Why IntelliJ is becoming more expensive

Saw an interesting post while cruising JavaBlogs. Weiqi Gao makes some interesting observations on what will happen to IntelliJ’s IDEA product over the next few years.

Personally, I love IntelliJ; it’s a wonderful tool. But it’s only natural that it’s becoming more expensive. Consider the following:

• With NetBeans and Eclipse both available, the bar has been lifted in the Java IDE space to a very high level.
• In order to compete successfully with these two products, you need to deliver an exceptional piece of software. IntelliJ has always done that, to my mind (by contrast, I’ve never been impressed with the leading commercial Java IDE, JBuilder)
• Delivering exceptional software costs money to do; money to build, money to test, money to sell.

While I’m a great fan of open-source software, it must be recognised that it does make it harder for commercial products to compete. Sometimes, there are casualties, and the rising price of IntelliJ is one. I think their announcement of a “Personal Edition” is an excellent response, though.

Author: Robert Watkins

My name is Robert Watkins. I am a software developer and have been for over 20 years now. I currently work for people, but my opinions here are in no way endorsed by them (which is cool; their opinions aren’t endorsed by me either). My main professional interests are in Java development, using Agile methods, with a historical focus on building web based applications. I’m also a Mac-fan and love my iPhone, which I’m currently learning how to code for. I live and work in Brisbane, Australia, but I grew up in the Northern Territory, and still find Brisbane too cold (after 22 years here). I’m married, with two children and one cat. My politics are socialist in tendency, my religious affiliation is atheist (aka “none of the above”), my attitude is condescending and my moral standing is lying down. View all posts by Robert Watkins