth in adoption correlates with AI enhancements, as 20% of PHP developers, for example, use JetBrains AI Assistant, indicating expanding appeal amid rising AI tool integration (85% of developers use AI regularly).

Innovations and Competitive Advantages

JetBrains pioneered intelligent code assistance in IDEs with the release of in January 2001, featuring advanced refactoring tools, context-aware , and seamless navigation that reduced manual coding errors and boosted developer productivity by integrating static analysis directly into the editor workflow. These capabilities, such as live templates and intention actions, set a benchmark for subsequent IDEs by automating repetitive tasks without requiring external plugins, distinguishing JetBrains products from lighter editors like Vim or VS Code that often rely on community extensions for similar functionality. In 2011, JetBrains developed Kotlin, a statically typed emphasizing null safety, coroutines for concurrency, and concise syntax, which interoperates fully with and has been adopted for server-side, mobile, and multiplatform development; designated it a preferred language for Android in May , contributing to its growth among 80% of surveyed developers by 2024. Kotlin's design addressed Java's verbosity and issues through first-class and extension functions, enabling more maintainable codebases as evidenced by its inclusion in JetBrains' own tools and ecosystem libraries. The company introduced the Meta Programming System (MPS) in 2006 as a language workbench for creating domain-specific languages (DSLs) via projectional editing, allowing developers to define custom syntax and semantics without traditional parsing ambiguities, which supports complex modeling in areas like requirements engineering and has influenced tools in embedded systems and scientific computing. MPS's projectional approach provides a competitive edge over text-based DSL tools by enabling incremental compilation and bidirectional editing between abstract and concrete syntax, fostering innovation in language-oriented programming. JetBrains maintains advantages through "dogfooding"—using its IDEs to develop its own products—which ensures iterative improvements based on real-world usage, as seen in the 2024 release of JetBrains AI Assistant, an integrated coding agent offering context-aware code generation, documentation, and testing suggestions powered by fine-tuned models. Independent studies, such as Forrester's , quantify benefits like 239% ROI over three years for users through reduced debugging time and faster onboarding, attributing this to out-of-the-box enterprise features like built-in profilers and database tools absent in free alternatives. With over 15 million users and SOC 2 Type II certification, JetBrains' focus on secure, scalable tooling supports competitive positioning in professional environments, evidenced by 115+ industry awards since 2000.

Broader Influence on Software Development

JetBrains' IntelliJ platform has profoundly shaped integrated development environments (IDEs) by providing the foundational architecture for Google's , which was built upon IntelliJ IDEA's Community Edition and released in 2013 as the official IDE for Android application development. This adoption exposed millions of developers to JetBrains' innovations in code intelligence, such as context-aware refactoring, advanced , and seamless integration, features that have become standards in modern IDEs and prompted competitors like to enhance similar capabilities through extensions and AI-assisted tools. The development of Kotlin, initiated by JetBrains in 2011 as an open-source, statically typed language targeting the (JVM), has accelerated the modernization of enterprise and mobile software ecosystems. Kotlin's concise syntax, null safety, and coroutines for asynchronous programming addressed longstanding pain points in , leading to its endorsement by in 2017 as the preferred language for Android development; by 2025, Kotlin held a 10.8% share among professional developers in the Stack Overflow Developer Survey, reflecting widespread adoption for cross-platform, backend, and server-side applications. This shift has influenced industry practices toward safer, more expressive codebases, with features like extension functions and data classes inspiring similar paradigms in languages such as Swift and . JetBrains' Meta Programming System (MPS), a language workbench introduced in 2006, has advanced (DSL) engineering through projectional editing, enabling developers to create custom notations—such as tables, diagrams, or forms—tailored to specific domains without relying on text-based parsing. MPS has facilitated the adoption of in industries like embedded systems and business applications, where domain experts can define and extend languages directly, reducing the gap between problem domains and implementation; its influence is evident in academic and practical DSL projects that prioritize structured editing over traditional textual code. Through annual reports like the State of Developer Ecosystem, JetBrains has contributed empirical data on programming trends, tool usage, and , surveyed from over 23,000 developers in 2024, informing corporate tech strategies and highlighting shifts such as AI integration and language popularity indices. These insights, grounded in large-scale user data, have guided the toward evidence-based decisions on stack selection and enhancements.

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