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The best integrated development environment software makes developers' lives easier, by providing efficient tools for working on multiple projects and streamlining complex workflows. As the number of emerging technologies grows, IDE popularity shifts, with more competitive tools entering the market to support efficient development. But where do these popular IDEs stand in the IDE ranking of developer tools?
Integrated Development Environments (IDE), or programming IDEs, consist of development tools, including AI-based ones, that help write source code, debug and compile it. Some IDEs are designed for specific programming languages, while others are considered the best IDE for multiple languages, supporting a variety of coding environments. IT companies can implement several IDEs into their work, letting developers choose the best tool for their preferred language. Within the IDE features checklist, you can find built-in plugins allowing to better sync a certain IDE up with the devs’ selected languages.
Successful businesses often rely on talent management services to effectively integrate IDEs into their workflow planning. To pick the best-fitting one, some important questions have to be asked: Will a particular IDE be compatible with the preferred platform of the company? Is it easy for your in-house team to adopt it, or you'd need a team member with expertise to launch it? Is the current IDE up-to-date or obsolete?
These decisions can be game-changing for the company’s future in development and operations.
Most popular IDEs for business in 2025
Is the popularity of IDE all you need to know?
Multilingual IDEs for developers give your team the freedom to code in Python, Ruby, and PHP all in one place. Many teams code in multiple languages at once, so having all the tools on the ready can be useful.
“IDEs provide a comprehensive set of tools, like code editing, debugging, and version control, which streamline complex projects efficiently. Even for specialized developers, IDEs offer valuable features tailored to specific languages and frameworks, enhancing both workflow and code quality.”
CEO, Software House
On the other hand, niche tools are great for niche tasks, so it's also a good idea to use the best tool available for each job, and switch from one to another as you work.
Here are some of the most popular IDEs for website and software developers.
Microsoft Visual Studio
You can’t go wrong with MVS — it is one of the most popular and best-integrated programming IDEs for web development. You can develop anything from console and GUI apps, Windows Forms/ WPF applications, to websites, web apps, and web services.
MVS is widely used in Computer Software and IT and Services industries. It’s equally popular among Software Engineers and Software Developers in small businesses and enterprises.
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IntelliJ IDEA
IntelliJ is a favorite IDE for many developers. The reason? Simple — it’s easy to use and very flexible. Its strongest features are: the code completion, on-the-fly code flow analysis, an easy-to-use layout, fast and easy refactoring.
IntelliJ is an IDE of choice in Computer Software and IT and Services industries. It’s often used by Software Engineers and Senior Software Engineers in small businesses and enterprises.
PyCharm
PyCharm is a popular cross-platform IDE for Python. Here are some of its strongest features: accurate code completion, smart code navigation, and project-wide refactorings. PyCharm is also highly-customizable and supports over 50 plugins and other IDE features.
Useful for Computer Software and IT and Services industries. An IDE of choice for Software Engineers and Senior Software Engineers in small and mid-market businesses.
AWS Cloud9
AWS Cloud9 is a multiple programming languages open-source IDE. It can be used through an existing AWS (Amazon Web Services) account. Some of the most useful features are code completion, syntax highlighting, a built-in terminal, and an in-built image editor.
It’s proven to be useful for Computer Software and IT and Services industries. It’s popular among Software Engineers in small businesses and enterprises.
Eclipse
Originally created for Java, now Eclipse supports multiple languages (C++, Python, and PHP). If more tools are needed, check out the Eclipse Marketplace Client — an extension trove, supported by an active community.
Eclipse is used in Computer Software and IT and Services industries. Its features are highly-valued by Software Engineers and Senior Software Engineers in enterprises and small businesses.
WebStorm
This lightweight IDE has lots of helpful features that make JavaScript/HTML programming easier. Plus, it has great UI testing integration (e.g., Jasmine — a development framework for testing JavaScript).
WebStorm is used in Computer Software and IT and Services industries. This IDE works best for Software Engineers and Software Developers in small businesses and enterprises.
Xcode
Xcode is The IDE for developing Mac and iOS apps for Apple devices. Its built-in Assistant Editor that suggests helpful code files associated with your work on the side pane is especially helpful. You can develop, debug, design, and publish your app all in one window.
Xcode is widely used in Computer Software and IT and Services industries. It’s a popular choice for Software Engineers and Senior Software Engineers in mid-market and small businesses.
The Jupyter Notebook
Jupyter is an interactive computing environment that enables users to edit and run code from the browser, create and use interactive JavaScript widgets, and author narrative text using markup language. It is very useful for data science and machine learning, as it allows for easy prototyping and experimentation with code.
Jupyter Notebook is used in Computer Software and IT and Services industries. It’s an IDE (and more!) of choice for Software Engineers and Data Scientists in enterprises and small businesses.
Oracle JDeveloper
Oracle JDeveloper works great for the development of Java-based apps. JDeveloper has a lot of plugins and extensions available to install that support other Oracle family products. It also has an integrated server to deploy and check the code.
It’s mostly used in Computer Software and IT and Services industries. This IDE is popular among Software Engineers and Senior Consultants in enterprises and mid-market businesses.
NetBeans
This web development IDE is platform-friendly, meaning it runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, and Solaris! It offers app development with integrated modules — NetBeans profiler, GUI design tool, and JavaScript editor.
It’s proven to be useful for Computer Software and IT and Services industries. NetBeans is often used by Software Engineers and Software Developers in small and mid-market businesses.
Emerging Trends
While the above 10 most used IDEs top the charts, developers continue to search for the best IDE for programming by exploring AI-enhanced and cloud-based tools.
AI is being used as actively in programming as in other areas. Turning to AI boosts the productivity and increases the code quality. Using AI helps developers detecting and fixing bugs, completing codes, and automating code refactoring. It's possible to make coding more efficient with such integrated AI extensions as GitHub Copilot and IntelliJ IDEA.
As for the cloud-based environments, they are picking up steam because of their flexibility. Besides, they're easier to access from any location and simple to adjust for scalability. The most prominent cloud-based IDEs are AWS Cloud9 and Google Cloud Platform.
The combination of both AI and cloud is the trend that will continue to evolve. It changes developers’ practices and streamlines their work.
Final tips on IDEs for business
Good IDEs give needed support to software developers, being an integral part of their working process. And while IDEs for programming provide great tools for tech projects, challenges with compatibility and compliance can still arise.
Tip #1
Before choosing from good IDEs for a project, we recommend that you consider requirements, timeframe, budget, and most importantly, the expertise of your in-house development team. Because even top IDEs can’t replace seasoned developers with impressive portfolios.
Is it possible to find a happy medium between human habits, human expertise, and automatization, you might wonder. To address that, we first ask candidates for joining our clients’ tech teams about 2 things.
Their experience with our clients’ IDEs. Not all specialists are ready to change their development routine, as it may require significant time to adapt to an IDE: to get used to new hotkeys, shortcuts, command structure, etc.
Their in-depth expertise in measuring, selecting, and controlling tools. Only pros who’ve mastered manual techniques can then leverage automatic tools for efficient, accurate work. While power tools utilized by incompetent specialists cause huge mistakes.
Then, having spotted skilled pros ready to upskill at the same time, we retain them. After the onboarding, we monitor their milestones and satisfaction levels so that both devs and IDEs work in harmony for years to come.
Tip #2
You should be ready to download software when opting, for instance, for Microsoft Visual Studio or Jupiter Notebook. So, it’s necessary to check if you are equipped with appropriate hardware.
Tip #3
To optimize resources for an IDE and align with OKRs for engineering teams, you can follow several steps to improve performance.
Disable unnecessary plugins;
Increase memory for the IDE, excluding folders and unloading modules;
Turn on the memory indicator and pause inspections check, as like many IDEs allow that in 2024;
Disable on-the-fly import management;
Speed up indexing by excluding directories and files, and using shared indexes.
Tip #4
If you’re implementing new development tools in 2025, especially when managing remote teams, you may seek the most secure solutions as privacy regulations have become more advanced. So, tech companies face the questions of how to use VDI for remote teams and how to seamlessly run IDE on VDI. The configuration of IDEs within Virtual Desktop Infrastructure setups may result in poor user latency experiences. To avoid such a situation, we’d consider VDIs where you can define workspaces, enabling developers to securely access VDI from any standard web browser on their local machine.
Wrapping up
In 2025, selecting the right IDE is critical for development teams striving for efficiency and productivity. While some of the most used IDEs like Visual Studio and IntelliJ remain popular for their reliability, the rise of AI-enhanced and cloud-based tools is transforming developer workflows. Real-time AI-driven code suggestions and the adaptability of cloud environments are game-changers, driving flexibility, seamless teamwork, and higher-quality code. Companies embracing these advancements are set to forge agile, future-ready teams, fine-tune their workflows, and maintain a strong foothold in the current market.
* All product names, logos, brands, trademarks and registered trademarks are property of their respective owners and are used for research purposes only. Outstaff Your Team does not claim any affiliation of any kind with the indicated companies.
FAQ
What IDE do most developers use?
The most used IDE for Mac, Windows, and Linux is Visual Studio Code. It is one of the easiest ones to get into. Designed for JavaScript development, it also supports multiple major scripting and compiled languages, and a lot of plugins for code completion and highlighting. Moreover, Visual Studio Code offers the AI helper, which analyzes code edits and completes code lines based on learned patterns and context.
What IDE do most Python developers use?
The most popular IDEs, created specially for Python developers and highly rated by them, are PyCharm, Spyder, and Thonny. PyCharm directly facilitates Python development and offers more features than others. Some of such features are source control integration and project management support.
What is the best IDE to use for small businesses?
Top IDEs for small businesses include: Visual Studio (multi-language), IntelliJ IDEA (Java and Kotlin) and PyCharm (Python). It’s important to pick the right IDE, but you can choose several and decide on the one that’s proven itself the most effective for your development needs.
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