I’ve been using Eclipse for a while, mostly for school assignments and personal projects, and it’s been fine for the most part.
Recently, I’ve started trying out IntelliJ IDEA after seeing that a lot of developers swear by it. It definitely feels more modern—almost like VS Code—but I’m not sure if the benefits are truly significant, especially at my level.
I’ve heard that IntelliJ has better plugin support and faster performance, but I haven’t noticed major differences in compilation or usability yet. I do feel like Eclipse is getting outdated in terms of interface and workflow, but I don’t want to switch IDEs just for the sake of it unless there are clear advantages that actually help me learn or build faster.
So, I’d love to know: why do many developers prefer IntelliJ over Eclipse, and are there meaningful benefits for someone who’s still a student?
Hi @Shreshthaseth IntelliJ’s biggest draw is its intelligent code completion, real-time refactoring tools, and deeper context awareness.
Unlike Eclipse, which relies more on plugins or manual configuration for advanced functionality, IntelliJ tends to work “out of the box” with features like inline documentation, deep symbol resolution, and better suggestions as you type.
If you’re still in school, this might not seem like a big deal now, but as your projects get larger and more complex—or if you plan to contribute to open source or work professionally—it reduces the mental overhead and increases productivity. For instance, its auto-imports and error resolution suggestions save a ton of time in the long run.
From a QA or dev testing angle, teams using IntelliJ often pair it with test platforms like LambdaTest to integrate and run cross-browser tests more seamlessly via plugins and build tools (Gradle, Maven).
IntelliJ’s robust ecosystem supports these integrations better than Eclipse, which is often more brittle in this area.
Eclipse uses fewer resources and may run better on low-end machines, but IntelliJ offers a smoother, more efficient workflow that can boost overall productivity.
However, IntelliJ compensates by offering more powerful project indexing, intelligent navigation (like “Find Symbol,” “Find Usages”), and superior Git integration.
These might not be deal-breakers for you now, but they significantly enhance developer experience when juggling multiple files, modules, or branches.
That said, if you’re managing tests or multi-browser environments, IntelliJ’s plugin ecosystem makes it easier to connect to test platforms like LambdaTest, letting you push your builds and run them across real device farms right from the IDE. That convenience matters more as your work expands beyond local dev.
I would say stick with Eclipse for now, Unless You’re Exploring Advanced Tooling or Team Collaboration.
If Eclipse is working for your school assignments and you’re not hitting real friction, there’s no pressure to switch immediately. The “you’re just switching problems” argument holds true—IntelliJ has its own quirks and learning curve.
But when you start working on team-based or enterprise projects where code consistency, CI/CD integration, and complex testing workflows matter, IntelliJ shines.
For example, when testing across devices and browsers becomes essential (say, for a school web project), combining IntelliJ with cloud test tools like LambdaTest can offer a real advantage.
These tools integrate more naturally into IntelliJ pipelines than Eclipse ones, so you’ll spend less time fighting tooling and more time solving problems.